Saturated fat raises the level of cholesterol in the blood. Cholesterol is present in animal foods but not plant foods. It is essential for metabolism but is not needed in the diet as our bodies can produce all that is needed. Raised blood cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. Fats and oils are essentially the same.
Fats tend to be solid at room temperature whilst oils are liquid.
The term lipids include both fats and oils. Nearly all the fats in our bodies and in foods are triglycerides, being made up of three fatty acid molecules to one glycerol molecule. There are about 16 different fatty acids commonly present in foods. The nature of fat depends on its constituent fatty acids. Fats can be classed as either saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.