Heart disease is a killer: in 2006, more than one of every four deaths in the U.S. was attributed to heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Coronary artery disease, also known as coronary heart disease, is the major type of heart disease seen in the U.S. today. Poor diet is one of the major risk factors for developing heart disease. By controlling your intake of saturated and trans fats, you can reduce your risk for this chronic disorder.
Expert Insight
When your cholesterol levels are high, hard plaques develop on the inside of the arteries leading to your heart and causing a narrowing known as atherosclerosis that eventually leads to coronary heart disease. According to Mayoclinic.com, "Of the possible changes, limiting how much saturated and trans fats you eat is the most important step you can take to reduce your blood cholesterol and lower your risk of coronary artery disease."
Identification
The fats in your diet can be identified by the number of hydrogen bonds. Saturated fats have hydrogen ions bonded to every available carbon atom and are usually solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fats have one or more locations open for hydrogen ions and are usually liquid oils. Trans fats, a type of unsaturated fat found in some animal meats, are also created when hydrogen is added to liquid oils to make them into solids.
Guidelines
To reduce the confusion around fat intake and provide guidance to both health care professionals and lay people, a consensus panel of the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute established a therapeutic lifestyle changes diet for lowering blood cholesterol and reducing coronary heart disease. These recommendations advise limiting your intake of saturated fat to between 25 and 35 percent of your daily calories and keeping your trans fat intake at 1 percent or less. The remainder of your fat intake should come from healthier monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
Substitutions
As a rule of thumb, you can reduce both saturated and trans fats by limiting the amount of solid fat in your daily diet. Think twice before using butter, margarine, shortening or lard in home cooking. Look for lean cuts of meat, remove any fat or skin and avoid frying, sauteing or other cooking methods that add fat. Replace full-fat dairy products with low-fat or nonfat versions, buy margarine that's clearly labeled as trans fat free or opt for canola and olive oils. You can also purchase cholesterol-lowering margarines, according to MayoClinic.com.
Warning
Remember to read the whole label when searching for foods free from saturated and trans fats. Baked goods like cookies, crackers and chips may have a prominent "reduced fat" banner but still contain high levels of trans fats. Watch out for commercial baked goods that list hydrogenated or partially-hydrogenated oils among their ingredients.
