DEAR DR. ROACH: My husband and I have been watching our fat intake, and we have eliminated almost all red meat and processed foods from our diet. We do eat a lot of fish (salmon primarily) and boneless/skinless chicken. I am, at times, confused about the information on nutrition facts labels. As an example, the label on a package of boneless and skinless chicken pieces indicates that the saturated fat content is 3% and the cholesterol content is 22%. I’ve seen similar numbers on other “healthy” options, with saturated fat below 10% and cholesterol around 20%.
Is that a good ratio for healthy eating? I am trying to lower my cholesterol level, which is currently around 230 mg/dL, but when I see a cholesterol content of 20% or more with a very low saturated fat level, I’m wondering if I’m really picking healthy foods. — S.K.A.
ANSWER: The effect of dietary cholesterol on blood cholesterol is more complicated than you might think. Our body makes most of the cholesterol in the blood, and if you take more cholesterol in, your body just makes a little less so that the effect is very slight. Most experts do not emphasize dietary cholesterol when choosing healthy foods.
I think you’ve made a very wise choice in eliminating most processed foods. Red meat remains controversial, but in my opinion, the preponderance of the data supports limiting intake of red meat and saturated fat. Most saturated fat comes from meat and full-fat dairy products. Independent of your cholesterol level, these changes are likely to lead to better overall health.
