Q: How Much Trans Fat is Okay to Eat?
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Louis J. Aronne, M.D., is clinical professor of medicine at the Weill Medical College at Cornell University in New York City. |
A: Trans fats—also called trans fatty acids—are a particularly dangerous type of fat found naturally in animal-based foods. But most trans fats are formed when liquid oils are turned into solid fats like shortening and stick margarine. They’re often found in crackers, cookies and snack foods.
It’s a double whammy. Like unhealthy saturated fats (animal fat, butter, tropical oils), trans fats raise “bad” LDL cholesterol, which increases the risk of developing heart disease. But unlike saturated fats, trans fatty acids also lower “good” HDL cholesterol, which also raises coronary risk.
To keep your heart and weight healthy, keep your consumption of trans fats as low as possible. As a result of new labeling requirements, many food manufacturers have reformulated their products, cutting out this dangerous type of fat.
But if you’re trying to lose weight, keep in mind that you also need to limit your consumption of fats overall (get no more than 30 percent of calories from fat). And calories always count. Read More
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Q: What's the best way to lower cholesterol?
Richard Stein, M.D.
Cut back on foods that are high in saturated fat, such as red meat, whole dairy products, eggs and tropical oils such as palm and coconut, and high in trans fat, such as certain fast foods and baked goods. Instead, eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains. When you reduce the fat in your diet, you reduce the liver’s production of LDL cholesterol. Read More
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Q: Do young people have to check their cholesterol?
James Cleeman, M.D.
Simply being young doesn’t keep your heart healthy. Researchers recently compared cholesterol levels of people ages 20 and older in several national surveys and discovered that cholesterol levels in all ages had declined between 1960 and 2002. The surprising finding: Men age 60 and over and women 50 and up had greater reductions than the younger folks. Read More
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| NEWS & INFO |
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Your Healthy Heart
It seems unthinkable that one of your body’s lifesaving mechanisms could turn against you and increase your risk of disease. But this is what happens when inflammation does not abate.
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