Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. According to the statistics, every minute, one American dies from a coronary event. Lowering your risk of heart disease is possible with lifestyle changes such as exercising regularly, not smoking and eating a healthy diet for weight management. A diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol is a good start toward the road to good nutrition.
Saturated Fats
Saturated fats are considered bad fats because they increase the risk of disease. Your body produces saturated fat, so you don't need any from your diet. Most dietary saturated fat comes from meat, seafood, poultry with skin, cheese and ice cream. Some foods containing oils such as coconut and coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil are also high in saturated fat. Saturated fats increase your level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the bad form, and decrease your level of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the good form.
Low-Saturated Fat Diet
Lowering your saturated fat intake can improve your total cholesterol level and decrease your risk of heart disease. Harvard School of Public Health recommends keeping your saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of your total daily calorie intake. Because red meats and whole-fat dairy products are the primary source of saturated fats, it recommends limiting these items to just a few servings per week. Select low-fat cheeses, skim milk, skinless poultry or fish over red meats and use unsaturated oils, such as canola or vegetable oil, when cooking.
Cholesterol
Your liver produces cholesterol in sufficient quantities to meet all of your body's needs. Cholesterol from in the diet tends to raise blood cholesterol. Within recent decades, the general public had a fear of consuming eggs based on the cholesterol contained in their yolks. More recently, Harvard School of Public Health reported "the amount of cholesterol eaten has only a modest impact on the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood." You can include eggs in your diet if you're generally healthy and don't have diabetes or heart disease.
Low-Cholesterol Diet
You should follow a low-cholesterol diet in conjunction with a diet low in saturated fats. While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends limiting cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day, maintaining a low saturated fat intake as well will best manage blood cholesterol levels. Generally, limiting organ meats, high-fat dairy products and egg yolks will help to keep your dietary cholesterol intake under control.
Overall Recommendations
Following a diet low in cholesterol and saturated fat can reduce your chances of getting heart disease. The University of California San Francisco offers guidelines to lowering your intake of these diet components. Eliminate condiments known to be high in fat and cholesterol, such as stick butter, mayonnaise, salad dressings, gravies and sauces, unless you know they're low in fat. Avoid high-fat or processed convenience and snack foods. Avoid fatty meats, such as bacon, sausage and luncheon meats. Also, limit bakery items, including cookies, pies, doughnuts and cake to special occasions.
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; February is American Heart Month; January 2011
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the Good
- University of California San Francisco; Guidelines for a Low Cholesterol, Low Saturated Fat Diet; February 2011
- Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion: Dietary Guidelines for Americans
