Saturated fat and trans fat are specific types of fat that deserve special attention because they can negatively impact your heart health when consumed in large amounts. Understanding these fats helps you make better choices for long-term cardiovascular wellness.

Saturated fat is typically solid at room temperature and comes mainly from animal products like meat, dairy, and eggs, as well as some plant sources like coconut oil and palm oil. While your body needs some saturated fat, eating too much can raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. The general recommendation is to limit saturated fat to less than 10% of your daily calories – about 22g per day for a 2000-calorie diet.

Trans fat is considered the worst type of fat for your health. It’s created through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid and extend shelf life. Trans fat not only raises bad cholesterol but also lowers good cholesterol, creating a double negative effect on heart health. Most health organizations recommend consuming as little trans fat as possible – ideally zero.

You’ll find saturated fat in foods like butter, cheese, red meat, and tropical oils. Trans fat appears in some processed foods, baked goods, fried foods, and margarine, though many manufacturers have reformulated their products to eliminate or reduce trans fat.

When reading labels, look for products with lower amounts of both. For saturated fat, choose foods with 1g or less per serving when possible. For trans fat, aim for 0g – and remember that products can claim “0g trans fat” if they contain less than 0.5g per serving, so check the ingredient list for “partially hydrogenated oils” to ensure complete avoidance.

Making conscious choices to limit these fats while including healthier unsaturated fats from sources like olive oil, nuts, and fish supports better heart health.