The Risks of Eating Saturated Fats

The Risks of Eating Saturated Fats

Consuming a diet high in saturated fats poses risks. But first, let’s understand where cholesterol comes from.

• 1 out of 3 comes from food. The fat from the food we eat is broken down and sent to the liver to be distributed throughout the body.
• 2 out of 3 are made by our liver. The liver creates cholesterol that the body needs to help transport fat to various parts of the body.

The dangers of cholesterol:

• In normal blood vessels, cholesterol begins to build up on the inner walls.
• Fat accumulates and forms a plaque, which can cause sudden heart attacks and stroke.
• Cholesterol can form larger plaques that can block all of the red blood vessels, causing sudden blood clots and heart attacks.

Cholesterol and triglycerides lead to the buildup of plaque:

• Brain: can cause stroke and paralysis due to narrowed blood vessels in the brain.
• Heart: can cause narrowed blood vessels in the heart, sudden heart muscle death, and heart attack.
• Kidneys: can cause blocked blood vessels in the kidneys, leading to kidney failure.
• Legs: can cause poor blood flow to the legs, resulting in leg pain when walking.

Foods to Avoid:

Foods to avoid are those high in fat, especially saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol, including fatty meats such as bacon, sausage, and organ meats like liver and brain, egg yolks (you can eat egg whites), shellfish, squid, shrimp, and fish eggs, cheese, cream, butter, cakes, cookies, and doughnuts, fried foods, and foods prepared with pork fat, palm oil, coconut oil, or coconut cream.

Cholesterol levels in some types of food

The following table shows the amount of cholesterol in 100 grams of each food:

Food Item                            Cholesterol (milligrams)

    Chicken breast, skinless               63

    Duck, meat                                      82

    Beef, meat                                       65

    White tuna fish                               69

    Skipjack tuna fish                            51

    Black tiger shrimp                          175

    Squid                                                251

    Chicken egg, whole                       508

    Pork spare ribs                               105

    Crab meat                                       145

    * Source: Bureau of Nutrition, Department of Health

Tips for people with high cholesterol:

• Maintain a healthy weight.
• Reduce alcohol intake.
• Quit smoking.
• Control high blood pressure and diabetes, if present.
• Exercise regularly, such as walking, aerobics, or running (at least 30-60 minutes, at least 3 times a week).

Have cholesterol levels checked regularly and take cholesterol-lowering medication as prescribed by a doctor.