Fats, Cholesterol and Your Health
There is growing evidence to show that dietary cholesterol is not a health concern for most people. It's the type of fat in your diet that has the greatest impact on your heart health.
Why do we need fat?
You have to include some fat in your diet to support cell growth and provide energy for your body. Fat also helps your body absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. The concern is that many people eat far more fat than they really need. According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, a healthy diet should include no more than 20% to 35% of total calories from fat6, yet more than a quarter of Canadian adults regularly exceed this recommendation.7
How much fat
do you need every day?
As part of a healthy diet, you should get between 20% to 35% or your total daily calories from fat.
- Healthy man: Aim for 60 to 105 grams of fat of less each day
- Healthy woman: Aim for 45 to 75 grams of fat or less each day
If you have heart disease, diabetes or other health conditions, you should have even less fat in your diet.
One large egg contains 5 grams of total fat. Eggs have only 1.5 g of saturated fat and 0 g trans fat, so they easily fit into your daily fat requirements.
Canada's Food Guide recommends that you include 30 to 45 mL (2 to 3 tbsp) of unsaturated fat in your diet every day. Omega-3 enhanced eggs are a nutritious source of polyunsaturated fat.
The fat - cholesterol connection
There is a very close connection between your cholesterol levels and the type of fat in your diet. Certain types of fats are healthy for you because they help to improve your cholesterol levels. But a diet high in unhealthy fats, like saturated and trans fats, can be very harmful. These unhealthy fats raise the amount of "bad" cholesterol in your blood and increase your risk of heart disease.
Choose healthy fats more often
When it comes to fats, it's all about making the right choices. Reducing the amount of unhealthy fat in your diet and replacing it with healthier types of fat is an important step in managing your cholesterol levels. Eggs are an excellent choice for a healthy diet because they are low in saturated fat and contain no trans fats.