Fat

Fat is an essential part of a healthy, balanced diet. Fat is a source of essential fatty acids, which the body cannot make itself.

Vitamin A, D and E are fat-soluble, which means they can only be absorbed with the help of fats. It also aids in the body’s production of hormones.

Any fat that is not used by your body's cells or turned into energy is converted into body fat. Likewise, unused carbohydrates and proteins are also converted into body fat.

Saturated fats

Saturated fats mostly come from animal sources, including meat and dairy products, as well as in some plant foods, such as palm oil and coconut oil.

Foods high in saturated fats are:

Fatty cuts of meat

Processed meat and meat products, such as sausages and pies

Butter, ghee and lard

Cheese, especially hard cheese

Biscuits, cakes, and pastries

Chocolate confectionery

Palm oil

Coconut oil and cream

Eating too much saturated fat in your diet can raise ‘bad cholesterol’ (LDL) in your blood which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke.

The government recommends that:

Men should not eat more than 30g of saturated fat a day

Women should not eat more than 20g of saturated fat a day

Children should have less

Trans fats can be naturally found at low levels in some foods, such as meat and dairy products.

They are also found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. However, this kind of oil must be declared on a foods ingredients list and should be avoided as much as possible.

Government recommendation of trans fat consumption is that adults should not have more than 5g a day. Less would be better as trans fats raise LDL cholesterol and are linked to heart disease.

Unsaturated fats

To reduce your risk of heart disease, it is best to limit your overall fat intake and replace saturated fats for unsaturated fats.

There is solid evidence that replacing saturated for unsaturated fats can help lower your cholesterol level.

There are 2 kinds of unsaturated fat:

Monounsaturated fat

Polyunsaturated fat

Monounsaturated fats help to protect your heart by maintaining levels of ‘good’ HDL cholesterol while reducing levels of ‘bad LDL cholesterol in your blood.

Monounsaturated fats are found in:

Olive oil, rapeseed oil and spreads made from these oils

Avocados

Some nuts, such as almonds, brazil, and peanuts

Polyunsaturated fats can also help lower the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. There are 2 types of polyunsaturated fats: omega-3 and omega-6.

Some types of omega-3 and omega-6 fats cannot be produced by your body, which means it is necessary to include small amounts of them in your diet.

Omega-6 fats are found in vegetable oils, such as:

Rapeseed

Corn

Sunflower

Some nuts