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Dietary Fats
URL of this page: https://medlineplus.gov/dietaryfats.html

Dietary Fats

Also called: Lipids, Monounsaturated fat, Polyunsaturated fat, Saturated fat
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Summary

Fat is a type of nutrient. You need some fat in your diet but not too much. Fats give you energy and help your body absorb vitamins. Dietary fat also plays a major role in your cholesterol levels.

But not all fats are the same. You should try to avoid:

  • Saturated fats such as butter, solid shortening, and lard
  • Trans fats. These are found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods, and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs). By 2018, most U.S. companies will not be allowed to add PHOs to food.

Try to replace them with oils such as canola, olive, safflower, sesame, or sunflower. Of course, eating too much fat will put on the pounds. Fat has twice as many calories as proteins or carbohydrates.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

  • Cooking with Healthier Fats and Oils From the National Institutes of Health (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) - PDF
  • How to Track Saturated Fat (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • The Skinny on Fat: The Good, the Bad, and the Unknown From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish
  • The Skinny on Fats (American Heart Association)

Specifics

  • 7 Things to Know about Omega-3 Fatty Acids From the National Institutes of Health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
  • Butter vs. Margarine: Which Is Better for My Heart? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
  • Eat Healthy: More Key Topics (Oils, Sugars, Saturated Fat, Sodium, Alcohol) (Department of Agriculture)
  • Healthy Recipes: Low-fat (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
  • Omega-3 Supplements: In Depth From the National Institutes of Health (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)
  • What Are Chia Seeds? (Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics)

Clinical Trials

  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Dietary Fats From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Fatty Acids From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)
  • ClinicalTrials.gov: Fatty Acids, Omega-3 From the National Institutes of Health (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

  • Article: How the Dietary Saturated/Monounsaturated Fatty Acid Ratio Modulates Brain Function in...
  • Article: Individualized Target Fortification of Breast Milk with Protein, Carbohydrates, and Fat...
  • Article: Full-fat yogurt compared with non-fat yogurt reduces blood triacylglycerol concentrations and...
  • Dietary Fats -- see more articles

Find an Expert

  • American Heart Association
  • Food and Drug Administration
  • Food and Nutrition Information Center
  • National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute From the National Institutes of Health

Children

  • Fats (for parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
  • Learning about Fats (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Teenagers

  • Dietary Fat and Cholesterol (Boston Children's Hospital) Also in Spanish
  • Figuring Out Fat and Calories (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

  • Butter, margarine, and cooking oils (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Dietary fats explained (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Facts about monounsaturated fats (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Facts about polyunsaturated fats (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Facts about saturated fats (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Facts about trans fats (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
  • Omega-3 fats - Good for your heart (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

Topic Image

Dietary Fats

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

  • Butter, margarine, and cooking oils
  • Dietary fats explained
  • Facts about monounsaturated fats
  • Facts about polyunsaturated fats
  • Facts about saturated fats
  • Facts about trans fats
  • Omega-3 fats - Good for your heart

Related Health Topics

  • Cholesterol
  • How to Prevent Heart Disease
  • Lipid Metabolism Disorders
  • Nutrition
  • Triglycerides

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Dietary Fats is the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

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The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health.

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