Percentages of Saturated and Unsaturated Fat in the Diet

«Saturated and unsaturated fats, chemical premises

Percentages in the Diet

Percentage of total fat

In a "balanced diet, fats should provide 20 to 40% of the total daily calories (preferably 25-30%).

Breakdown of fatty acids in the diet

This percentage should be broken down as follows

55% from monounsaturated fats
20% polyunsaturated (at least 12 g per day).
25% saturated + hydrogenated fats.

How many saturated fat?

Overall, saturated fat shouldn't exceed 10% of your daily calories. Higher quantities, in fact, increase the risk of cardiovascular disease. It is however important to specify that myristic acid, palmitic acid, and to a lesser extent lauric acid, are those with the greatest atherogenic power, while stearic acid and short-chain fatty acids seem to have less relevant effects.

Short-chain fatty acids are present, for example, in coconut oil, a food that, despite being rich in saturated fats, is not as harmful as, for example, beef tallow, lard and bifractionated tropical oils / hydrogenates consumed in large quantities.

Effects of replacing one percent of daily calories from carbohydrates with one percent of calories from related fatty acids.

How many essential fats?

The intake of polyunsaturated fats, which are the sum of omega 3 and omega 6, according to the guidelines of the WHO, must be between 7.5 and 10% of daily calories.

Recently, the LARN (Recommended Intake Levels of Energy and Nutrients for the Italian population) have increased the recommended rations of polyunsaturated EPA and DHA (eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid); these two metabolically active derivatives of alpha linolenic acid (ALA - essential omega 3), especially DHA, seem particularly important during gestation (for the unborn child), in early childhood, in growth and in old age.

LARN for Essential Fatty Acids Fat RE
Reference range for nutrient intake TO THE
Adequate intake INFANTS Total PUFAs 5-10% En EPA-DHA 250 mg
+ DHA 100 mg omega 6 4-8% En Omega 3 0.5-2.0% En CHILDREN
UP TO 2 YEARS Total PUFAs 5-10% En EPA-DHA 250 mg
DHA 100 mg omega 6 4-8% En Omega 3 0.5-2.0% En CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS
OVER 2 YEARS Total PUFAs 5-10% En
EPA-DHA 250 mg omega 6 4-8% En
Omega 3 0.5-2.0% En
ADULTS AND ELDERLY Total PUFAs 5-10% En EPA-DHA 250 mg omega 6 4-8% En Omega 3 0.5-2.0% En PREGNANCY AND BREASTFEEDING Total PUFAs 5-10% En EPA-DHA 250 mg
+ DHA 100-200 mg omega 6 4-8% En Omega 3 0.5-2.0% En Legend:

% En: percentage of the total energy of the diet.
PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acids.
EPA: eicosapentaenoic acid.
DHA: docosahexaenoic acid.
The higher values of the percentage ranges (RI) are consistent with diets in which the carbohydrate intake is close to the lower limit (eg clinical nutrition of the type 2 diabetic).

Omega 6 - omega 3 ratio

The ratio between polyunsaturated fats of the omega 6 series and polyunsaturated fats of the omega 3 series should be between 2: 1 and 6: 1 (average 4: 1); this result is obtained only by encouraging the consumption of foods rich in omega 3 (EPA, DHA and ALA), such as fish and vegetable oils of certain seeds (hemp, linseed and canola).

However, remember that vegetable oils rich in omega-3, in addition to containing above all ALA (metabolically less active than EPA and DHA), also provide significant quantities of omega 6; this means that, if on the one hand they contribute to increasing the total amount of omega 3, on the other they do not seem useful in ensuring the right ratio between omega 6 and omega 3.

Trans fatty acids

Since trans fatty acids appear to raise LDL cholesterol and lower HDL, their intake should be less than 5 grams per day. Therefore, although modern industrial technologies allow to significantly lower the formation of trans during hydrogenation, it is advisable to limit the consumption of margarines and pastry products containing the generic name "hydrogenated fats", and also that of fried products (the used oils tend to be enriched with trans fatty acids).

Practical Tips

What to eat to balance the fats in the diet?

A precise calculation of the quantities of saturated and unsaturated fats is not at all practical; for this reason, most of the time it is advisable to moderate the foods that contain more saturated or hydrogenated fats, favoring those that do not have them or that contain unsaturated fats.

Foods that contain more saturated or hydrogenated or trans fats Foods that do not contain saturated or hydrogenated fats (or contain few) and / or that contain lipids or other nutritional factors with a beneficial metabolic impact Fatty meats, sausages, fried foods of all kinds, butter, lard, margarines and any other hydrogenated fat, cream, fatty cheeses.
It may also be useful to reduce eggs (no more than three per week), certain offal, soft cheeses and whole milk.
To improve metabolic health it is also advisable to reduce: foods with a high glycemic index, including cola-like drinks and industrial fruit juices. Lean white meat (turkey and skinless chicken), fish, vegetables and fruit (not very sweet), raw vegetable oils (such as extra virgin olive oil, without exaggerating), fish oils, yogurt and skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, wholemeal bread , wholemeal pasta, various seeds such as legumes and pseudocereals, oil seeds.

In practice, the optimal division between saturated and unsaturated fats is obtained by consuming:

2/3 of lipids of vegetable origin (oils, also giving space to alternative sources rich in omega three, such as certain cold-pressed vegetable oils)
1/3 of animal fats (butter, fatty meats, eggs, etc.)
Fish at least 2-4 times a week; it is in fact difficult to reach the requirement of omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA without regularly consuming this precious food or the aforementioned categories of vegetable oils.

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