Saturated fats show up in butter fat, meat fat, lard, cheese, and tropical oils such as palm, coconut, and palm kernel. In the U.S., this fat accounts for around 15% of people’s total calories.

The American Heart Association says that it's best if saturated fats do not account for more than 5%-6% of daily calories (around 13 grams). That's because saturated fats may raise bad LDL cholesterol, fuel inflammation, and seem to increase your risk for heart disease.

When you reduce your intake of saturated fats, it's smart to increase foods that deliver healthy fats such as olive oil and omega-3s (in salmon and walnuts). These healthy mono- and polyunsaturated fats are proven to reduce your risk of heart disease.

Now there's another reason to eliminate excess saturated fat from your diet. It's been found to be associated with serious risks for breast, prostate, and colon cancers.

A meta-review of 55 studies says that three types of saturated fat are particularly risky: stearic acid found in meat, eggs, dairy, lard, and cocoa and shea butter; palmitic acid found in palm oil, butter, meat, milk, and cheese; and myristic acid in palm kernel oil, coconut oil, butterfat, and dairy.

If your heart health hasn't been enough incentive to get you to go for a salmon burger instead of a hamburger, maybe this newly revealed cancer risk will help you embrace a plant-based diet with healthy oils, salmon, and skinless poultry.