Fats And Cholesterol - Harvard School of Public Health

"Eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet", we were all told. But following this advice won't necessarily help your health - and it could even be harmful, as this excellent report from the Harvard School of Public Health explains.

"The total amount of fat in the diet, whether high or low, isn't really linked with disease. What really matters is the type of fat in the diet. Bad fats increase the risk for certain diseases and good fats lower the risk. The key is to substitute good fats for bad fats.

As this report goes on to explain, the 'bad fats' include both saturated fats (mainly from meat and dairy products) and trans fats (artificial fats found in hydrogenated vegetable oils, fried and processed foods).

• Trans fats are even worse for cholesterol levels than saturated fats because they raise 'bad' cholesterol (LDL) and lower 'good' cholesterol (HDL).

While you should limit your intake of saturated fats, it is important to eliminate trans fats from partially hydrogenated oils from your diet.

• 'Good fats' include the monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats found in nuts, seeds (and specialist cold-pressed 'virgin' oils derived from these), some vegetables, and oily fish.

This weblink also provides helpful information on the dietary sources of these different types of fats - and that eggs should be avoided because of the cholesterol they contain.

This website also carries information on other important issues in nutrition, such as the 'Food Pyramid' (designed to provide simple guidelines for healthy eating) explaining clearly why the original version is in urgent need of revision.