Cornerstone Family Practice

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Bad Fats

These fats are called “bad” because they promote the clogging of arteries which can lead to heart attack and stroke. The bad fats include saturated and trans fats and contribute to high cholesterol levels; even more than eating cholesterol-rich foods.

Saturated Fats
The general recommendation is to consume less than 7% of calories as saturated fat each day. Many people get more than this, increasing their risk of developing heart disease.

Calorie Intake	2500 calories	2000 calories	1500 calories
Maximum recommended grams of saturated fat each day.	19 grams	16 grams	12 grams

But what does 19, or 16 or 12 grams look like in a day?

Take a look at the list below and see the how many grams of saturated fats are in a few selected foods.

 One cup (8 oz.) whole milk...........5g saturated fat
 One cup (8 oz.) vanilla ice cream..22g saturated fat
 One slice of cheddar cheese........6g saturated fat
 One tablespoon of butter............7g saturated fat
 Wendy’s Burger (1/4 pounder)......8g saturated fat

These foods and foods like them should be chosen in small portiosn and infrequently.

Trans fats
The general recommendation is that less than 1% of calories come from trans fat each day, and zero grams is ideal. Many people get more than this which increase their risk of heart disease.

Calorie Intake	2500 calories	2000 calories	1500 calories
Maximum recommended grams of trans fat each day.	3 grams	2 grams	2 grams

But what does 3 or 2 grams look like in a day?

Take a look at the list below and see the how many grams of trans fats are in a few selected foods.

 1 cup dry Bisquick........................4.5g trans fat
 One Pillsbury's Grands! Biscuit.........3g trans fat
 One Tbs of stick margarine.............3g trans fat
 White Castle French Toast Sticks.....10g trans fat

Any food that contains 0.5 grams or less of trans fat can be listed as zero grams on the Nutrition Facts panel. There is really no safe level of trans fats, and several half gram "doses" of trans fat a day can really add up. Check the foods you eat often; even if they say zero grams of trans fat per serving be sure that you are only eating the serving size. If you want to investigate further, you can read the ingredients label; if ”hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” is in the list, it is a food that contains trans fats!

Avoiding these fats and replacing them with heart-healthy unsaturated fats is one simple, yet powerful thing you can do to protect your heart.

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