heart-healthy fat, provide nine calories per gram.
Plant sterols and stanols. Naturally occurring sterols and stanols are heart-healthy compounds found in many fruits, vegetables, and grains. These compounds lower total and LDL cholesterol levels by reducing the absorption of cholesterol from the digestive tract. There is evidence that eating or drinking 2g of sterols or stanols per day may reduce your risk of heart disease.
However, most natural sources of these compounds contain only trace amounts, which means you would have to consume massive amounts to have any effect on your cholesterol. For that reason, food companies add these compounds to foods like margarine and orange juice. One tablespoon of Benecol® margarine has 1 gram of plant stanols and 8 ounces of Minute Maid Heartwise® orange juice contains 1 gram of plant sterols.
While decreasing overall cholesterol is important, research has found a strong link between a healthy heart and an increase in high-density lipoprotein (HDL or “Good”) cholesterol. HDL cholesterol helps protect against heart disease, by removing excess cholesterol from the blood and carrying it to the liver, where it can be excreted.
Your HDL concentration can be improved through exercise, acquiring and maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, niacin supplementation, and an increase in omega-3 fatty acids. Salmon, albacore tuna, herring, and mackerel are rich in omega-3s. Walnuts, almonds and ground flax seeds are also good sources of omega-3 fatty acids.
Constance Brown-Riggs, is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, national speaker and author of the Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the World, a convenient guide to help people with diabetes enjoy all the flavors of the world while still following a healthy meal plan. Follow Constance on social media @eatingsoulfully