Saturated Fats
We can protect our health by eating healthy unsaturated fats. The trouble comes with consuming too much of the less healthy, "bad" fats, namely the saturated fats. These are generally solid at room temperature and come from sources such as beef, chicken with skin, cheese, ice cream, palm oil, and coconut oil, though they can also be found in smaller amounts in other sources typically known for their unsaturated fat content such as advocados and nuts. Debate exists regarding recommendations for saturated fatty acid intake.
Given their abundance in the types of foods Americans generally eat, a reasonable goal is at or below 7% of calories per day. This recommendation was made on the basis that saturated fatty acids, when consumed in large quantities from less-healthy, non-plant-based sources have been shown to worsen lipid profiles (with elevations of both LDL and HDL) and increase incidence of diabetes and obesity, among others.
Other sources have shown benefit with consumption of plant-based saturated fats, with increases in HDL and decreases in LDL, total cholesterol, and triglycerides (7,8). Therefore debate exists in the literature about recommendations for saturated fatty acid intake, and more research can help clarify our recommendations for saturated fatty acid intake from plant sources. In general, it is helpful to remember that most Americans get more than enough saturated fatty acids from their diet in general, though not necessarily from the healthier plant-based options.