With all of the different types of fat, it can be difficult to know which ones are okay to eat (and can even be healthy) and which ones should be avoided. So, to help with that, let’s talk about what you need to know about saturated fats in order to help you decide whether or not these fats belong in your diet.

What Saturated Fats Are

Saturated fat generally comes from animal sources, as it can be found in fatty meats, poultry with the skin on it, and dairy products that aren’t fat free. However, it is also in a few different plant-based oils, namely palm and coconut.

Other than reading the label, a good way to identify saturated fats is that they are typically solid at room temperature.

Are They Good or Bad?

Although saturated fats have long been considered “bad” for the diet due to raising cholesterol levels and increasing your risk of heart disease, one recent study involving over 600,000 people from 18 different countries disputes this fact.

In this case, researchers looked at the effects of various types of fat on the participants’ health and found no effect from saturated fat. In fact, the only type of fat that showed negative results was trans fats.

What This Means

While you may think that this is a great reason to eat saturated fats without abandon, many health experts are quick to remind you that your consumption of this type of fat is just one part of the health equation. Plus, some say that the study is flawed and should be disregarded.

Until more research can be done, it may benefit you to stick to the foods that you know are healthy, such as fruits, veggies, lean meats, nuts, and seeds. After all, why risk it until you know for sure?

What are your thoughts about saturated fats? Feel free to comment in the section below!