Fat Fact Sheet

FAT TYPE	WHAT IS IT?	WHERE IS IT FOUND?	WHY IS IT (UN)HEALTHY?	HOW MUCH SHOULD YOU EAT PER DAY?
All Fat	Fats are long chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms. The bonds between each carbon determine the type of fat.	Fat can be found in foods from both animals and plants. The fattiest foods are animal products, including full-fat milk, butter, and red meat.	Each gram of fat contains more than twice as many calories as a gram of sugar or a gram of protein. Therefore, fat may be responsible for overeating.	Since fats have many more calories than other types of food, eating too much fat can be harmful. But the detriments of each type of fat is still up for debate (except trans fats). The FDA recommends eating 78g of fat a day for a 2000 calorie diet.¹
Monounsaturated Fat	Monounsaturated fats have one special type of bond, called a double bond.	Monounsaturated fats are mostly found in plants (especially nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados) and in fish.	Monounsaturated fats are generally considered healthy. But, the evidence is not super clear. Some studies suggest that they may slightly decrease the likelihood of all-cause mortality in the long run.²	Some doctors recommend making around 50% of one’s total fat eaten monounsaturated fats.³
Polyunsaturated Fat	Polyunsaturated fats have two or more of these double bonds.	Just like monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats are mostly found in similar plants and fish.	Polyunsaturated fats are also generally considered healthy. But again, the evidence is unclear on these two. One meta analysis of multiple studies wrote that increasing polyunsaturated fat intake might slightly reduce the risk of heart disease events and strokes.⁴	Some doctors recommend making around 30% of one’s total fat eaten polyunsaturated fats.⁵
Saturated Fat	Saturated fats have no double bonds.	Saturated fats are found in high proportions in meat and animal products, along with lots of desserts, processed foods, and fast food.	Unfortunately, scientists are unsure on how healthy saturated fats are. The FDA states that saturated fat leads to cardiovascular disease and death.⁶ But an NIH meta analysis claims that there isn’t enough data to really know if they are healthy or not.⁷	Saturated fats may be slightly worse for the body than other fats, but they need not be totally avoided. One who fear saturated fats may choose to consume low-fat products. But one who eats full-fat shouldn’t feel guilty. Some doctors recommend around 20% of fat eaten to be saturated fat.⁸
Trans Fat	Trans fats also have one double bond, but the bond is arranged in a special way that makes them solid at room temperature.	Trans fats can be found in small amounts in red meats and dairy. They are also fabricated in labs into artificial hydrogenated oils, which are mostly banned in the US.⁹	Trans fats, especially artificial ones in hydrogenated oils, are widely accepted to be unhealthy and should be avoided.¹⁰	Trans fats, especially artificial ones in hydrogenated oils, are widely accepted to be unhealthy and should be avoided.