Fats and Cholesterol

"Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet." Most of us have heard this simple recommendation so often over the past two decades that we can recite it in our sleep. Touted as a way to lose weight and prevent cancer and heart disease, it's no wonder much of the nation - and food producers - hopped on board.
Unfortunately, this simple message is now largely out of date. Detailed research -much of it done at Harvard - shows that the total amount of fat in the diet, whether high or low, isn't really linked with disease. What really matters is the type of fat in the diet.(1) Bad fats increase the risk for certain diseases and good fats lower the risk. The key is to substitute good fats for bad fats.
And cholesterol in food? Although it is still important to limit the amount of cholesterol your eat, especially if you have diabetes, dietary cholesterol isn't nearly the villain it's been portrayed to be. Cholesterol in the bloodstream is what's most important. High blood cholesterol levels greatly increase the risk for heart disease. But the average person makes about 75% of blood cholesterol in his or her liver, while only about 25% is absorbed from food. The biggest influence on blood cholesterol level is the mix of fats in the diet.
Olives; olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil; cashews, almonds, peanuts, and most other nuts; avocados
Liquid
Lowers LDL; raises HDL
Polyunsaturated
Corn, soybean, safflower, and cottonseed oils; fish
Liquid
Lowers LDL; raises HDL
Saturated
Whole milk, butter, cheese, and ice cream; red meat; chocolate; coconuts, coconut milk, and coconut oil
Solid
Raises both LDL and HDL
Trans
Most margarines; vegetable shortening; partially hydrogenated vegetable oil; deep-fried chips; many fast foods; most commercial baked goods
Solid or semi-solid
Raises LDL

The Cholesterol--Heart Disease Connection
Cholesterol is a wax-like substance. The liver makes it and links it to carrier proteins called lipoproteins...

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