Saturated Fats In High Amounts Should Be Avoided (newstyle)

A healthy, well-balanced diet must include a small quantity of fat. Fat contains essential fatty acids that the body cannot produce independently. Just because all types of fat are beneficial to your health doesn't imply that they are all made equal. Saturated fat is one of the types of dietary fats, and for a long time, researchers have established that it has potential harm to a person’s health.

Excess consumption of saturated fats has been linked to an increased risk of developing conditions such as coronary heart disease, obesity, and some types of cancer. Fat that isn't utilized or converted into energy by your body cells is turned into body fat. Intake of saturated fats in high amounts can lead to the accumulation of excess body fat, which is harmful to one’s health.

Dangers of Saturated Fats

Too much-saturated fat can cause heart disease. Cholesterol may build up in one's arteries, making it hard for blood to flow. Molecules in saturated fats are tightly packed together, making it harder for the body to break. As a result, the deposits formed can rupture and form a clot leading to a stroke or heart attack.

It can also cause weight gain leading to obesity. Dietary fat does not always cause weight gain; the large intake contributes to it. Consuming too much-saturated fat can add extra calories to one’s diet. Researchers have also developed that over intake of these fats can trigger particular genes in fatty tissue, which increases fat storage in the abdomen while impairing the ability to regulate blood sugar.

According to a study done in Europe, overconsumption of saturated fats has been linked to a higher risk of hormone-receptor-positive breast cancer. Every woman wants to know how they can reduce their chances of developing breast cancer. Some factors such as age and genetics cannot be changed. Other factors, however, such as making healthy choices by consuming less saturated fat, can help reduce the risk of breast cancer.

Overconsumption of saturated fats has also been linked to cancer through obesity. Since one of the effects of over-intake is obesity, and it is established that obesity can cause cancer, saturated fats have also been connected to cancer. Being overweight increases the risk of one's potential developing cancer, which makes it necessary to avoid saturated fats to prevent weight gain.

Foods High in Saturated Fats

There are many foods which feature very large levels of saturated fats. Some of these include: 

1. Red Meat - Red meat such as pork, beef, and lamb contains more saturated fat as compared to white meat. This is especially the case if they are fatty. Products such as pies and sausages made from meat also contain high saturated fats.
2. Butter, lard, and ghee - These contain almost 100% of calories from fat. Lard, however, has less saturated fat. The high levels of saturated fat in butter are one of the reasons why baked goods are not usually good for one’s health.
3. Full-fat dairy products - Full-fat dairy products include whole milk, full-fat cheese, whole milk yogurt, and heavy cream. Whole milk, for instance, contains 4.5 grams of saturated fat, whereas milk contains 1.5 grams in a 1- cup serving. Creams are the worst when it comes to the concentration of saturated fats, as they contain almost 28 grams.
4. Coconut oil and cream - Though tropical oils have certain health benefits, they are also heavy in saturated fats. In fact, they have more saturated fats compared to beef fat, lard, or butter.
5. Baked goods - Most baked products, for instance, cakes, brownies, biscuits, and pastries, contain high levels of saturated fat.
6. Ice cream - Most fat in ice cream is animal fat and hydrogenated oil, which are types of saturated fats.

I's fine to indulge in these types of foods every now and again. However, it's advisable to limit how often one consumes them and how much one eats when they do.