Is coconut oil a healthy fat?
Coconut oil is a solid fat that is high in saturated fat, like palm and palm kernel oil. Health agencies suggest cooking with liquid oils such as olive or canola oil instead.
Fat to limit
Saturated fat, the fat to limit
Saturated fat is found mostly in animal foods and tropical oils; too much raises LDL (bad) cholesterol, which is linked with heart disease and stroke12.
What saturated fat does for you.
Dense energy
Like all fats, saturated fat provides 9 calories per gram1.
Raises LDL cholesterol
Too much saturated fat raises LDL (bad) cholesterol, linked with heart disease and stroke1.
Artery build-up
Too much can cause cholesterol to build up in your arteries1.
Swap it, don't just cut it
Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats lowers LDL and is linked with less heart disease34.
Adds calories
Because fat is calorie-dense, eating a lot of it can contribute to weight gain1.
Foods and other sources.
ButterCheeseCreamWhole milkCoconut oilPalm oilSausageBaconIce creamBaked goods
Vegetarian
| Food and serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Coconut oil, 1 tbsp | 11.2 g |
| Butter, salted, 1 tbsp | 7.3 g |
| Cheddar cheese, 1 oz | 5.4 g |
| Whole milk, 1 cup | 4.5 g |
| Heavy whipping cream, 1 tbsp | 3.5 g |
| Cream cheese, 1 tbsp | 2.9 g |
Non-vegetarian
| Food and serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ground beef (85% lean), broiled, 3 oz | 5.0 g |
Check the Nutrition Facts label, which lists saturated fat separately under total fat2. Amounts per serving from8.
Your daily reference amounts.
The same reference table draws the reference lines on your charts in Ayuvo. Needs differ in pregnancy and breastfeeding, which are not covered here.
Under 10% of caloriesReference limit for adults1011. In grams it depends on how much you eat (9 kcal per gram):
| Daily calories | Less than |
|---|---|
| 1,600 kcal | 18 g |
| 2,000 kcal | 22 g |
| 2,400 kcal | 27 g |
| 2,800 kcal | 31 g |
- Less than 10% of daily calories (both the 2020-2025 and 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines).
Too little, too much.
Signs like these have many possible causes. They are a reason to talk to a clinician, not to self-treat.
Too much
Too much saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol and can lead to heart disease and other health problems1.
- Higher LDL (bad) cholesterol
- Cholesterol build-up in arteries
- Higher heart disease risk
- Higher stroke risk
- Weight gain from extra calories
LDL cholesterol (lipid panel).
A lipid panel measures LDL, HDL, total cholesterol and triglycerides, and you may need to fast 9 to 12 hours first7. Diets high in saturated fat raise LDL1.
| LDL cholesterol | What it may mean |
|---|---|
| Under 100 mg/dL (adults 20+) | Healthy level |
| Under 110 mg/dL (age 19 or younger) | Healthy level |
Labs use different units and ranges. Your clinician reads a result alongside your history and other tests.
Remember these five.
- Saturated fat is mostly in animal foods and tropical oils, and is usually solid at room temperature.
- It raises LDL (bad) cholesterol, which is linked with heart disease and stroke.
- Swapping it for unsaturated fats, rather than refined carbs and sugar, is linked with less heart disease.
- Check the Nutrition Facts label for saturated fat per serving.
- Pizza, burgers, tacos and sandwiches can add up quickly; choose leaner fillings.
Questions about saturated fat.
What should I eat instead of saturated fat?
Unsaturated fats from nuts, seeds, fish, avocados and liquid vegetable oils are the recommended swap. Replacing saturated fat with refined carbohydrates and sugars has not been linked with less heart disease.
Do I have to cut out butter and cheese completely?
No. You can still enjoy foods with saturated fat in smaller portions or less often. Choosing lower-fat dairy and lean meats and poultry more of the time also helps.
Get started
Track saturated fat in Ayuvo.
Ayuvo charts saturated fat by day, week, month and year, with the reference lines from this page, personalised by age and sex where they differ. Supplements you log in Medications count too. Free, with no account.
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Sources
Facts on this page come from these sources, checked on the dates shown. Intake numbers come from Ayuvo's shared reference table, which cites the sources marked for them.
- Facts about saturated fats · MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine) checked 2026-09-27
- Cut Down on Saturated Fats (Dietary Guidelines for Americans fact sheet) · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion checked 2026-09-27
- Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association (Circulation, 2017) · American Heart Association checked 2026-09-27
- WHO updates guidelines on fats and carbohydrates · World Health Organization checked 2026-09-27
- Microbial Interactions with Intestinal Lipid Digestion and Absorption: Emerging Targets for Metabolic Disorders (Research, 2025) · PubMed Central checked 2026-09-27
- Using the lymphatics to study nutrient absorption and the secretion of gastrointestinal hormones (Physiology & Behavior, 2011) · PubMed Central checked 2026-09-27
- Cholesterol Levels · MedlinePlus (U.S. National Library of Medicine) checked 2026-09-27
- FoodData Central, SR Legacy food composition data · U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service checked 2026-09-27
- The metabolism of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins revisited: new players, new insight (Atherosclerosis, 2010) · PubMed Central checked 2026-09-27
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 · U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services checked 2026-09-27
- Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 · U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services checked 2026-09-27
General information, not medical advice. This guide is for healthy adults and does not cover pregnancy, breastfeeding, children or medical conditions. It cannot diagnose or treat anything. Talk to a clinician before starting high-dose supplements, or if you think you may have too little or too much of a nutrient. Spotted an error? Email us.
Keep reading.
Monounsaturated fatOlive oil, avocado and nut fat that can help lower LDLPolyunsaturated fatOmega-3 and omega-6 fats from walnuts, seeds, fish and oilsTrans fatIndustrial vs natural trans fat and its effect on cholesterolCholesterolWaxy fat your body makes; found only in animal foodsOmega-3ALA from plants, EPA and DHA from fishVitamin AVision, immunity and growth; from retinol and beta-caroteneVitamin CCollagen, antioxidant defence and plant-iron absorption