Do you know the things in common between meat, pork, butter, and cheese? They contain saturated fat, which is dangerous and risks your health if consumed at large scale. To know the influences given by this thing, read further below too see in depth explanation about this kind of fat.
Basic Definition of Saturated Fat
Basically, Fats mainly divided into three big groups. Saturated, Monounsaturated, and Polyunsaturated. Saturated fat is a fat molecule that only has a single bond. It occurs because carbon molecules are saturated with hydrogen molecules and the second bond is totally crushed. It may be concluded that the word “saturated” refers to the number of hydrogen atoms that encircle each carbon atom. The form of saturated fats are typically solid at average room temperatures.
A diet high in saturated fat is linked to high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels, but it gives an insignificant impact. In the other hand, Penny Kris-Etherton, a professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, says that it’s proven that saturated fat raises the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels for significant impact that slowly affects your body. Understanding all kinds of fat and the impact for your health and body is substantial. In addition, knowing the right amount of saturated fat consumed on daily basis will help you to maintain your internal organs.
While some experts and professors debate of the good side of various studies, others are deducing out that there are many types of saturated fat acids which may cause various effects on your health.
Food that Contains Saturated Fat
In United States, the biggest food source of saturated fat is pizza and cheese. Usually it mixes with other types of fat. It can be found in natural foods. Most of them come from animals, including meat and dairy products. Even healthy foods contribute low amount of these kind of fat. Recently, plant-based oils can contain saturated fat, but they don’t produce dangerous acids like others do.
Despite the popularity of oils, especially coconut oil, this kind of oil contains about 16 percent of mystic acid and 44 percent of lauric acid. Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University says that there’s no strong evidence that coconut oil is good or bad enough for you with its amount of saturated fat. In the other hand, Gregory Miller, chief science officer at the National Dairy Council says that there’s plenty of science research that indicates important components of dairy fats that may be beneficial for our health.
Health Risks
Consuming Saturated Fat at high level or big scale can lead to health risks. Each of this health risks affect differently on your part of body, so knowing all these risks help you to develop a new healthy lifestyle.
1. Cholesterol
Health Risks of High Levels of Saturated Fat is high level of cholesterol. Research has shown that excessive using of saturated fat leads to increase in cholesterol. Some kinds of acid (for example : stearic acid) have a side effect on the cholesterol degree. According to American Heart Association, we shouldn’t take more than 7% of saturated fat on calories on daily basis.’ Beside, having a cholesterol can lead to heart and blood vessel disease.
Some people are likely to eat internal organs of animal, which contains high amount of cholesterol. cholesterol risk rises even higher in people who never consume healthy fruit or rarely drink mineral water. Abnormal cholesterol levels can lead to even more dangerous disease, such as diabetes, underactive tyroid gland, or liver disease.
2. Stroke
Although benefits of saturated fat is important for human body, but overdose is very dangerous. Stroke happens anytime, anywhere, to anyone. consuming saturated fats in high amount leads to cut off a blood flow to brain area.
he symptoms are easy to predict, such as a sudden loss of weakness, paralysis, speech. Don’t mess with this disease, cause it leads you to death if you don’t know how to prevent yourself from this disease.
3. Heart Disease
American Heart Association, followed by WebMD executed a big research to determine the correlation between heart disease and saturated fat. Over 600.000 participants from 18 countries involved for this study. some of the people are a hundred percent healthy, while others have heart disease. Research shows that there is mutual correlation between heart disease and saturated fat.
Therefore, American Heart Association suggests consume any food that contains saturated fats lower than 16 grams each 2000 cal, to prevent any undesirable effects.
4. Cardiovascular
Plenty of researches have been examined the mutual relationship between cardiovascular disease and saturated fats, and the result is controversial. there are wide variety of answers for this case. But there is one thing to be sure : eating excessive amount of saturated fat for long duration affects our cardiovascular system slowly.
5. Obesity
Today, more than half people in the world are struggling with obesity. This is caused by consuming food that contains high amount of saturated fat. Afterwards, it adds extra calories into your meal and leads to unstoppable weight gain. eating extra 200-300 calories from the actual recommendation will direct you to slow and gradual weight for about 0,5 to 1 kg per week
How To Avoid High Levels of Saturated Fat and Cholesterol
By limiting your saturated fat to the suggested amount, you can lower your chance to suffer any chronic disease. Lower your level of saturated fat by changing your lifestyle. Always check ‘Nutrition Facts’ on behind of the packaging boxes / cans so you’ll know the raw materials of the food you buy. Another easy thing to do is replacing foods in high level of saturated fats into other types of fats. For example : low-fat milk, yoghurt, lean ground meat. When cooking, use olive oil, or soybean oils instead of coconut or palm oils.
Another thing you can do is controlling your diabetes and high blood pressure mainly by regular checkup at local hospital monthly, by knowing the health status on your body, you will be more aware than before. Prepare your healthy life soon before it’s too late.