Saturated vs. Unsaturated Fat: Know the Differences to Build a Balanced Diet
Key takeaways:
Saturated fats differ from unsaturated fats in many ways, such as in their chemical form, how they act in your body, and the foods where they’re found.
Saturated fats may raise cholesterol levels and are linked to an increased risk of heart disease. Unsaturated fats can help lower cholesterol levels and can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Eating fewer animal foods and more plant foods can help you eat less saturated fat and more unsaturated fat.
Table of contents
Dietary fat often has a bad reputation. But fat is actually an essential nutrient in your diet. In fact, there are many health benefits of dietary fat. It helps your body absorb vitamins and nutrients, and increases your energy levels. Dietary fat also protects your body’s organs and keeps many systems running smoothly — from your hormones to your immune system.
But not all fats are created equally. Some types of fats are good for your health, while others may harm it. This is why it’s important to understand the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats, and which foods contain each.
What are saturated fats?
Saturated fats are naturally present in animal products like butter, cheese, and meat. These fats are typically solid at room temperature.
Discover a simple way to manage diabetes
Patients can use GoodRx to save up to 40% on OneTouch Ultra Strips.
Saturated fat from meat and dairy foods increases “bad” LDL cholesterol, which is a risk factor for heart disease. For this reason, the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommend keeping total saturated fats below 10% of total calories. For people who need to lower their cholesterol, the American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to 6% of total daily calories.
What are unsaturated fats?
Unsaturated fats largely come from plant foods. They are usually liquid, like olive oil.
Unsaturated fats are heart-healthy fats that help lower bad cholesterol levels in your blood. There are two main types:
Monounsaturated fats: This type of fat can help maintain or increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) — or “good” cholesterol. Some unsaturated fats, like olive oil, can help protect your heart by decreasing triglycerides and LDL cholesterol.
Polyunsaturated fats: An example of polyunsaturated fats is omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fats have been shown to help lower triglyceride levels and help reduce inflammation in the body. They may also help reduce the risk of asthma, arthritis, and other inflammatory conditions.
Are all saturated fats bad for you?
It’s not fully clear yet. Much of the research linking saturated fat with heart disease has involved animal food sources like the ones mentioned above. But saturated fats are also found in a few plant foods, such as coconut. Coconut is rich in a type of saturated fat called medium-chain triglycerides. One study suggests that these fats from coconut oil might improve overall cholesterol ratios of HDL and LDL. But more research is needed to evaluate the impact of several types of saturated fat in the body.
Another thing to note about saturated fat intake is that there are often other factors at play. For example, in one review, scientists suggest that some people with a diet high in saturated fat also tend to eat less fiber. So it’s possible that both factors together negatively affect heart health rather than saturated fat on its own.
Ultimately, eating some foods that contain saturated fat is not likely to harm your health if it’s part of an overall nutritious dietary pattern. Besides, many foods contain a combination of saturated and unsaturated fats — they just might be higher in one type of fat than the other.
vitamins may help prevent` heart disease. Fruits and veggies, oily fish, and nuts are just a few examples of the best foods for heart health.
Is olive oil healthier than butter? Yes. Olive oil has more calories but contains types of fats that are good for your heart health, immune system, blood sugar control, and more.
Full-fat vs. low-fat dairy: Whole-fat dairy may offer more benefits than experts once thought. Here’s how to tell when to choose which type of dairy products.
Foods high in saturated fat
Foods that are high in saturated fat primarily include high-fat dairy products, red and processed meat, and baked goods. Examples of foods high in saturated fat include:
Butter
Ghee
Heavy cream
Whole milk
Ice cream
Cheese
Full-fat yogurt
Beef
Pork
Sausages
Bacon
Hot dogs
Cakes
Cookies
Pastries
Coconut
Foods high in unsaturated fat
Foods high in unsaturated fats include:
Nuts
Seeds
Nut and seed butters
Olives and olive oil
Avocados and avocado oil
Vegetable oils such as soybean, safflower, and canola oil
Fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, and sardines
Some monounsaturated fats can also be found in red meat and dairy products.
Read more like this
Explore these related articles, suggested for readers like you.
How much saturated fat can you eat in a day?
The DGA recommends limiting saturated fat to no more than 10% of your total daily calories. So, for someone who eats 2,000 calories per day, this would equal about 22 g of saturated fat per day. You can find saturated fat content listed on nutrition labels on food packages.
But people with high cholesterol should cap saturated fat at 6% of total daily calories. This would equal 11 g to 13 g of saturated fat for someone eating 2,000 calories a day.
How much unsaturated fat can you eat in a day?
There’s no specific guideline on how much unsaturated fat to eat. But experts recommend limiting total fat to 20% to 35% of the total calories you eat in a day.
So if around 10% of your calories are coming from saturated fats, that would leave about 10% to 25% of calories to come from unsaturated fats. For someone eating 2,000 calories per day, this amounts to 22 g to 55 g of unsaturated fat per day.
Can you eat too much unsaturated fat?
Yes. Fat is the most calorically dense of the three macronutrients — carbohydrates, protein, and fat. In other words, 1 g of carbohydrates or protein is 4 calories. But 1 g of fat is 9 calories. So if you eat too much fat (of any kind), you may be eating more fat — and calories — than your body needs.
Some people also think that eating too many omega-6 fatty acids (unsaturated fat found in seed oils) may be harmful. But research suggests that eating both omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids can be good for heart health. It seems that the form in which you eat them matters. For example, drizzling some sesame oil on vegetables or a salad is healthier than eating foods fried in vegetable or seed oils.
How to lower saturated fat and increase unsaturated fat
Eating more plant foods is a great way to get more unsaturated fats in your diet. Following a plant-based eating pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet, is one way to do this.
Here are some more practical tips for how to eat more unsaturated fats:
Snack on nuts and seeds, or sprinkle them on salads and main entrees.
Swap out butter or margarine for nut butters or avocado in sandwiches, oatmeal, and other recipes.
Cook with plant oils, such as olive or avocado oils, instead of butter.
Replace red meat with fish or lean cuts of poultry.
Limit highly processed (packaged) foods.
Try to incorporate more fresh, whole foods (like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) into your meals and snacks.
Frequently asked questions
One review found that a diet high in saturated fat is more likely to lead to visceral fat (belly fat stored deep within the abdominal cavity) than a diet high in unsaturated fats. The review suggested that eating more unsaturated fats may help promote weight loss.
Yes, saturated fats usually store more energy than unsaturated fats. This is because the two types of fats have different structures. Unsaturated fats have one or more double bonds between their carbon atoms. This results in looser “connections” and less energy storage capacity. On the other hand, saturated fats have no double bonds. So, they can pack more tightly together, resulting in a higher energy density. This is why saturated fats are solid at room temperature.
Saturated fat is known to increase blood cholesterol levels and damage the walls of your arteries. These damaged areas in your blood vessels eventually develop plaque, narrowing the artery and making it harder to pump blood. When this process happens in your arteries, it’s called “atherosclerosis.”
Eating too much saturated fat can raise your LDL cholesterol and damage your arteries. This increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. But high cholesterol usually doesn’t have any symptoms, so testing is the way to learn your levels.
Consuming too much saturated fat can also lead to:
Weight gain
Atherosclerosis, which is when saturated fat damages your arteries, putting you at increased risk for multiple heart conditions
Certain types of cancer
The bottom line
Your body needs dietary fat to function. But some food sources of fat are healthier than others. Eating more unsaturated fat and less saturated fat may help protect your heart and be better for your overall health. Eating more plant foods and less animal foods is a great first step to reduce the amount of saturated fats you consume.
Why trust our experts?
References
American Heart Association. (2024). Dietary fats.
American Heart Association. (2024). The skinny on fats.
Balk, E. M., et al. (2006). Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on serum markers of cardiovascular disease risk: A systematic review. Atherosclerosis.
Calder, P. C. (2010). Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory processes. Nutrients.
Clifton, P. M., et al. (2017). A systematic review of the effect of dietary saturated and polyunsaturated fat on heart disease. Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans. (2020). Make every bite count with the dietary guidelines.
DiNicolantonio, J. J., et al. (2022). Monounsaturated fat vs saturated fat: Effects on cardio-metabolic health and obesity. Missouri Medicine.
Harcombe, Z. (2018). US dietary guidelines: Is saturated fat a nutrient of concern? British Journal of Sports Medicine.
Jenkins, D. J. A., et al. (2010). Adding monounsaturated fatty acids to a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods in hypercholesterolemia. Canadian Medical Association Journal.
Khaw, K., et al. (2018). Randomised trial of coconut oil, olive oil or butter on blood lipids and other cardiovascular risk factors in healthy men and women. BMJ Open.
National Agricultural Library. (n.d.). Food and nutrition information center (FNIC).
National Health Service. (2023). How to eat less saturated fat.
Perna, M., et al. (2022). Saturated fatty acid chain length and risk of cardiovascular disease: A systematic review. Nutrients.
Schwingshackl, L., et al. (2014). Monounsaturated fatty acids, olive oil and health status: A systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Lipids in Health and Disease.
Siri-Tarino, P. W., et al. (2010). Saturated fatty acids and risk of coronary heart disease: Modulation by replacement nutrients. Current Atherosclerosis Reports.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2021). Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
