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Health Information
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Wednesday, May 14, 2008
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Find
more information about this topic from either the Web or the world's best
medical journals by using the search boxes at the top of this page.
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| Section
2 |
Facts
About Blood Cholesterol |
Guidelines
For Heart-Healthy Living
Whatever
your blood cholesterol level, you can make changes to
help lower it or keep it low and reduce your risk for
heart disease. These are guidelines for heart-healthy
living that the whole family (including children ages
2 and above) can follow:
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Choose foods low in saturated fat.
All foods that contain fat are made up of a mixture
of saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fat raises
your blood cholesterol level more than anything else
you eat. The best way to reduce blood cholesterol
is to choose foods lower in saturated fat. One way
to help your family do this is by choosing foods such
as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—foods naturally
low in total fat and high in starch and fiber.
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Choose foods low in total fat.
Since many foods high in total fat are also high in
saturated fat, eating foods low in total fat will
help your family eat less saturated fat. When you
do eat fat, substitute unsaturated fat—either polyunsaturated
or monounsaturated—for saturated fat. Fat is a rich
source of calories, so eating foods low in fat will
also help you eat fewer calories. Eating fewer calories
can help you lose weight—and, if you are overweight,
losing weight is an important part of lowering your
blood cholesterol. (Consult your family doctor if
you have a concern about your child’s weight.)
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Choose foods high in starch and fiber.
Foods high in starch and fiber are excellent substitutes
for foods high in saturated fat. These foods—breads,
cereals, pasta, grains, fruits, and vegetables—are
low in saturated fat and cholesterol. They are also
lower in calories than foods that are high in fat.
But limit fatty toppings and spreads like butter and
sauces made with cream and whole milk dairy products.
Foods high in starch and fiber are also good sources
of vitamins and minerals.
When eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat
and cholesterol, foods with soluble fiber—like oat
and barley bran and dry peas and beans—may help to
lower blood cholesterol.
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Choose foods low in cholesterol.
Remember, dietary cholesterol can raise blood cholesterol,
although usually not as much as saturated fat. So
it’s important for your family to choose foods low
in dietary cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is found
only in foods that come from animals. And even if
an animal food is low in saturated fat, it may be
high in cholesterol; for instance, organ meats like
liver and egg yolks are low in saturated fat but high
in cholesterol. Egg whites and foods from plant sources
do not have cholesterol.
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Be more physically active.
Being physically active helps improve blood cholesterol
levels: it can raise HDL and lower LDL. Being more
active also can help you lose weight, lower your blood
pressure, improve the fitness of your heart and blood
vessels, and reduce stress. And being active together
is great for the entire family.
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Maintain a healthy weight, and lose weight if you are
overweight.
People who are overweight tend to have higher blood
cholesterol levels than people of a healthy weight.
Overweight adults with an "apple" shape—bigger (pot)
belly—tend to have a higher risk for heart disease
than those with a "pear" shape—bigger hips and thighs.
Whatever your body shape, when you cut the fat in
your diet, you cut down on the richest source of calories.
A family eating pattern high in starch and fiber instead
of fat is a good way to help control weight. Do not
go on crash diets that are very low in calories since
they can be harmful to your health. If you are overweight,
losing even a little weight can help to lower LDL-cholesterol
and raise HDL-cholesterol.
THE
NATIONAL CHOLESTEROL EDUCATION
PROGRAM RECOMMENDATIONS
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The National Cholesterol Education Program
(NCEP) recommends that all healthy Americans
ages 2 and above adopt an eating pattern lower
in saturated fat and cholesterol to lower
their blood cholesterol. The recommended eating
pattern for everyone in the family over 2
years is:
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less than 10 percent of calories from saturated
fat.
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an average of 30 percent of calories or
less from total fat.
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less than 300 mg a day of dietary cholesterol.
These
goals are to be averaged over several days.
Refer to table 3 on page
7 for guidance on the recommended intakes
of saturated fat and cholesterol. |
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