About Cholesterol
|
Reducing the amount of
fat in our diet has significant health benefits for
us all. Fat, whether saturated or unsaturated, is a
concentrated source of calories. In addition, high
fat diets have been linked to the development of
other diseases including gallbladder disease and
some cancers. Recent research shows that reducing
food fat, particularly saturated fat, has a more
direct influence on blood cholesterol than does food
cholesterol. For most people it is better cut down
on saturated fats than to eliminate nutritious foods
such as eggs, shellfish and liver which are high in
cholesterol. Below is a list of the main foods
containing fat. Many foods contain a mixture of
saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats,
so the foods are classified according to the
predominant fat.
|
Saturated Fat
Butter, cream,
drippings, lard; coconut oil, palm oil; many
cheeses, ice-cream, chocolate; meat fat, poultry
skin; full cream dairy products; many commercial
foods including snack foods, pies, pastries,
biscuits, fast foods, chips and French fries.
|
Monounsaturated
Fat
Olive oil, olives;
peanut oil, peanuts, peanut butter; most nuts;
avocado; egg yolk; margarine; lean meat, chicken,
salmon , tuna.
|
Polyunsaturated
Fat
Most vegetables oils,
including safflower, sunflower, canola, corn, cotton
seed, soybean, grape seed, walnut, sesame;
margarine, reduced-fat spreads and oils labeled
polyunsaturated; seeds, including sunflower,
pumpkin, sesame; nuts; Walnuts, brazil nuts, pine
nuts; fish, shellfish.
|
Low Cholesterol Cooking
Reduce Fats
Reduce your intake of
all fats. Only 30 percent of your total calorie
intake should come from fats, with saturated fats
contributing no more than 10 percent and unsaturated
fats (poly- and monounsaturated) contributing the
remaining 20 percent.
|
Reduce Cholesterol
Reduce your cholesterol intake from foods to under
300 milligrams a day. Limit cholesterol-ricj foods
such as brains, liver, kidney, egg yolks, shrimp,
fish roe and squid.
|
Reduce Salt
Reduce your salt intake. Do not sprinkle salt on
food or in cooking, and switch to salt-reduced or
no-added-salt products.
|
Increase Fiber
Increase your fiber intake. Oats, oat bran, barley,
barley bran, rice, rice bran, dried beans, lentils,
fruit vegetables. |
|
|
