Do Foods That are High in Fat Affect Cholesterol Levels?

Some of us are concerned that eating too much saturated fat can raise
normal cholesterol levels, so if you are trying to lower your
cholesterol you should aim to reduce the amount of saturated fat you
eat. Eating too much saturated fat not only leads to weight gain, it
can also increase your LDL cholesterol levels and triglycerides and
this can result in heart problems. This is why it is better to reduce
your fat intake and to eat food that has unsaturated rather than
saturated fat.

Unsaturated fats are good, heart-healthy fats that can actually help
you keep your cholesterol levels under control. Unsaturated fat comes
in two main types -- monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats
(most of us will be familiar with the term from the advertisements for
margarine). If you want to eat healthily it's also a good idea to
watch how much sugar and salt you eat.

How do I know how much fat is contained in my food?

Sometimes it is difficult to figure out how much fat food contains, so
when you are shopping for food, look at the product label. By law, the
label must indicate how many grams (g) of fat there are in 100g of the
food. Some manufacturers also give the breakdown for the quantity of
saturated fat in it, or just "saturates" You can use these figures to
help you decide which food to buy. As you start to read the labels you
will probably be surprised at the amount of saturated fat contained in
regular food, then you will inderstand how easy it is to go over daily
limits.

If you want to know more about how normal cholesterol levels are influenced by saturated fats in your diet,
go to Low Cholesterol Foods