Question

Discuss the intakes for total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and essential fatty acids. Expand this discussion to include foods that should be minimized and foods that should be encouraged.

Answer 1

Total fat.

The dietary reference intake (DRI) for fat in adults is 20% to 35% of total calories from fat. That is about 44 grams to 77 grams of fat per day if eat 2,000 calories a day. It is recommended to eat more of some types of fats because they provide health benefits.

We Should limit saturated fat to less than 10% of daily calories. To further reduce heart disease risk, limit saturated fats to less than 7% of your total daily calories. For a 2,000 calorie diet, that is 140 to 200 calories or 16 to 22 grams of  a day.

Saturated fats are most often found in animal products such as beef, pork, and chicken. Foods that contain more saturated fat are usually solid at room temperature and are sometimes called “solid” fat.

Saturated fat sources include:

• fatty cuts of beef, pork, and lamb.
• dark chicken meat and poultry skin.
• high-fat dairy foods (whole milk, butter, cheese, sour cream, ice cream)
• tropical oils (coconut oil, palm oil, cocoa butter)
• lard.

For a person eating a 2000 calorie diet, this would be 22 grams of saturated fat or less per day. If elevated LDL cholesterol levels, it is recommended to reduce saturated fat intake to no more than 7% of total calories.

Following dietary guidelines, doctors used to recommend to consume no more than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day.(200 mg if high risk of heart disease.)

Daily Intake of Fatty Acids

The typical American diet includes 1.6 grams per day of omega-3 fatty acids. EPA and DHA usually comprise 6 percent to 12 percent of this value (0.1-0.2 grams per day). This level is well below the American Heart Association's recommended 0.5-1.0 grams per day of EPA + DHA.

Only two fatty acids are known to be essential for humans:

- Alpha-linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid)

- Linoleic acid (an omega-6 fatty acid).

Foods that are rich in omega 3 fats

• Soybeans
• Walnuts.
• Salmon.
• Canola Oil.
• Sardines.
• Chia Seeds.
• Mackerel.
• Flaxseeds.

Cholesterol-Lowering Foods

• Legumes.
• Avocados ( Avocados are an exceptionally nutrient-dense fruit)
• Nuts ( Especially Almonds and Walnuts. Nuts are another exceptionally nutrient-dense food)
• Fatty Fish.
• Whole Grains ( Especially Oats and Barley)
• Fruits and Berries.
• Dark Chocolate and Cocoa.
• Garlic.