Saturated Fats Are Also Good for Heart Health

Saturated fats are often associated with a risk of high cholesterol, stroke and heart disease. The relationship between saturated fat with various diseases is indeed close. However, saturated fat actually also has benefits. The body actually needs a certain amount of saturated fat intake in order to function properly.

Fat consists of three types, namely unsaturated fats, saturated fats, and trans fats. Unsaturated fats are healthy fats that are contained in fatty fish, nuts and seeds, as well as several types of vegetable oils.

Trans fats are "bad" fats found in junk food, fried foods, sweet foods, and processed products. Saturated fat itself stands between "good fat" and "bad fat".

The assumption of saturated fat as 'bad' fat is still held today because of its effects which can increase LDL cholesterol levels. High cholesterol levels can indeed trigger the risk of heart disease. Even so, there are no studies that prove that the two are directly related.

Another statement states that saturated fat actually has benefits for the body. Once absorbed by the intestine, saturated fat will be converted into energy so that the body can carry out its various functions.

Then, what are the benefits of saturated fats for health?

Based on its carrier protein, cholesterol in your body is divided into two types.

The first type is high density lipoprotein (HDL), which is good cholesterol that can protect you from the risk of heart disease. The second type of cholesterol is low density lipoprotein (LDL). LDL is called bad cholesterol because it can trigger plaque formation in blood vessels if the levels are excessive. This plaque then increases the risk of heart disease.


However, please note that not all LDLs cause the same bad effects. Based on the particle size, LDL is subdivided into two subtypes, namely:

Small solid LDL. Small-sized LDL particles more easily penetrate blood vessels so they quickly form cholesterol plaque.

• Large LDL that cannot penetrate blood vessels.

Saturated fats can indeed increase the amount of LDL. However, it turns out that saturated fat has an unknown benefit: converting small sized solid LDL to larger size LDL.

In this way, LDL cannot penetrate blood vessels easily. Cholesterol plaque is more difficult to form in blood vessels. In fact, several types of saturated fats with different carbon chains can also increase the amount of HDL.

Instead of causing heart disease, all of these conditions can actually reduce the risk. Even so, don't forget that you still need to monitor your intake of saturated fat consumed every day.

The healthy way to get the benefits of saturated fat

The food you consume contains different types of fat. You can still eat foods containing saturated fat, but the amount must not exceed 10 percent of total daily calorie intake.

If your daily calorie needs are 2,000 kcal, it means that saturated fat intake should not be more than 200 kcal or equivalent to 22 grams. Natural foods such as beef, eggs, and avocados also contain saturated fat, but they are small so they are safe for consumption.

As an illustration, there are 4 grams of saturated fat in a piece of beef and 1.5 grams of saturated fat in an egg. In fact, avocados which are rich in healthy fats also contain as much as 2.4 grams of saturated fat.

In addition to the amount, consider also the source of saturated fat that you consume. Avoid saturated fats sourced from junk food and fried foods because the amount is much higher than that found in natural foods.

Junk foods such as burgers, for example, can contain more than 10 grams of saturated fat. This is due to the fact that junk food processing usually uses large amounts of oil.

Saturated fats do not completely harm health. Instead, the body needs it as a source of energy. The key is to control your total daily intake so that you can get the benefits of saturated fats without the bad effects.