Facts and Tips about Dietary Fats and Cholesterol

For years, low-fat diets have been hailed as the centerpiece of a heart-healthy lifestyle. For one thing, fats are very calorie dense. Fat provides 9 calories per gram of food while carbohydrate and protein provide 4 calories per gram. A diet that is high in fat tends to be high in calories, which can cause weight gain. Also, certain types of fat like saturated and trans fats tend to raise your blood cholesterol levels, which can increase your risk for heart disease.

Saturated fats are mainly animal fats but are also found in tropical oils like palm and coconut oil. Meat, poultry skin, whole milk dairy products, and egg yolks contain high levels of saturated fat. Saturated fat raises your blood cholesterol level because it stimulates your liver to produce more cholesterol.

Trans fatty acids are fats produced by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence of hydrogen. The more hydrogenated it is, the harder it will be at room temperature. For example, spreadable tub margarine is less hydrogenated than stick margarine.

Not all fats are “bad” however. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats tend to lower blood cholesterol levels. They are liquid at room temperature and derived from plant sources such as vegetable oils, nuts and seeds. Polyunsaturated fats are found in sunflower, corn, and soybean oils while monounsaturated fats are found in canola, olive, and peanut oils. These types of fats tend to decrease LDL and increase HDL.

As for dietary cholesterol, the latest research has determined for the most part that the amount of cholesterol in the diet has little impact on the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. The foods that tend to be highest in dietary cholesterol are organ meats (liver) and eggs. Once the recommendation for egg consumption was no more than 3 yolks a week but has been increased to up to one per day for healthy individuals.

The recommendations for a heart healthy diet include, no more than 30% of daily caloric intake coming from fat and no more than 10% of that being saturated fat and/or trans fats. Dietary cholesterol should be limited to 300mg per day or less. Consuming fatty fishes like salmon twice a week may also enhance heart health. These types of fishes contain omega-3 fatty acids, which research, has found decrease your risk for a cardiac event.

Cholesterol Management , Meal and Menu Planning, Weight Management