How to eat to reduce bad fat in the blood

Limit animal fat and processed foods, prioritize whole grains, lean meat and plant protein to reduce bad fat in the blood.

On January 14, Dr. Nguyen Tien Dung, Deputy Director of the Stroke Center, Bach Mai Hospital, explained that saturated fat is one of the causes of increased LDL cholesterol (bad fat) in the blood. High levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Saturated fats are solid at room temperature. Foods that contain saturated fats include meat and fat from beef, lamb, pork, and poultry, especially the skin. Cheese, coconut, palm oil, full-fat dairy products, and eggs are also high in fat.

"They are usually solid at room temperature, so they are called solid fats. Some baked and fried foods also contain high levels of saturated fat," said Dr. Dung, adding that the American Heart Association recommends choosing a diet that limits 5-6% of calories from saturated fat. For example, a person needs about 2,000 calories a day, of which no more than 120 calories come from saturated fat, which is about 13 grams of saturated fat per day.

Unsaturated fats can help lower bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels, while also providing essential nutrients to the body. Therefore, it's necessary to balance calorie intake with calorie expenditure to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Choose whole grains, lean and plant-based proteins, and a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Eating more fish helps limit saturated fat. Photo: Istock — Eating more fish helps limit saturated fat. Photo: *Istock*

In addition, limit salt, sugar, animal fat, processed foods and alcohol. A heart-healthy diet is to choose lean meat and skinless poultry. Limit cooking with tropical oils such as coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil... Prioritize a diet that focuses on fish and nuts, and can replace meat with legumes. Increase the amount of fruits, vegetables and grains in your diet to help your body absorb fewer calories.

Eat more fish: Eat at least 200-300g of unfried fish each week. Choose fatty or oily fish such as anchovies, herring, mackerel, black cod, salmon, sardines, bluefin tuna, white fish, striped bass and cobia, which are high in essential omega-3 fatty acids.

Eat more nuts: Eat a small handful of unsalted nuts and seeds for good fats, energy, protein, and fiber. Good choices include almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, and walnuts.

Eat avocados: Eat avocados to get healthy fats, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals.

Choose good cooking oils: Use oils low in saturated fat, such as avocado, canola, corn, grapeseed, olive, peanut, safflower, sesame, soybean, and sunflower oils. Use fat-free and low-fat dairy products instead of full-fat options. When eating meat or poultry, choose the leanest options.

In addition to diet, you should exercise to improve your health and prevent disease. Physical activity helps reduce the risk of stroke by regulating blood pressure, reducing cholesterol, and reducing fat accumulation in the internal organs and body. Therefore, to have good health, everyone needs a healthy diet and active exercise.

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