Foods high in saturated fats tend to raise?

Foods high in saturated fats tend to raise blood cholesterol, especially low-density lipoprotein (LDL), often called “bad” cholesterol. LDL carries cholesterol through the bloodstream, and persistently high levels can contribute to plaque buildup in artery walls.

Saturated fats are common in butter, full-fat dairy products, fatty cuts of meat and some tropical oils, including coconut and palm oils. The effect is not that every single food causes an immediate dangerous change; rather, regularly eating a diet high in saturated fat can worsen a person’s overall lipid profile.

The important nutrition comparison is what replaces the saturated fat. Substituting unsaturated fats from foods such as nuts, fish and liquid vegetable oils generally lowers LDL more effectively than replacing saturated fat with refined carbohydrates. Dietary cholesterol and genetics also affect blood cholesterol, so individual responses vary.

LDL is not the same as HDL, the “good” cholesterol associated with transport back toward the liver. The quiz answer is therefore best stated as blood cholesterol, with LDL being the most clinically important specific form.