Cholesterol & Fats

Women tend to have higher levels than men of a desirable type of cholesterol called HDLs (high-density lipoproteins) until menopause, leading some researchers to believe there is a link between HDLs and estrogen levels. But this does not let women off the hook--a diet high in saturated fat and cholesterol can still mean trouble. For both women and men, blood cholesterol levels of below 5.2 mmol/l (200 mg/dl) are desirable. Levels between 5.2-6.2 mmol/l (200-240 mg/dl) are considered borderline, and anything over 6.2 mmol/l (240 mg/dl) is high. High levels of blood cholesterol increase the risk of coronary heart disease. To keep levels in the good range, the Dietary Guidelines recommends eating no more than 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day. Cholesterol is found only in food from animal sources, such as egg yolks, dairy products, meat, poultry, shellfish, and--in smaller amounts--fish and some processed products containing animal foods. Even more important than limiting dietary cholesterol to under 300 milligrams is keeping saturated fat to under 10 percent of total calories. Saturated fat is found in fat on meats, full-fat dairy products, coconut milk & oil, lard, ghee and palm oil. Also follow general guidelines to keep total fat in the diet to less than 30% of total calories.