Fat content but no cholesterol????? - High Cholesterol Message Board

cody48 · 05-18-2005, 03:40 PM

I'm rather new to the attempt to lower my cholesterol and I have a question. I have been reading the labels of foods and am puzzled about how an item can have fat content and have no cholesterol. Am I to assume that if I want to eat something that has a low fat content but no cholesterol that I'm okay? I'm sure that won't be the case but I'm just confused. Is the cholesterol just a very small amount and therefore not requred to be listed? Can anyone enlighten me?

Uff-Da! · 05-18-2005, 04:17 PM

I think you are confusing dietary cholesterol with concern about your serum (blood) cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is found only in animal products. Although one needs to be somewhat cautious in the amount of dietary cholesterol one eats, it doesn't raise serum cholesterol nearly as much as does saturated fats and trans fats. (I know. It gets rather confusing!) So in reading labels, you really need to worry more about fat than about cholesterol, per se. Some vegetable fats DO contain saturated fats, and those which have been hydrogenated are often high in trans fats, though labels aren't required to list trans fats until January 2006 in the US.

Uff-Da! · 05-18-2005, 04:30 PM

Here is a reference that might help you get started in learning about fats and how they affect the body:

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002468.htm

If you also have a concern about keeping your triglycerides down, as well, then you'll also want to go easy on low-quality carbohydrates, so reduce the sugar, white rice, white bread, pasta, white potatoes, etc. in your diet and replace it with whole grains and fresh colorful fruits and vegetables.