Heart Disease and Trans Fats – Are you among the 20%?
A study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association found that most American’s know they need to avoid trans fats, but only 20% actually knew which foods contained trans fats.
Trans fat is a processed fat, produced as a by-product when hydrogen is added to make a substance more solid at room temperature. For example, margarine is hydrogenated vegetable oil – hydrogen was added and the by-product trans fat is produced. Although, it should be noted that many margarine’s have changed production procedures so the trans fatty acid by-product is not produced. Trans fats are just as bad for heart health (if not worse) than saturated fats. Trans fat increased LDL (bad) cholesterol levels and lowers HDL (good) cholesterol.
Trans fats, also known as hydrogenated oils, are artificially produced in the laboratory by adding extra hydrogen atoms to unsaturated vegetable oils. They have long been a favorite of the food industry for their increased shelf life over conventional oils. Unlike natural fats, however, trans fats have no nutritional value and drastically increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and death. Like saturated fats, they increase the body’s levels of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, but unlike those fats they also lower its levels of HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
Many processed foods contain trans fat, such as baked and fried foods, so read the food labels. As of January 2006, most manufacturers are required to list trans fatty acid content on the food label. Also, check the ingredient list for the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” as a sign that the product contains trans fat.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
Be Heart Healthy and Lose Weight
Lower Cholesterol – Understand Fatty Acids
Unless you have been living under a rock, you have probably heard the term fatty acids. But, do you understand what they are and how the right ratio will improve your heart health? I intend to clear up the confusion.
Types of Fatty Acids
There are numerous types of fatty acids. I am focusing on omega 3 and omega 6.
Unsaturated Fats
Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are both unsaturated fats. To improve cholesterol levels, you want to replace the saturated fats (i.e. lard, shortening, ice cream, cheese) in your diet with unsaturated fats.
What does "omega" mean?
Most of you are familiar with the saying "alpha to omega", in other words, beginning to end. The "omega" indicates which carbon has the first double bond on the carbon chain when you start counting from the omega end. For omega 3, the first double bond is on the third carbon from the omega end of the carbon chain. I know you were wanting to review a little biochemistry today!
Essential Fatty Acids
Omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids are also essential fatty acids.
Essential fatty acids are necessary for cardiovascular health, but our body cannot synthesize them. You can only obtain essential fatty acids through the foods you eat.
Omega 3 (Linolenic Acid)
To keep things simple, I am going to use the acronyms ALA, EPA, and DHA. These are all types of omega 3 fatty acids. If we consume a food containing the omega 3 fatty acid ALA, our body will convert it to EPA and DHA. Studies have shown a link between EPA, DHA, and heart disease. More studies are needed to understand ALA’s relationship.
Sources:
Oils – Canola oil, Soybean oil, Flaxseed oil (good source of ALA)
Seeds and nuts – flaxseeds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Brazil nuts, sesame seeds <
Vegetables – avocados, some dark leafy green vegetables (kale, spinach, mustard greens, collards)
Fish (good source of EPA and DHA) – salmon, mackerel, sardines, anchovies, albacore tuna, lake trout, herring
Omega 6 (Linoleic Acid)
I am going to throw in more acronym’s – GLA and AA – omega 6 fatty acids. Linoleic acid is converted to GLA and on into AA by the body. Researchers are finding indications of a link between GLA and EPA, in relation to heart health and reduced blood pressure. High intake of sugars, alcohol, trans fats, and various other factors can inhibit the conversion from linoleic acid to GLA.
Sources:
Oils – Sunflower oil, corn oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, cottonseed oil, flaxseed oil
Seeds and nuts – flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds, pine nuts
Meat – chicken, beef
For optimum heart health, the ratio between omega 6 fatty acids and omega 3 should be between 1:1 and 4:1. A practical example of what a 1:1 ratio means, for every 3 ounces of beef you eat, you would need to eat 3 ounces of tuna (I do not mean in the same meal!). The ratio for the typical American diet is 11:1 to 30:1. This poor ratio is linked with heart disease, among several other health issues.
Bottom Line:
For heart health, increase your intake of foods containing omega-3 fatty acids, while cutting back on omega-6 fatty acid sources. For example, switch from corn oil to canola oil, increase the number of meals you eat that contain fish each week, and grab walnuts instead of pistachios.
February is American Heart Month. In recognition of American Heart Month you can access Heart Health Made Easy at a 25% savings. Learn more about this take action guide to lower cholesterol and blood pressure at http://www.hearthealthmadeeasy.com.
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
https://www.lisanelsonrd.com
Your Checklist to Lower Cholesterol
Here’s a checklist of the top 8 things you must do if you want to successfully lower your cholesterol and keep it low.
Know your numbers
Have you had a lipid profile? Do you understand the numbers? If you are going to successfully lower cholesterol you need to know your numbers and what they mean. The most effective way to raise HDL is not necessarily the best way to lower LDL.
Evaluate your lifestyle
There are risk factors for high cholesterol that you can not control, such as age, gender, and family history, but there are factors you can control. For example, you can reduce risk by not smoking, increasing your activity, and losing extra weight.
Balance your fats
Reduce unhealthy saturated fats in your diet and replace them with heart healthy unsaturated fats. Total fat intake should be 30% or less of your total daily calories. Out of this 30%, saturated fat should be limited to 7%.
Be active
Physical activity lowers triglycerides and raises HDL (good) cholesterol. Shoot for 30 minutes 5 or more days a week. If you are not currently active, check with your MD before beginning an activity program.
Eliminate trans fats
You need to be food label savvy and watch out for trans fats. Trans fats raise LDL (bad) cholesterol, lower HDL (good) cholesterol, and raise triglycerides. Limit trans fats to 1% or less of your daily caloric intake.
Understand triglycerides
Triglycerides are impacted the most by your simple sugar and alcohol intake. If you are struggling with high triglycerides, you need to use a different strategy to get your cholesterol under control.
Increase dietary fiber
A high fiber diet is necessary for heart health. You need 25-35 grams of dietary fiber daily, especially soluble fiber. For every 1-2 grams of daily soluble fiber intake, LDL (bad) cholesterol is lowered 1%.
Add omega 3 fatty acids
For heart health and lower cholesterol, you want to improve the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are involved in the regulation of heart rate, blood pressure, and blood clotting.
Receive a step by step plan to promote heart health with a Mini Diet Makeover. As a special New Year’s bonus you’ll recieve a complimentary copy of the Calorie Counter for Dummies. Learn more here – https://www.lisanelsonrd.com/minidietmakeover.html
All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD
How to Lower Cholesterol in 8 Simple Steps
Butter vs Margarine – Which is the better choice?
This seems to be an area of confusion for many people. Some swear by butter only and others opt for margarine. Who is right? It is time to clear up the confusion.
First of all, both are fats. Therefore, the number of calories in 1 tsp of butter is equal to the number of calories in 1 tsp of margarine. The difference is the type of fat they each contain.
Butter consists of saturated fat. Saturated fat is found mainly in animal sources. Sources of saturated fat include meat, milk, cheese, ice cream, shortening, lard, coconut oil, and palm oil. The more saturated fat a product contains the more solid it will be at room temperature. For example, a stick of butter has more saturated fat than tub butter. Saturated fat leads to increased cholesterol levels.
Margarine is made of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Vegetable oils are unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are better for our health than saturated. The key words to make note of are “partially hydrogenated”. To make oils solid, hydrogen is added resulting in a trans fatty acid byproduct. These trans fatty acids have given margarine a bad rap, because they are just as bad for our cholesterol levels as saturated fat. So what is the solution? Read labels when you are shopping. As of January 2006, all packaged food products must list the content of trans fats on the nutrition fact panel. Therefore, check the margarine food label to make sure trans fats equal zero. Some products have also added a label that states “no trans fat” or “trans fat free”.
Regardless of which you choose, margarine or butter, you still need to limit the amount you add to foods. One tablespoon of margarine or butter equals approximately 100 calories.
Bottom Line: Margarine is the better choice over butter for your health. Select margarine’s that have zero trans fats. Even better, opt for a “light” margarine with “no trans fats”.
