Saturated fat is probably the worst offender of the three bad fats in  terms of raising LDL levels and promoting inflammation because  Americans eat so much of it. We eat  it in steaks, in butter, in ice cream, in milk, in cream cheese, in bacon, and in our eggs, to name just a  few.

 

Saturated fat is doubly risky for heart attack survivors because it not only raises LDL cholesterol but also increases insulin secretion from the pancreas. Increased insulin secretion can often ead to insulin resistance, which in turn  promotes the metabolic syndrome  thought to precede the development of diabetes. (If you're wondering why this matters, consider this statistic: Two out of three people with diabetes will die of a heart attack or stroke.)

 

The bottom line is that saturated fat intake is the main dietary trigger for  clogging up your arteries. Know what saturated fat is, what foods  contain it, and how to cut way back on your intake. 

 

Which Fats Belong in Your Kitchen?

 

Good: extra virgin olive oil, canola  oil, flaxseed oil, almond oil 

 

OK: walnut oil, sesame oil, peanut oil 

 

Not so good: corn oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil, sunflower oil 

 

Bad: butter, lard, hydrogenated (trans) fats, tropical oils (palm oil, palm kernel oil, coconut oil) 

 

The best advice in the kitchen is  to replace plaque-building or inflammatory fats (butter, hydrogenated  fats, and tropical oils) with healthful oils containing a low amount of  saturated fatty acids and a relatively  high amount of the heart-healthy fatty acids: monounsaturated fatty  acids and omega-3 fatty acids. 

 

© 2011 Janet Bond Brill, Ph. D. R.D., LDN, author of Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease

Author Bio

 

Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D., R.D., LDN,  author of Prevent a Second Heart Attack: 8 Foods, 8 Weeks to Reverse Heart Disease, is a diet, nutrition, and fitness expert who has appeared on national television.  She is the author of Cholesterol Down: 10 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol In 4 Weeks Without Prescription Drugs, and specializes in cardiovascular disease prevention.  Dr. Brill lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and three children.  

 

For more information please visit http://preventasecondheartattack.com/ and follow the author on Facebook and Twitter