BLOODCHOLESTEROLFATDIETHEARTCALORIESNUTRITION HOW TO LOWER YOUR BLOOD CHOLESTEROL - U.S.D.A. Bulletin HOW TO LOWER YOUR BLOOD CHOLESTEROL The food tables and data methods based on "EATER'S CHOICE: PATIENT GUIDE" are the guidelines of the American Heart Association. The key to the plan is controlling your intake of the nutrient that most affects blood cholesterol levels - saturated fat. Saturated Fat: Fats contain a mixture of fatty acids - saturated, monosaturated, and polyunsaturated. Animal fats contain a greater proportion of saturated fatty acids, which raise blood cholesterol levels; vegetable oils usually contain a greater proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which lower blood cholesterol levels. The more saturated the fat, the more solid it is at room temperature. Examples of saturated fat include beef fat, butter, lard, shortening, coconut oil, and chocolate. Figuring your Daily Allowance of Saturated Fat: The Heart Association recommends that no more than 10% of your total calories come from saturated fat. Translating Your Saturated Fat Quota Into Foods: Keep track of the foods you eat during the day, along with their saturated fat calories. Limit your saturated fat intake to the 10% level calculated. You may want to begin by determining which foods your saturated fat calories are coming from. You can then decide which foods to cut back on or eliminate to lower your saturated fat intake. Food tables will also help you choose foods low in saturated fat to substitute for foods high in saturated fat. Controlling Dietary Cholesterol and Other Fats: Dietary cholesterol can be controlled by simply eliminating the few high cholesterol foods ( egg yolks, organ meats, sardines, and shrimp). Substituting polyunsaturated margarines and oils for butter and shortening will give you adequate polyunsaturated fat. Sources: United States Department of Agriculture, "Nutritive Value of Foods", Home and Garden Bulletin Number 72, Revised 1981. United States Department of Agriculture, Handbook No. 8, Revised Sections 8-1 thru 8-12.