A major contributor to heart disease is high cholesterol, in particular LDL cholesterol. Saturated and hydrogenated fats and trans-fatty acids can raise the level of cholesterol in the blood. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats do not raise cholesterol levels and some studies even suggest that they may lower LDL levels when eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fats. So where do we find these fats, what are the types of foods that contain the good and what types contain the bad.

Saturated fats for the most part are found in foods from animals. It is the main dietary cause of high blood cholesterol. Beef, pork, poultry, butter, cream, cheese, and dairy products made with whole or 2 percent milk all contain saturated fat. There are some plant products that contain saturated fat, the main ones are coconut, coconut oil, palm oil, and cocoa butter. When food is processed the fats in the food undergo a chemical process called hydrogenation. It is considered a saturated fat and will be listed as such on nutrition labels. Margarines and shortenings are the most common items with hydrogenated fats.

During the process of hydrogenation, trans-fatty acids are produced. In clinical studies TFA tended to raise the level of blood cholesterol, some believe that they raise it more than saturated fats. In 2006 the FDA made it mandatory to list the TFA content on nutrition labels. A food can be labeled as cholesterol free but if it contains TFA it can raise the LDL levels. Fast food items tend to have high TFA levels and since there are no requirements for them to label fast food consumers are often eating food that is harmful even though it is advertised as cholesterol free. The main source of TFA in the American diet is from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

Because of the recent TFA concern and because it is found in margarine the debate started over which is better, butter or margarine. Because butter is high both in saturated fat and dietary cholesterol it is still more harmful to blood cholesterol levels than margarines because they do not have any dietary cholesterol. It should be noted that the more liquid the margarine is, the less TFA it will contain.

Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats are found in fish, nuts, seeds and oils from plants. Salmon, trout, avocados, olives are sources. Liquid oils such as soybean, corn, safflower, canola, olive and sunflower are the ones that should be used.

Studies have shown that both polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats may lower your blood cholesterol when used in place of saturated fats but still should be used in moderation. It is recommended that most of the daily fat intake comes from these types of fat sources such as fish and nuts.

The American Heart Association recommends these fat intake guidelines for a healthy diet:

* Limit total fat intake to no more than 25-35 percent of the daily caloric intake.
* Limit saturated fat to 7 percent of the daily caloric intake.
* Limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of the daily caloric intake.
* The remaining fat should come from poly and monounsaturated fat sources.
* Limit daily cholesterol intake to 300mg per day.

The best way to follow these guidelines is to eat smart choices. Choose a diet containing many fruits, vegetables, whole grain, high fiber foods, and low fat or fat free dairy products. Use canola and olive oil most often to cook and to flavor foods. Limit the amount of fried foods in your diet both at home and especially at fast food restaurants.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gordon_L_Bass