American Heart Association expands national fats awareness campaign with ‘Better Fats Sisters’

Fewer than half of Americans know that

the “better” fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) can help reduce

their risk of heart disease, according to a recent survey(1) by the

American Heart Association.

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“Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of Americans. Consumers have

heard a lot about the ‘bad’ fats lately and what not to eat. That’s why

it’s important for people to know the ‘better’ fats and foods where they’re

found so they can lower their risk for heart disease,” said Robert H.

Eckel, M.D., past president of the American Heart Association, chair of its

trans fat task force and professor of medicine at the Anschutz Medical

Campus of the University of Colorado Denver.

Facing the Fats with the Better Fats Sisters: Your Heart Helpers

The American Heart Association is introducing two new characters, the

Better Fats Sisters — Mon and Poly — to help consumers learn more about

the benefits of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and the foods

where they are found. The Web site

(http://www.AmericanHeart.org/FaceTheFats) features the Better Fats Sisters

alongside their Bad Fats Brothers, Sat and Trans. The Sisters help

consumers find comprehensive information about fats so that they can eat

healthier in restaurants and use the better fats when preparing meals at

home.

The Better Fats Sisters remind everyone that all fats have the same

number of calories: 9 per gram, compared to the 4 calories per gram found

in proteins and carbohydrates. That means that even the “better fats” are

good only in moderation.

Types of Fat and Heart Disease: Many Consumers Know the Bad, Fewer Know

the Better

The survey shows that:

* Only 41 percent of Americans know that consuming monounsaturated fats

decreases the risk of heart disease

* Only 44 percent of Americans know that consuming polyunsaturated fats

decreases the risk of heart disease

In comparison:

* 72 percent of Americans understand that consuming saturated fats

increases the risk of heart disease

* 68 percent of Americans understand that consuming trans fats increases

the risk of heart disease

Heart-Healthy Benefits of Better Fats

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can lower your LDL — or “bad”

– cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease.

Monounsaturated fats can be found in vegetable oils like olive and

canola oils; and many nuts and seeds like almonds, peanuts and sesame

seeds. Peanut butter and avocados are also good sources of monounsaturated

fats.

Polyunsaturated fats can be found in oils like soybean and corn oils

and in many nuts and seeds such as walnuts and sunflower seeds. Fatty fish

like salmon and trout are also good sources of polyunsaturated fats.

Polyunsaturated fats include omega-3 and omega-6, essential fats that your

body needs but can’t produce.

http://www.AmericanHeart.org/FaceTheFats

The American Heart Association’s Face the Fats Web site helps consumers

make heart-healthy choices, including:

* Test Your Fats IQ — An interactive quiz that tests consumers’

knowledge of dietary fats and helps them learn more about fats on the

spot.

* My Fats Translator — An easy-to-use calculator that gives individuals

their personalized daily calorie and fat consumption results. Its food

scenarios give ideas for smarter ways to prepare summer favorites, each

with three examples of “bad,” “better” and “best” selections.

* Better Fats Recipes — New heart-healthy recipes that make use of the

better fats.

The American Heart Association’s trans fat education campaign is funded

by a class action lawsuit settlement against McDonald’s. The American Heart

Association has the sole judgment as to the most effective use of the

funds. For more information on the campaign, call the American Heart

Association at 1-800-AHA-USA1.

Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association today is the nation’s

oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to building

healthier lives, free of heart disease and stroke. These diseases,

America’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers, and all other cardiovascular diseases

claim nearly 870,000 lives a year. In fiscal year 2006-07, the association

invested more than $554 million in research, professional and public

education, advocacy and community service programs to help all Americans

live longer, healthier lives. To learn more, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit

Americanheart.org.

(PR Newswire,American Heart Association, May 22, 2008)

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The nutritious advantage of nuts

Nuts are high in calories and fat, but those calories are loaded with nutrition. “Nuts in moderate amounts daily can make a huge difference in your health,” said a University of Missouri Extension nutrition and health specialist.

Studies have consistently linked nuts to a significantly reduced risk of heart disease, mostly because they lower total cholesterol and LDL (”bad” cholesterol), said Susan Mills-Gray. Some research has even shown that nuts may increase HDL (”good” cholesterol).

Nutrients and substances in nuts that have heart-protective benefits include B vitamins, vitamin E, potassium, copper, magnesium, selenium, soluble fiber, arginine (an amino acid that promotes blood vessel relaxation) and sterols (which help lower cholesterol).

In 2003, the FDA approved heart-health claims for the product labels of seven kinds of nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts.

Nuts are one of the best plant sources of protein. Nut butters (almond, cashew and peanut) are a healthier sandwich filling than full-fat cheese and most deli meats.

New research indicates that eating nuts daily may serve as an effective tool in weight loss and weight management. “The fiber and protein in nuts helps make you feel fuller longer, so you are less hungry, and that means you may eat less,” Mills-Gray said.

Interestingly, some research has found that not all the fat in whole nuts is absorbed - from 4 percent to 17 percent passes out of the body undigested.

“While all this is great news, keep in mind that nuts are loaded with calories,” she said. “Even though the fat is healthy, going overboard could lead to excess calorie intake. Limit yourself to a small handful daily, and instead of simply adding nuts to your diet, eat them in replacement of saturated-fat foods.”

Consumers should also watch out for the sodium in packaged nuts. Unsalted varieties are widely available.

Mills-Gray offered a quick assessment of the nutritional strength of popular nuts:

Almonds are rich in vitamin E and calcium.

Brazil nuts are the best dietary source of selenium; eating three a day provides 200 mcg, an amount found to lower the risk of prostate cancer.

Cashews are rich in copper and zinc.

Chestnuts are lowest in calories and contain extremely small amounts of fat.

Peanuts contain resveratrol, an antioxidant also found in grapes and red wine. They are rich in arginine and contain the most protein.

Walnuts are rich in alpha-linolenic acid, a heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acid.

(University of Missouri Extension, May 30, 2008)

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