Heart disease is a major concern for women’s health and tops the list as the leading cause of death in American women. There are ways to improve your heart health just by changing your diet. The most common changes include increasing your fiber intake and decreasing sugar and sodium intake. Consuming fiber rich foods such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains can help to achieve weight loss and lower LDL cholesterol levels. Reducing the amount of added sugars from processed foods, sweets, and juices can improve a woman’s heart health by lowering triglyceride levels, blood pressure, and LDL cholesterol levels. Recommended intakes of sugar can be found on the American Heart Association’s website. Reducing the amount of sodium or salt commonly found in processed foods can also lower blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends consuming less than 1500 mg of sodium per day to maintain heart health. But did you know that including dietary fat in the diet can also improve a woman’s heart health?

DIETARY FAT is actually a necessity in our diet and can be a major player in reducing a woman’s risk of heart disease. Dietary fats, specifically essential fatty acids, are needed to store energy, insulate the body, protect vital organs, control growth, as well as maintain immune function, reproduction and basic metabolism. However, not all dietary fats are equal. The fats that you should definitely stay away from are trans fats. They have been shown to raise LDL cholesterol, clog arteries, and increase a person’s risk of heart disease.

Saturated fats have been demonized for a while now but their effects in the body are still up for debate. The American Heart Association recommends consuming around 5 to 6 percent of total calories from saturated fat and the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting saturated fat to only 10 percent of total calories. For more information on the research behind saturated fats, read Types and Sources of Fat featured in our February 2013 newsletter.

Unsaturated fats are the type of dietary fats that have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol which can reduce a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke. The unsaturated fat group is made up of monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are found in oils like olive, canola, peanut, safflower and sesame oil, as well as avocados, peanut butter, nuts and seeds. Polyunsaturated fats are very important because they provide essential fats such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Polyunsaturated fats are found in fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, trout), oils such as soybean, corn, and sunflower oil, as well as nuts and seeds like walnuts and sunflower seeds. It is important to note that although these fats are considered healthy, they are high in calories and may result in unwanted weight gain if over consumed. When consumed in moderation, dietary fats can be a healthful addition to a woman’s diet.