Saturated Fat
Expert: McKittrick, Martha, RD »
Your body needs some saturated fat for optimal health but that doesn’t mean that all saturated fat is good for you. Check out this video to learn about healthy sources of saturated fat.
Transcript
Eating EXCESS fat of any kind is bad for you-it fuels inflammation, obesity and increases the risk of heart disease and diabetes. But your body needs fat-even SATURATED fat found in meat, fish, chicken and dairy AND some tropical oils. That’s because fat in your body provides insulation from the cold, stores energy, and even acts as a chemical messenger that help proteins do their jobs.
Fats also play a role in a healthy immune system and reproduction. The key is to take in a healthy balance of all kinds of fats, vitamins, minerals and micronutrients. You want most fats in your diet to come from heart-friendly omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, flaxseed and walnuts, and mono-and polyunsaturated vegetable oils like olive oil and safflower oil. But you don’t have to eliminate saturated fats. Just keep them in check.
As a general rule they should be about 7% of your daily calories-so for a woman eating 1800 calories a day that comes to 126 calories or the equivalent of about 1 1/4 tablespoons of butter. But it’s much more important to cut way back on refined carbs like most snacks, breads, pasta and white rice. They fuel obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes and heart disease. Centering your meals around grains and vegetables, not animal products, should help you keep your saturated fat intake at a healthy level, your glucose level steady and your heart healthy.
Last Modified: 2014-04-09
Category: Health and Nutrition, Videos
