The effects of saturated fat on health is among the most controversial topics in all nutrition.
While some experts warn that consuming too much — or even moderate amounts — can negatively affect health, others argue that saturated fats aren’t inherently harmful and can be included as part of a healthy diet
Fats are compounds that play essential roles in many aspects of human health. There are three main categories of fats: saturated fats, unsaturated fats, and trans fats. All fats are made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules.
Saturated fats are saturated with hydrogen molecules and contain only single bonds between carbon molecules. On the other hand, unsaturated fats have at least one double bond between carbon molecules.
This saturation of hydrogen molecules results in saturated fats being solid at room temperature, unlike unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, which tend to be liquid at room temperature.