Written By Courtney McMahan, RD

Fat: for many, the word alone carries a negative connotation. Whenever it’s mentioned, it’s usually in the context of someone seeking to lose body fat or someone speaking of the negative impacts of having too much body fat. This causes many people to associate body fat with dietary fats.

But eating fat doesn’t equate to increased body fat, and we need fats in our daily diet. They protect our organs from damage and insulate our bodies. They are required for the production of vital hormones and for the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients. Let’s take a closer look at the different types of dietary fats. 

What are the Types of Dietary Fat?

There are four main types of dietary fat:

Saturated Fats

Most saturated fats are solid at room temperature. They are in animal-based foods like beef, pork, butter, lard, cream, tallow and eggs. Plant-based sources include palm and coconut oils. 

Eating excessive amounts of saturated fats has long been associated with increased risk factors for heart disease, and the American Heart Association recommends getting no more than 6% of your daily calories from saturated fat. However, there are other studies that show the link between saturated fat intake and cardiovascular disease risk may not be as black and white as we once believed. What may be more important than trying to reduce saturated fat alone is focusing on the sources of fats and on overall diet quality. Including a small amount of red meat or full fat dairy is a much healthier option than consuming unsaturated fat in the form of fried food or replacing those whole-food saturated fats with refined carbohydrates and added sugar. But, there is evidence to show that replacing saturated fat with whole-food sources of unsaturated fats will decrease heart disease risk. 

Monounsaturated Fats

Monounsaturated fats are a type of unsaturated fat. They can provide benefits like improved cholesterol levels and decreased inflammation. Some foods that contain high amounts of monounsaturated fats are olive oil, almonds, avocados, and pumpkin seeds. 

Polyunsaturated Fats

Polyunsaturated fats are another type of unsaturated fat. Most people don’t meet the American Heart Association’s recommendation of getting eight to ten percent of calories from polyunsaturated fat. And there is research that shows eating up to fifteen percent of calories from polyunsaturated fat in place of saturated fat may lower one’s risk of heart disease. Some foods that contain polyunsaturated fats are fish, walnuts, flax seeds, and hemp seeds. 

Omega-3 fats are an essential type of polyunsaturated fat. This means that our body requires them to function properly but can’t produce them, so we can only get them from food. Eating fish like salmon or tuna two to three times a week is a great way to meet your body’s omega-3 requirement. Flax seeds, walnuts, hemp seeds, edamame, and chia seeds are good sources of plant-based omega-3. 

Trans Fats 

Trans fats are created through a process that makes vegetable oils more stable and less susceptible to rancidity. This process turns the fat from a liquid to a solid, creating food products like shortening or margarine. Because of their stability, trans fats became popular for use in fried fast food, processed snacks, and baked goods. There is also a small amount of naturally occurring trans fat in dairy fat and beef fat. 

Trans fats are the most unhealthy source of fat. They increase bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol. And they create inflammation in the body (linked to diabetes, heart disease, and many other chronic health conditions), and they increase the risk of insulin resistance. Even small amounts of trans fat can have detrimental effects on health. For that reason, it is best to avoid all processed foods that contain artificial trans fats.