Understanding Cholesterol Part 2

Fat comes in all different forms and shapes. However, not all fats are created equal. When reading the food label, total fat is made up of saturated fat, trans fat, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat. It is important to know the difference between these types of fats in order to be good to your heart. On average women typically need about 50 grams of total fat and men need about 65 grams of total fat per day. Ideally the focus will be on the unsaturated fats.

Saturated fat is the fat that is solid at room temperature. For instance, butter, lard, bacon, cheese, solid shortening, etc. These fats have been linked to heart disease and may raise LDL (bad) cholesterol. As a general rule of thumb: limit saturated fat to no more than 7% of total calories. For example, on a 1,500 calorie meal plan that would be less than 12 grams of saturated fat per day, and on a 2,000 calorie meal plan that would be less than 15 grams of saturated fat per day.

Trans fat is the fat that was once a liquid at room temperature and was hydrogenated to make a solid at room temperature. Therefore partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated fats are types of man-made trans fats. Trans fat is also found naturally in some animal products such as meat, cheese, butter, and dairy. Examples include solid vegetable shortening, tub and stick margarines, crackers, baked goods, and fried foods. As of January 1, 2006 all food manufacturers are required to list trans fat on the food label. Keep in mind that foods with the claim “trans fat-free” may still contain trans fat. This is because if there is less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving in a product it is considered trans fat-free. Ultimately keep trans fat intake to as close to zero as possible.

Polyunsaturated fat may help lower cholesterol levels. Sources include walnuts, mayonnaise, corn, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oil, plant stanol esters, flaxseed, pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds, and tahini or sesame paste.

Monounsaturated fat may also help lower cholesterol levels and is linked to raising HDL (good) cholesterol. Sources include avocado, nut butters (almond, cashew, and peanut butter), nuts (almonds, brazil, cashews, macadamia, peanuts, pecans, and pistachios), canola, olive, and peanut oil, and olives.

Portion Tip: your thumb is about the same size and volume as 1 Tbsp of salad dressing, mayonnaise, oil, and 1 ounce of cheese. Your thumb tip is about the same size and volume as 1 tsp.