The average American diet consists of excessive amounts of solid fats, which include saturated and trans fats, and added sugar, that together account for 35 percent of the total daily calories, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010. Americans also consume too much dietary cholesterol, a type of fat found only in animal foods. Although humans need cholesterol, the body produces more than enough to meet daily functions, making dietary cholesterol unnecessary. Excessive fat and cholesterol intake affect the health of the cardiovascular system leading doctors to encourage following a heart-healthy low cholesterol low-fat diet plan.
DASH Diet
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension is a diet plan created in response to studies conducts by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute that found patients can reduce blood pressure by following an eating plan low in total fat, low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol. The DASH diet emphasizes eating fruits, vegetables and low-fat milk products. Because this diet strives to reduce blood pressure, it limits sodium intake to less than 2,300 mg per day and also provides a plan for 1,500 mg per day. The DASH diet limits red meat, sweets, added sugars and sugar-sweetened beverages. The DASH diet limits the total fat intake to 27 percent, saturated fat intake to 6 percent and cholesterol intake to 150 mg or less per day, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Step Diets
The National Cholesterol Education Program created by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute developed the Step I and Step II diet plans to reduce cholesterol levels and the risk for heart disease. Doctors used these diets together, starting patients out on Step I to help ease them into making lifestyle and diet changes. Step I recommends limiting the total fat intake to 30 percent of the daily calories, with saturated fat accounting for no more than 10 percent of the daily calories. In addition, it restricts cholesterol intake to 300 mg or less per day. Step II increases the restrictions limiting saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of the daily calories and cholesterol to 200 mg or less per day. The Step II diet has been replaced with the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet.
TLC Diet
The Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet, commonly known as the TLC diet, was released by the National Cholesterol Education Program in May 2001. The TLC diet puts patients on a more restrictive diet to help patients change their habits more rapidly than the previous two-step diet plan. Doctors recommend the TLC diet for patients with levels of LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, above the goal for their risk category. The TLC diet limits total fat intake to 25 percent to 35 percent of the total calories with saturated fat accounting for 7 percent or less of the calories. It also limits cholesterol intake to 200 mg or less per day.
Advantage
Saturated fat and dietary cholesterol both cause high blood cholesterol -- one of the main risk factors for heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Limiting fat and cholesterol intake reduces the risk for heart disease and can help you live a longer, healthier life.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Your Guide to Lowering Your Blood Pressure with DASH; April 2006
- American Heart Association: Step I, Step II and TLC Diets
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: TLC Diet
- USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 -- Chapter 3; February 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Heart Disease
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: National Cholesterol Education Program
