Heart patients and those who want to prevent coronary artery disease can benefit from a low-fat diet that also has a low cholesterol content. This eating plan is based on the nutrients in healthy foods that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says Americans need to increase in our diets. A shift toward these food items boosts essential nutrients such as vitamins, calcium and magnesium and limits "bad" fats and cholesterol. Best of all, a diet low in fat and cholesterol is appropriate for everybody who wants to control or lose weight.
Definition
Food selections on this diet limit fat and cholesterol and promote dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals to provide complete, heart-healthy nutrition. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans set normal fat and cholesterol intakes from food at 20 g saturated fat (or 10% of calories); 70 g total fat (or 35% of calories); and 300 mg cholesterol or less, based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. Low intakes of these nutrients would be 14 g saturated fat (or 7% of calories); 40 g total fat (or 20% of calories); and 200 mg cholesterol. The DASH diet recommended in the guidelines is an example of a low-fat and low cholesterol meal plan.
Fat
Types of fat include monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are most plentiful in non-animal healthy food sources; trans fat, present in partially hydrogenated oils (solid at room temperature); and saturated fat, found more abundantly in animal-derived food items and low in content in fruits and vegetables. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats are considered beneficial to blood cholesterol balance. Saturated fat is the element that most needs limitation in a low cholesterol, low-fat diet because saturated fat raises your blood cholesterol level. Unlike the other fats, trans fat is nonessential to body function, and medical experts at the Mayo Clinic recommend removing it from your diet completely.
Cholesterol
We need cholesterol for cell membrane growth and fat-soluble vitamin absorption, among other functions. The body synthesizes most of the cholesterol you need in a day. If your intake of cholesterol from food increases, your body makes less of the nutrient. This regulating mechanism makes dietary cholesterol less of threat to your cardiovascular health than saturated or trans fats.
Food Sources
To stay within a low-fat, low cholesterol diet and get the right nutrients, choose lean meats or fish and fat-free dairy products. Whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and peas, and nuts and seeds (in limited quantities) are healthy foods allowed in this heart-healthy diet.
Significance
Elevated levels of fat and cholesterol in the body can cause atherosclerosis, or clogged arteries, a precursor to serious heart problems. If you cut fat and cholesterol now, you may avoid a heart attack or stroke. If you already have high cholesterol or a heart condition, eating healthy foods in a low cholesterol, low-fat diet may reverse the damage, decreasing your risk for further cardiovascular disease.
