TAKE ON HEART DISEASE WITH DIET
What makes a healthy diet healthy can be hard to understand. For instance,
cholesterol is good for you, unless it’s the kind that is bad. Foods contain
fats, but not all fats are alike. And the terms to describe the makeup of food
can be confusing in their own right, if not unappetizing: “HDL-cholesterol,”
“mononunsaturated” and “omega-3 fats.”
But the overall takeaway is simple: Some food is good for your heart. Other
food isn’t. Try to eat more of the former and avoid the latter.
Diet can affect heart disease, namely through its impact on the amount of
cholesterol, a waxy substance that helps build healthy cells. Low-density and
high-density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL, respectively) transport cholesterol
through the bloodstream and are commonly known as LDL-cholesterol and
HDL-cholesterol, depending on their density.
Cholesterol is beneficial to your health, but if the amount of LDL is too high,
the correspondingly high amounts of LDL-cholesterol can result in a buildup
of cholesterol on the walls of your arteries and lead to heart disease. HDL, on
the other hand, transports cholesterol away from the walls of the arteries and
back to the liver, where it is passed from the body. In short, LDL equals buildup,
which is bad; HDL reduces buildup, which is good.
Overall, diet can be used to reduce too-high amounts of LDL-cholesterol and
increase too-low amounts of HDL cholesterol to achieve a target ratio of LDL/
HDL for improved heart-health.
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A heart-healthy diet with foods low in saturated fat and high in omega-3
fats will reduce the amount of “harmful” LDL-cholesterol. Saturated fat is
found in beef (e.g., hamburger), pork (e.g., bacon), chicken skin, and in dairy
products such as whole milk and cheese. Saturated fat is also especially high
in the tropical oils such as coconut and palm oils, which are most often used
in baked items and candies. By contrast, beneficial omega-3 fats are found in
deep water fish (e.g., salmon, tuna) and in walnuts, canola oil, and flaxseeds
containing the “ALA” form of omega-3 fats.
Table I: Amount of omega-3 and saturated fat grams for particular foods
and oils
Food rich in total
omega 3 fat
Food poor in total
omega 3 fat
Total Omega 3 Fat Grams
Saturated Fat Grams
MORE IS BETTER
LESS IS BETTER
Salmon, avg of , 3 oz cooked
1.92
2.13
Hamburger, 3 oz cooked
0.04
4.54
Blue Fin Tuna, 3 oz cooked
1.28
1.37
Fried Chicken Leg, meat
and skin, 3 oz
0.19
3.38
Rainbow Trout, 3 oz cooked
0.81
1.4
Bacon, 3 slices cooked
0.05
3.15
Food rich in ALA
omega 3 fat
Food poor in ALA
omega 3 fat
ALA Omega 3 Fat Grams
Saturated Fat Grams
MORE IS BETTER
LESS IS BETTER
Walnuts, 1 oz
2.57
1.74
Cheese, Cheddar, 1 oz
0.1
5.98
Canola oil, 1 tsp
0.41
0.33
Palm oil, 1 tsp
0
3.66
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A heart-healthy diet not only reduces the amount of “bad” cholesterol,
but also includes food that elevates the amount of “good.” Foods high in
monounsaturated fats, which will increase the amount of “beneficial” HDLcholesterol, include olive oil, canola oil, nuts, and avocado. Ideally, the
incorporation of these monounsaturated fats will replace the saturated fats
found in a less-healthy diet.
Table II: Amount of monounsaturated and saturated fat grams for particular
foods and oils
Food rich in total
monounsaturated fat
Monounsaturated Fat Grams
Saturated Fat Grams
MORE IS BETTER
LESS IS BETTER
Olive oil, 1 tsp
3.28
0.62
Soybean oil, 1 tsp
1.03
0.7
Canola oil, 1 tsp
2.85
0.33
Corn oil, 1 tsp
1.24
0.58
Margarine, light, soft tub, 1 tsp
0.63
0.47
Butter, 1 tsp
0.99
2.41
Almonds, dry roasted, 1 oz
9.18
1.14
Potato Chips, 1 oz
4.54
1.14
Avocado, 1/4 cup
3.58
0.78
Sour cream, 1 tbs
2.91
6.62
Food poor in total
monounsaturated fat
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Last but not least, a heart-healthy diet will incorporate foods high in soluble
fiber. Soluble fiber binds cholesterol in the gut, which lowers the circulating
cholesterol that could potentially lead to clogged arteries. Soluble fiber is
found in beans and legumes, oatmeal and oat bran, and several fruits and
vegetables.
Table III: Amount of soluble fiber for particular foods
Food rich in soluble fiber
Soluble Fiber Grams
MORE IS BETTER
Food poor in soluble fiber
Black, Kidney or Navy Beans 1/2 c
2.0 - 2.4
White Rice, 1/2 c
Trace
Barley, 1/2 c
0.8
White Bread, 1 slice
0.3
Orange 1 small
1.8
Grapes, 15 small
0.2
Mangos, 1/2 small
1.7
Cantaloupe, 1 cup cubes
0.3
Oatmeal / Oat Bran 1/2 cup
2.0 - 2.2
Corn Flakes / Rice Crispies, 1 cup
0.1
The synergistic effect of a heart-healthy diet can have a significant impact on
the progression and treatment of heart disease. In fact, a heart-healthy diet is
recommended for anyone who has a family history of heart disease regardless
of use of cholesterol-lowering medications. Additional information on
following a heart healthy diet can be found at: www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/
cholesterol.
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Reminder Regarding Calories
A heart healthy diet includes paying attention to total calories, in particular
the macronutrient distribution of your calories, in order to maintain a
desirable body weight or prevent weight gain.
According to the National Cholesterol Education Program, a heart healthy diet
is composed of 50-60% of your daily calories coming from carbohydrate, with
approximately 15% from protein, and 25-35% from fat. And when it comes
to dietary fat, the majority of your fat calories should be consumed in the
monounsaturated form (up to 20%), with some in the polyunsaturated form
(up to 10%) and the least amount in saturated fat form (less than 7%).
For example, a 2,000 calories per day diet should provide no more than
67grams of total fat and 16 grams from saturated fat per day. Because
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats do not have to be listed on the
food label, those interested in eating a heart healthy diet should track total
and saturated fat grams while incorporating foods high in monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated fats.
If you are interested in tracking daily total and saturated fat grams, go to
www.pyramid.gov to determine your daily calorie needs and consequently
your daily total and saturated fat grams.
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