Saturated fats

One of the biggest contributors to cholesterol levels are saturated fats. They are often called 'bad' fats as they increase total and LDL cholesterol, which can lead to blocked arteries.

The saturated types of fat we consume in our diet is processed in the liver to make cholesterol that is released into the blood.


Where are they found?

They are generally solid at room temperature - think lard, fat on your steak, butter. They are mainly found in animal food products, such as full cream milk, cheese, cream, fatty meats, chicken skin, dripping, pastry, icecream, shortening, as well as tropical oils such as coconut and palm oil.

They are also found in many commercial and processed foods, such as biscuits, cakes, pastries and takeaway foods.

You might be interested to note that they can be broken down further into subcategories: long-chain, medium-chain and short-chain fats. It is the long chain fats that tend to raise cholesterol, which are generally found in full cream dairy and fatty meats.

There is also evidence to suggest that some saturated fats, such as stearic acid (found in chocolate), have less of an effect on cholesterol than other saturated types.


What is their impact on cholesterol levels?

Several studies have indicated that for every 1% increase in energy from saturated fats as a % of total energy, LDL cholesterol increases by around 2%.

Having said that, research suggests that cholesterol will decrease by about 2% for every 1% decrease in energy from saturated types of fat.

So it appears that there is a dose-dependant relationship between this type of fat and cholesterol levels.

It is possible to see an 8-10% reduction in LDL cholesterol by reducing energy from saturated fat to less than 7%. This is what is recommended in the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet (TLC).


Tips for reducing saturated fat in the diet

• Use low fat or no fat dairy products (milk, yoghurt, custard, icecream)
• Opt for reduced fat cheeses
• Remove skin from chicken - the skin contains large amounts of saturated fat
• Avoid fatty processed meats such as salami, hot dogs, fatty sausages
• Avoid deep fried foods
• Limit biscuits, cakes and pastries - not only are they high in saturated fat, many contain trans fats
• Use small amounts of margarine instead of butter (canola and olive are good choices) Check the margarine is not high in trans fats
• Avoid the use of animal fats, such as dripping or lard
• Make gravy out of powder instead of meat juices
• Cut all fat off meat before cooking
• Avoid cream, substitute with chilled and whipped evaporated low fat milk
• Use low fat natural yoghurt in place of sour cream
• Allow soups, casseroles, stews or hotpot meals to cool; skim fat off the top before eating
• Use low fat cooking methods, such as: grilling, baking, poaching, steaming, microwaving or dry-frying
• Choose white meats, such as chicken, fish and turkey on more nights than red meat
• Keep meat serves to the size of a deck of cards
• Base meals around vegetables and whole grains
• Avoid creamy sauces in cooking, opt for tomato based ones
• Use spray oil to coat your vegetables for baking, rather than drizzling knobs of butter over the top
• Avoid cheesy sauces
• Choose low fat dips instead of regular - many regular dips contain cream cheese which is high in fat
• Choose heart healthy takeaway foods which are low in fat

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