Good Fats for High Cholesterol

The correlation between a diet high in saturated fatty acids and coronary heart disease is well-known among researchers in the medical community. One common misconception that people often have, however, is that a heart-healthy diet should be a low-fat diet that cuts out all forms of fat.

Bad Fats to Avoid

If you are trying to keep your blood cholesterol levels low, you should avoid certain fats. The "bad" fats are those that are high in saturated fat and trans fats and generally come from meat sources such as beef and pork along with dairy products. Evidence suggests that these fats, which are solid at room temperature, are the culprits in coronary heart disease because they cause build up within the walls of the arteries.

Good Fats

Eating a heart-healthy diet does not require that you eat a diet devoid of taste. Instead of eating foods high in saturated fat, substitute whenever possible foods that contain monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil, canola oil and sunflower oil. In addition to these, you should attempt to consume at least one serving of omega-3 fatty acids on a daily basis. These "good" fats are actually necessary for good health. They are required by the body for proper cell function and contribute to the overall health of the body, including a reduction in the danger of heart disease.

Other Considerations for a Healthy Lifestyle

Eat foods that are the healthy equivalent of mass-produced processed foods. Whole-grain breads are preferable to those made with white flour. There is debate among the medical community about the effects of enriched white flour, but some studies have shown a correlation between it and higher cholesterol levels. M.F. Oliver's article, "Diet and Coronary Heart Disease," in Human Nutrition, Clinical Nutrition in 1982 provides a good synopsis of these findings. In addition to cutting white flour out of the diet, replace whole milk with either fat-free skim or low-fat 1 percent milk. Meats such as ground turkey can also be substituted in place of their fattier counterparts, such as ground beef, when making hamburgers and chili. By substituting the proper foods for the bad ones and by intentiona
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