Does Saturated Fat Cause High Cholesterol? – All You Need To Know!

High cholesterol comes due to several reasons, such as unhealthy lifestyles and genetic disorders. When it comes to lifestyle, your eating habits play a vital role in determining the amount of cholesterol you have.

The unhealthy fat that you intake directly reflects on your cholesterol level. The article discusses the role of saturated fat in high cholesterol and how it raises high cholesterol.

Read on to learn more about saturated fat and its connection with high cholesterol. 

What is Saturated Fat?

Fat is the main fuel source of the body. It is classified into four types, such as monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, saturated fats, and trans fat.

Monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fats are healthy fats that help to maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Saturated fat is an unhealthy fat similar to trans fat that causes several health problems.

This type of fat mainly comes from animal-based foods, such as beef, pork, poultry, dairy products, etc.  Saturated fat can increase cholesterol levels and also increase the risk of cardiovascular health issues. 

How does Saturated Fat increase your cholesterol level?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is produced in the liver for several purposes. An adequate amount of cholesterol is needed for the smooth functioning of the body. In addition, cholesterol also comes from the food you eat.

When you consume too much-saturated fat, it changes the way the liver breaks down cholesterol. Research suggests that eating too much-saturated fat stops the functioning of the LDL receptor, which helps to break down cholesterol in the liver and the constant deposition of lipids leads to high cholesterol.

Which foods are high in Saturated Fat?

Saturated fat can rapidly boost your normal cholesterol level to a high level. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, less than 10% of calories come from saturated fats. The American Heart Association says that people are getting their daily calories of 5% to 6%  from saturated fats. 

Here is the list of foods that contain high saturated fat.

• Fatty meats
• Processed meat, such as kebabs, burgers
• Desserts
• Whole milk
• Full-fat dairy products such as cheese, Fraiche, yogurt, and cream. 
• Dark chocolate and chocolate spreads
• Biscuits
• Sausages
• Cakes
• Bacon
• Pastries, such as pies, sausage rolls, and croissants

Many foods are good sources of unsaturated fat and also contain a high amount of saturated fat. It can change the physical status of an individual and lead to several health conditions.

Therefore, it’s better to read the product manual while purchasing any product and ensure the amount of saturated fat in it. 

Understanding cholesterol level

As you all know that an excessive amount of lipids deposits on different parts of the body. It increases the chance of getting heart diseases, such as heart attack and stroke.

Therefore, it’s important to understand your cholesterol level and keep your cholesterol profile within an ideal range. A blood test can help to diagnose whether you have high cholesterol.

Cholesterol level is calculated by the amount of low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and the number of triglycerides. The high number of LDL and triglycerides affect total cholesterol and increase a person’s health risk. 

Following are the optimal lipid profile levels for adults,

• LDL cholesterol: Less than 100 mg/dl
• HDL cholesterol: Greater than 50 mg/dl for females and 40 mg/dl for males
• Triglycerides: Less than 150 mg/dl
• Total cholesterol: Between 125 and 200 milligrams per deciliter

How can you limit high Saturated Fat?

There are plenty of options that can help you to limit the high saturated fat. Here are some tips that are beneficial for limiting saturated fat in your daily calories.

• Include more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, fish, poultry, and nuts in your daily meals. Avoiding red meats can make a big difference in the amount of saturated fat in the body. 

• Cookies and chocolates are the favorite foods of all ages. Both contain a high amount of saturated fat and trans fat. Avoiding cookies, crackers, muffins, pies, and cakes helps lower the number of unhealthy fats.

• Eat boiled or baked foods instead of deep-frying fast foods. Majority of the fast foods contain a good amount of trans fat and saturated fat. Limiting fast food can reduce the lipid levels in the body.

• Avoid cheese and dairy products that contain high saturated fat.

Read the nutritional label while purchasing products. There are many fat-free products are available in the market.