Fats: Understanding Unsaturated, Saturated and Trans Fats
Fat is an essential part of a healthy diet. It gives the body energy and helps it absorb vitamins and nutrients from food.
Fat contains more calories than carbohydrates and protein, so it is important to limit how much you consume. Eating too much fat too often can contribute to weight gain and other health problems.
Unsaturated fats can help lower blood cholesterol and reduce the risk of developing heart disease. They also provide essential fatty acids, which help keep muscles, skin and other tissues healthy.
Unsaturated fats are found in oily fish such as mackerel and salmon, avocados, nuts and seeds, and plant-based oils and spreads such as olive and rapeseed oil.
Saturated and trans fats raise cholesterol levels in the blood and increase the risk of developing heart disease. Reducing your intake of these fats can be beneficial.
Saturated fats are found in processed meat products such as sausages and beef burgers, butter and lard, full-fat cream, milk and ice cream, hard cheeses such as parmesan and cheddar, biscuits, cakes and pastries.
The government recommends that men have 95 grams of fat, including no more than 30 grams of saturates, in their diet each day. For women, the recommendation is 70 grams of fat, including no more than 20 grams of saturates, each day.
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