Cutting 

 the fat 

 and 



cholesterol 



BY KATHY HART 



11. 



m 



Eat right. 

 We hear it from the surgeon general, the 

 American Heart Association, our physicians and, 

 yes, our own mothers. 

 But what does it mean? 

 Generally, you should eat a variety of foods, 

 but avoid too much fat, saturated fat, cholesterol 

 and salt. 



You know about salt (see story, page 2). But 

 what about fat, saturated fat and cholesterol? 



We hear or read these terms daily. But what do 

 they mean to our health? 



Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found natu- 

 rally in the human body and in foods from animal 

 sources. The cholesterol produced in our bodies 

 is blood cholesterol. It is used every day 

 Hi in the production of hormones and the 

 jRl3£* maintenance of cell structure. 



But high levels of blood cholesterol 

 "JJ1 increase the risk of heart disease. It 

 leads to the buildup of fatty deposits on 

 vessel walls and the narrowing of blood 

 WM vessels. This keeps oxygen-carrying blood 

 ■ from getting to the heart, causing chest 

 pain and heart attacks. 

 Dietary cholesterol is found in all animal 

 products (meat, poultry, fish and dairy prod- 

 ucts), but is especially high in egg yolks and 

 organ meats (liver, kidney and sweetbreads). For 

 some people, the consumption of dietary 

 cholesterol boosts their blood cholesterol; for 

 others, it doesn't. 



And many people mistakenly believe that by 

 trimming away fat from red meat and removing 

 the skin from poultry, they are eliminating choles- 

 terol. But they are wrong, says Joyce Taylor, Sea 

 Grant's seafood education specialist. 



Cholesterol is found in the cell membranes and 

 nerve fibers of animals. The concentration of cho- 

 lesterol in the lean tissue and fat in meat is about 

 the same. Since most meat is primarily lean tissue, 

 that's where most of the cholesterol is concentrated. 



But Taylor still recommends that folks cut away 

 fat because it does reduce saturated fat. 



Dietary fat comes in a variety of forms— satu- 

 rated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. All 

 are high in calories: nine per gram. That is more 

 than twice the calories found in a gram of protein 

 (beans) or carbohydrates (pasta). That's why fat is 

 so fattening. 



But fat can do more than just add a few extra 

 pounds to your weight. Saturated fat, fat that is 

 solid at room temperature, actually stimulates the 

 production of blood cholesterol in your body. 



In fact, saturated fats are believed to be more 

 likely than dietary cholesterol to raise the blood 



cholesterol in your body. 



Some people mistakenly equate sat- 

 urated fat with only animal fat. Animal fat 

 (meat fats and butter, cream, whole milk and 

 some cheeses) is high in saturated fat, but so are 

 some vegetable oils. 



Palm kernel oil, palm oil, cocoa butter and 

 coconut oil, vegetable oils widely used in 

 crackers, chips, cookies, cake mixes and granola 

 bars, are more highly saturated and more harm- 

 ful to your health than beef fat. 



Polyunsaturated oils are liquid at room temper- 

 ature and vegetable in origin. Corn, cottonseed, 

 soybean, sunflower and safflower oils are high in 

 polyunsaturates. Monounsaturated oils are soft at 

 room temperature and also vegetable. Canola 

 and olive oils are high in monounsaturates. 



Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated oils are 

 thought to lower blood cholesterol, but some 

 scientists have recently disputed their healthful ef- 

 fects. Now, scientists believe the real key to lower- 

 ing cholesterol levels is omega-3 fatty acids. 

 Omega-3s are most abundant in the oils of fish 

 and shellfish, particularly oily, fatty fish. 



The presence of omega-3s is one reason the 

 American Heart Association recommends that 

 Americans eat seafood two to three times a week. 

 And the association still recommends polyunsat- 

 urates and monounsaturates over saturated fats. 



But when it comes to some polyunsaturates, 

 there's a problem. Food companies often hydro- 

 genate polyunsaturated oils in a process that solid- 

 ifies or partially solidifies them. This renders these 

 ingredients more saturated. But hydrogenated 

 polyunsaturated oils are still less saturated than 

 coconut or palm kernel oil. 



And there's another complication. No vege- 

 table oil is 100 percent polyunsaturated or mono- 

 unsaturated. All contain some saturated fat. 



So how do you choose an oil? Look for oils that 

 have a high un- 

 Unsatu rated/Saturated Fat saturated/saturated 

 Ratios for Vegetable Oils fat ratia Canola oil, 



Canola 15.7/1 now Proclaimed the 



Safflower 9.6/1 healthiest oil on the 



Sunflower 8.6/1 market, has the best 



Com 64/1 unsaturated/saturated 



Soybean'.'.'.'.'.'.'.. '. .. . ..&9/1 fat ratl0: 157/1 ( see 



l jve 5 8/1 table for other ratios). 



Peanut'. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. '. 4*6/1 When bu V in 9 snack 



Sesame seed 4.4/1 or processed foods, 



Cottonseed 2.7/1 look be V ond the " no 



Palm kernel 0.2/1 cholesterol" or "veg- 



Coconut 0.1/1 etable oil" claims 



TB1I . , prominently displayed 



Source: Tufts University r ' r 1 



Diet & Nutrition Letter on the package. 



