WHERE DO WE GET CHOLESTEROL?
We get cholesterol by ingesting meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, plant oils and packaged convenience foods. Knowing the sources will help us control our intake of cholesterol into our body. Cholesterol is not an essential part of our diet, because our body particularly our liver has the ability to produce cholesterol from other nutrients that we eat, which include fats, carbohydrates and protein.
Some fat in the diet is also needed for good health. It provides calories that give us energy, helps our body absorb vitamins A, D, E , K. It also helps in the absorption of certain antioxidants which keep our body’s cell healthy. Fats from fish and plants can help prevent chronic diseases plus, the fact that it adds flavor and aroma to the food. So not all fat is bad, but consuming too much is not healthy.
But which fats are considered to be good or bad fats?
Bad Fats: Saturated and Trans Fats
When we think of fats, what comes to our mind is heart disease, high blood pressure, heart attack. Fats could either be harmful and beneficial to our body .It’s very important to differentiate all kinds of fats and the food that has it. Harmful fats consist of the trans fats and the saturated fats.
We should keep our intake of trans fats as low as possible and limit them to less than 1% of our calories. Ingesting food that are high in saturated fat is strongly related to high cholesterol levels and can cause sudden increase in the triglycerides and other blood lipids. Thus, decreases blood flow through the arteries and heart.
Saturated fats are mainly found in animal products and are solid at room and refrigerator temperature.
SOURCES OF SATURATED FAT
- Meats and poultry
- Whole and partial skimmed milk
- Cheese, ice cream, sour cream
- Lard and butter
- Coconut and palm oils
- Cocoa butter
Eating foods that are high in trans fats are also harmful to our body. It can be found naturally in some animal products, but mostly from the polyunsaturated oils from our diet. It is through the process of “hydrogenation” which keeps the fat from going rancid and change the form of fat from liquid to solid state.
Hydrogenated fats are even more bad for the heart compared to saturated fats and sometimes associated with cancers. Keeping our intake of trans fats as low as possible.
SOURCES OF TRANS FAT
- Margarine (stick and soft kind)
- Commercially baked cakes and cookies
- Chips and popcorn
- French fries
- Shortening
It is required for the food manufacturers to list the amount of trans fats and saturated fats on the Nutritional facts label of any packaged food. So when we go shopping for food, be in a habit to read the nutritional facts at the back of the package of the products before buying. By doing so, we can help our heart to stay healthy.
Good Fats: Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated Fats
Not all fats are bad for our body. Some of these fats are considered essential for our health. These necessary fats include the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated which are liquid at room and refrigerator temperature.
SOURCES OF MONOUNSATURATED FAT
- Nuts
- Peanut oils
- Olive
- Canola
SOURCES OF POLYUNSATURATED FAT
- Corn
- Cottonseed
- Safflower
- Soybean
- Sunflower
There are also fatty acids that make up monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Three important fatty acids that should be present in our diet are namely:
- Omega-3 Fatty Acid- is good for the health of our heart. It can decrease our risk of having high blood pressure, stroke and other diseases. Best sources are from fish oil, (mackerel, salmon and tuna) and plant oils (canola, flaxseed and soybeans). Sometimes the doctor prescribed fish oil supplement. Though fish oils can be bought over the counter, and good for heart health, don’t start taking it unless your doctor said so. Based on a study that fish oil supplements may cause bleeding for some people especially those taking blood thinning medications such as aspirin, warfarin and heparin.
- Omega-6 Fatty Acid- another kind of fatty acid that can be found in corn, soybean, sunflower and safflower.
- Omega-9 Fatty Acid-good sources of this fatty acid is from canola and olive oil.
Eating foods rich in fatty acids are good for health, but we still need balance in our intake.