Cholesterol and Saturated Fat: Understanding the Difference

When we talk about nutrition and health, saturated fat and cholesterol are terms we often hear. There's also a lot of confusion about where these nutrients come from and how much we're suppose to eat.

For starters, cholesterol is a waxy substance made by the liver. It's used by the body to protect nerves and make hormones, vitamin D, and other materials. Because it cannot dissolve in water, it's carried through the blood stream attached to a lipoprotein (ex. HDL and LDL). It's an essential nutrient, required by the body in order to function and survive. Your body is capable of producing all the cholesterol it needs but it can also be consumed through the diet. Cholesterol is only found in animals and animal products such as meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, and dairy. It is especially high in egg yolks and organ meats such as liver, brains, and kidneys. For most people, consuming too much cholesterol has only a modest affect on the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. However, the affect dietary cholesterol has on blood cholesterol varies from person to person and some are more sensitive to cholesterol than others.

Total fat intake, especially saturated fat and trans fat, plays a larger role in blood cholesterol than intake of dietary cholesterol itself. Saturated fat and trans fat are solid at room temperature and have a high shelf life. Saturated fat is found mainly in animal products but is also highly concentrated in palm oil, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil. Due to their high shelf life, these oils are often found in many processed foods like cookies, cakes, muffins and crackers. And even know the box may say "no cholesterol," there is still a high content of saturated fat. Both saturated and trans fat raise your LDL's (bad cholesterol) and are the main dietary factors in raising blood cholesterol. Trans fats are slightly more dangerous because they also lower HDL's (good cholesterol).

Blood cholesterol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease so it's important that you watch your intake of saturated fat, trans fat and to some extent cholesterol. The American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee strongly advises these fat guidelines for healthy Americans over age 2:

• Limit total fat intake to less than 25-35 percent of your total calories each day:
• Limit saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total daily calories;
• Limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of total daily calories;
• The remaining fat should come from sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils; and
• Limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day, for most people. If you have coronary heart disease or your LDL cholesterol level is 100 mg/dL or greater, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams a day.

Related articles

• Trans Fat Confusion? (everydayhealth.com)
• A Heart-Healthy Diet: Eat the Right Fats (everydayhealth.com)