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Cholesterol And Saturated Fat |
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Cholesterol is a compound that is used to build cell walls and make certain body chemicals required for life. It is made by the body and is also present in food from animal sources. Many parts of the body, such as the brain and the adrenal glands, depend on cholesterol for their proper function. However, cholesterol in excess can build up in places where it is harmful. Hereditary factors and too much saturated fat in the diet can add to this build-up.
It is the saturated fat in food that has the greatest negative effect on your blood cholesterol level. One place where cholesterol causes trouble is in the walls of blood vessels. Too much cholesterol can make the blood vessel brittle or can block the flow of blood. Cholesterol is found only in animal products, such as meat, eggs, and butter. Saturated fat is found in those animal products and in plant products, such as coconut oil and palm oil. Saturated fat is easy to recognize because it is usually solid at room temperature. Other fats, such as polyunsaturated fat and monounsaturated fat, are found in vegetable oils. These fats are liquid or very soft at room temperature. THE NATIONAL HEART FOUNDATION RECOMMENDS THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES FOR CHOLESTEROL AND FATS: - Cholesterol consumed daily should be no more than 300 milligrams.
- Total fat consumed should be 30 percent or less of the day's total kilojoules.
- Saturated fat consumed should be 8 percent of total kilojoules (primary sources are animal products, palm and coconut oil).
- Polyunsaturated fats consumed should be no more than 8-10 percent of total kilojoules (primary sources are vegetable oils, nuts, and high-fat fish).
- Monounsaturated fats consumed should be about 10 percent of total kilojoules (primary sources are olive and canola oils).
Article #6162 Copyright (c) 2002 McKesson. All Rights Reserved. |
