Dietary Fat and Cholesterol

  Remember

• Cholesterol is found in animal products and is also made in your liver.
• HDL is the good cholesterol and LDL is the bad cholesterol.
• Decrease your intake of saturated fats and avoid foods with trans fat.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatlike substance that is found in animal products and is also made in your liver. Your body needs cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D (which is important for healthy bones), and bile (which helps your body use dietary fat). There are two types of cholesterol:

Dietary cholesterol comes from the foods that you eat. It is only found in foods that come from animals like eggs, meat, fish, dairy products, and butter. It is also found in foods made with butter like cake, cookies, and muffins. Fruits, vegetables, and grains do not contain cholesterol.

Blood cholesterol is the cholesterol that is found in your blood. Some of this cholesterol is made by your liver and some it comes from the food you eat. There are two main types of cholesterol in your blood. HDL cholesterol is the "good" kind of cholesterol found in blood. LDL cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol found in blood. Research has shown that high levels of HDL may help protect against heart disease, while high levels of LDL may increase a person's risk for heart disease.

Blood cholesterol is affected by many different things, including the type of dietary fat you eat, how much you exercise, how much you weigh, and your family history (if your mother or father has high cholesterol, you may too). Aerobic exercise (which keeps your heart strong) is helpful for increasing your HDL cholesterol levels. Try fun aerobic activities such as bike riding, walking, jogging, playing soccer, or taking dance classes.

What is dietary fat?

Dietary fat is the fat found in food. It is important for your health and is needed for normal growth and development of your body. Dietary fat has many different functions in your body, which include:

• Providing long lasting energy
• Helping you feel full after eating
• Helping make hormones
• Forming part of your brain and nervous system
• Forming cell membranes for every cell in your body
• Carrying vitamins throughout your body
• Helping to regulate your body temperature and keep you warm
• Providing two essential fatty acids, called linoleic acid and linolenic acid, that your body needs to get through the food you eat

What are the different types of dietary fat?

The four main types of fat found in food are monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, saturated fat, and trans fat. Most foods have a different balance of these types of fats.

Monounsaturated fat is a "heart healthy" type of fat. Research shows that monounsaturated fats may help to decrease LDL ("bad") cholesterol and increase HDL ("good") cholesterol.

Good Sources of Monounsaturated Fat Include:
Avocados	Olive Oil
Almonds	Peanut Butter
Canola Oil	Peanut Oil
Cashews	Sunflower Oil
Hazelnuts
Nutrition Tip: Try to increase your intake of monounsaturated fat.

Polyunsaturated fat is also a "heart healthy" type of fat. There are two essential fatty acids (linolenic and linoleic) that your body uses to make substances that control blood pressure, blood clotting, and your immune system response. Linolenic fatty acids are a special type of fat called Omega-3 fats which are known to have many health benefits.

Good Sources of Polyounsaturated Fat Include:
Canola Oil	Sardines
Corn Oil	Sesame Seeds
Cottonseed Oil	Soybeans
Flaxseeds	Soybean Oil
Herring	Sunflower Oil
Mackerel	Tuna
Pine Nuts	Trout
Pumpkin Seeds	Walnuts
Salmon

 

Good Sources of Omega-3 Fats Include:
Canola Oil	Mackerel
Flaxseeds	Nuts (such as walnuts)
Flaxseed Oil	Salmon
Green, leafy vegetables	Sardines
Halibut	Soy based foods (such as soybeans, soynuts)
Lake Trout	Tofu
Legumes	Tuna
Nutrition Tip: Try to increase your intake of Omega-3 fats.

Saturated fat is also called "animal fat" because the many of the richest sources of saturated from are foods that originally come from animals. Although your body needs a little bit of saturated fat to stay healthy, eating too much saturated fat may increase LDL ("bad") cholesterol.

Sources of Saturated Fat	Healthier Options
Butter	Olive Oil
Cheese	Low fat or reduced fat cheese
Coconut Oil	Canola oil
Cream	Low fat milk or fat free creamer
Eggs	Egg whites or substitute
Ice Cream	Frozen yogurt or reduced fat ice cream
Lard	Oil or all-vegetable shortening (look for 0 grams of trans fat on the nutrition facts label)
Palm or Palm Kernal Oil	Canola oil
Poultry Skin	Poultry without the skin
Red Meat	White meat poultry or fish
Whole Milk	Skim or 1% Milk
Nutrition Tip: Try to decrease your intake of saturated fat.

Trans fat is formed when liquid oils are made into solid fats. Trans fats are artificially produced by food manufacturers. They were originally thought to be the healthier option to replace saturated fats. However, research shows that trans fats are are by far the least healthy type of fat. Trans fats increase LDL ("bad") cholesterol and decrease HDL ("healthy") cholesterol and should be avoided.

Sources of Trans Dietary Fat Include:
Cookies	Fried Foods
Crackers	Margarine (where the nutrition label does not say 0 grams of trans fat)
Donuts	Muffins
Fast Food	Shortening
Nutrition Tip: Try to eliminate trans fat in your diet.

How much fat should I eat?

Because there are many health benefits that come from eating fat, there is no need to follow a low fat diet. The key is to choose mostly healthy types of fat. About 30% of the energy we eat should come from fat. The rest of your energy should come from a combination of carbohydrates and protein.

More Nutrition Tips

• Read the nutrition facts label on food products for dietary fat content to help you make healthy choices.
• Search the internet for your favorite fast food or restaurant chain. Many fast food restaurants provide nutrition facts information that can help you make better choices.
  

Remember: All fats may be included as a part of healthy eating. It’s the type of fat you eat that matters.