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What is a heart-healthy diet?

Answer: A heart-healthy diet emphasizes foods low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol to help lower blood cholesterol. This is the recommended eating pattern for Americans older than 2:

  • Less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat;
  • An average of 30 percent of calories or less from total fat; and
  • Less than 300 mg a day of dietary cholesterol.

Saturated fat increases blood cholesterol more than anything else you eat, so choose foods low in saturated fat to reduce blood cholesterol. If you are overweight, losing weight is important for lowering blood cholesterol. Being physically active also helps improve blood cholesterol levels because it can raise HDL ("good") cholesterol and lower LDL ("bad") cholesterol, as well as help you lose weight, lower your blood pressure, and improve the fitness of your heart and blood vessels.

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