What Is the Difference Between Unsaturated and Saturated Fats, and What Are Examples of Each?

Your body needs fat to produce energy and carry out other critical physiological processes like absorbing vitamins and minerals. Saturated and unsaturated fats have different chemical structures and unsaturated fats are healthier than saturated fats.

Eating the right food is essential to staying healthy. We will look at the differences between saturated and unsaturated fats and which of these is best for you.

The food you eat has many nutrients, one of which is fat, including fatty acids. Your body needs fat to produce energy and carry out other critical physiological processes like absorbing vitamins and minerals.

The deficiency of fatty acids could lead to health conditions, including certain neurological irregularities, a scaly rash, and poor growth. That’s why choosing foods containing the correct type of fat is critical. Food sources typically have three types of fatty acids – saturated, unsaturated, and trans fats.

These fatty acids are identified based on the number and the position of the double bonds in the carbon chain. A double bond between two adjacent carbon atoms indicates unsaturation, which causes the carbon atoms to link to each other to form a stable molecule. Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds between two carbon atoms. Monounsaturated fatty acids have one double bond, while polyunsaturated fatty acids have two or more double bonds in the carbon chain.

The traditional support for choosing foods with low fat content no longer holds true, with recent research highlighting the necessity of healthy fats for good health. Additionally, food manufacturers usually lower the fat content in packaged foods and replace them with carbohydrates from sugar and other refined grains. When you eat such food products, your body breaks down these refined carbohydrates right away, which could lead to a spike in your blood sugar levels and may cause weight gain and other diseases.

Research has found no link between the calories from fats and health conditions such as heart disease, weight gain, and cancer. This suggests that eating healthy fats is the way to go.

Unsaturated fatty acids are generally considered good for health. These fatty acids are further grouped into mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. 

Foods that are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids include:

• Pumpkin and sesame seeds
• Olives
• Peanuts 
• Canola oils 
• Avocados 
• Nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans

Polyunsaturated fatty acid sources include:

• Walnuts
• Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
• Oil extracted from sunflowers, soybeans, and corn
• Fish
• Canola oil (this oil is rich in both mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids)

Omega-3 fats are also a type of polyunsaturated fatty acids and have many health benefits. Fish contain high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, while flaxseeds, walnuts, and soybean oil are rich plant sources.

Research has identified the benefits of eating unsaturated fatty acids. An analysis of 60 clinical trials studied the effects of carbohydrates and fats on blood lipid levels. The analysis found that trials in which the participants ate monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids instead of carbohydrates reported lower levels of harmful cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) and higher levels of good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol).

A separate study found that substituting a carbohydrate-rich diet with one containing unsaturated fat (mainly monounsaturated fatty acids) increased lipid levels, reduced blood pressure, and lowered the risk of cardiovascular conditions.

Several food sources contain saturated fatty acids. Animal foods like beef, lamb, pork, and poultry are the primary sources of saturated fatty acids. Some plant sources like coconut oil and palm oil also contain saturated fats. 

Some of the primary sources of dietary saturated fats in the U.S. are:

• Dairy products like desserts, butter, cheese, and milk
• Pizzas and fast food items
• Meat products like bacon, beef, and sausages
• Cookies

Although, historically, saturated fatty acids were considered unhealthy, recent research suggests that eating foods containing high amounts does not lead to increased risks of heart disease. One such study involved analyzing the effects of saturated fatty acids on roughly 350,000 participants over 23 years. The study investigated the link between saturated fatty acids and heart conditions like stroke, coronary heart disease, and cardiovascular disease. The study reported no direct link between the intake of these fatty acids and any heart conditions.

The type of saturated-fat-containing food you eat affects your heart health, though. Research suggests eating dairy products containing saturated fatty acids could lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Research has also shown that intake of saturated fat does not lead to increased LDL or bad cholesterol. On the contrary, the intake of saturated fats was linked to reduced plaque buildup.

Still, although these studies indicate that saturated fatty acids may not be as harmful as initially thought, unsaturated fatty acids remain the healthier option.

Fats are essential for your body, and you shouldn’t completely avoid eating them. Still, it’s vital to have them in moderation. While many foods contain different types of fats, choose foods that contain higher amounts of healthier fats like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. One of the easiest ways to identify them is that these oils tend to be liquid at room temperature. 

Dietary guidelines recommend that:

• Your maximum daily calorie intake from fats should be limited to 25% to 30%.
• Out of these, your maximum calorie intake from saturated fats should be less than 10%.
• If you’re looking to lower any risk of heart disease, you can further reduce your saturated fat intake to 7% of your daily calorie intake.
• This means if you’re eating 2,000 calories daily, your maximum calorie intake from saturated fats should be between 140 to 200 calories. This translates to roughly 16 to 22 grams of saturated fats in a day. To give you an example, a slice of cooked bacon contains around nine grams of saturated fat.

If you have a pre-existing heart condition, check with your doctor to understand your ideal daily calorie intake and how much saturated fat you can eat. You can check the nutrition labels of packaged foods to know their fat content. Remember to choose foods with low amounts of saturated fat and trans fat.