Saturated fat and cholesterol contribute to high blood cholesterol levels and may increase the risk for heart disease. Limiting these nutrients in your diet may help to lower the levels of total and LDL, or bad, cholesterol in your blood. In addition, a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may offer other health benefits because many of the foods on this diet have beneficial nutrients.
Significance
Cholesterol is a necessary part of all of the cells of your body, but too much cholesterol in your blood can increase your risk for heart disease. A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol can help decrease your blood cholesterol levels. However, only about 25 percent of the cholesterol in your blood comes from foods, and the rest comes from your liver and other cells in your body. This means that you may need to integrate other treatment in addition to a diet low in cholesterol if you want to lower your blood cholesterol.
Saturated Fat
According to the American Heart Association, too much saturated fat is one of the principal dietary factors in raising blood levels of LDL, or bad, cholesterol. Intake should be less than 7 percent of total daily calories. Saturated fat is in fatty cuts of meat, butter and whole-fat dairy products including cheese, milk and ice cream. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests cutting back on saturated fat intake by making dietary substitutions. You can choose fat-free dairy products, margarine and lean cuts of meat without visible fat.
Cholesterol
Dietary cholesterol can increase blood cholesterol levels. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the recommendation from the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 is to limit daily cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day. Plants do not produce cholesterol, and the only dietary sources of cholesterol are animal products such as meat, dairy, and eggs. To eat a low-cholesterol diet, you can focus on vegetarian foods such as fruits and vegetables, legumes and whole grains.
Considerations
Many foods are low both in saturated fat and cholesterol, and these include fruits, vegetables, legumes and nuts, grains and oils. However, some foods, such as palm and coconut oil, are free of cholesterol but high in saturated fat. Another consideration is that even if a food is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, it is not necessarily low in calories or healthy. For example, many processed snack cakes are high in sugar and trans fats, which are high in calories and contribute to high blood cholesterol levels.
Other Information
A diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol can help you lose weight and control your blood cholesterol levels, but other factors play a role. The only way to lose weight is to eat fewer calories than you burn regardless of the calorie source. Exercising can also help you lose weight and lower blood cholesterol. If you have concerns about your weight or health, ask your doctor to help you develop a healthy diet that will work best for you.
