Are sardines part of a heart-healthy diet?
Q. I recently had bypass surgery, and I am in search of a healthy lifestyle to make sure that this is my last visit to an operating table. I am concerned about my diet and have read that the oils in certain cold-water fish are beneficial. One of my favorite foods has become sardines because they are easily available in the supermarket. I looked at the label of the brand I buy, and I have determined that I have been having 11 grams total fat, 2 grams saturated fat and 131 milligrams cholesterol. Should I discontinue eating sardines, or are some of these fats the so-called good fats?
F.M., via e-mail
A. There is no need to stop eating sardines if you enjoy them. The totals you cite are for a 3.5-ounce tin. According to my nutrient database, aside from its 11 grams of fat, one tin of sardines also contains about 23 grams of protein and 350 milligrams of calcium, along with other nutrients. Sardines have a moderate fat content, and they do contain the heart-healthy fats EPA and DHA, collectively known as the omega-3s.
The key to a healthy diet, however, is variety and moderation. You should be eating a variety of fish, not only sardines, and make sure that every meal includes whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables and grains.
Combine these with a daily serving of physical activity and you'll be on your way to the healthy lifestyle you seek.
Q. How much does the grade of the olive oil (extra-virgin, virgin, etc.,) have to do with the fatty-acid proportion and other health values?
F.M., Walnut Creek, Calif.
A. The primary component in olive oil is oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated fatty acid. Most of the oleic acid will be present as part of a triglyceride, where there are three separate fatty acids attached to the compound glycerol. (This is where the word "triglyceride" comes from.) Higher grades of olive oil have only a small amount of free fatty acids (those not attached to a triglyceride), this being referred to as "acidity" on the product label.
The lower the better, and the International Olive Oil Council states that extra-virgin olive oil must have no more than 0.8 percent acidity. Virgin olive oil can have no more than 2 percent acidity.
In the scheme of things, though, the grade has little to do with the proportion of monounsaturates, saturates and polyunsaturated fatty acids. In terms of its health attributes, there is an added value with olive oil that goes beyond its high percentage of monounsaturated fat. The olive contains active phytochemical substances, which are nature's way of protecting the olive's fats from attack. These substances, which include polyphenols and tocopherols, are present primarily in the extra-virgin oil, which is the first oil to come out during pressing.
Q. Pardon the pun: I know you are probably saturated with cholesterol questions, but I would like to ask a question about the body's manufacture of cholesterol. What controls how much cholesterol the body manufactures? Can it manufacture more cholesterol than it gets in food?
E.D., Jacksonville, Fla.
A. Even if there were no cholesterol in your diet, your body would have to make some. This is because cholesterol is an essential structural element in every cell of the body. In addition, cholesterol is a raw material for a number of hormones, including estrogen and testosterone.
Most of the cholesterol in the body is manufactured in the liver. When cholesterol is present in the foods we eat, the liver is programmed to make less. There are a number of genetic conditions in which the body makes more cholesterol than it needs. These tend to be rare.
More common, however, is the condition in which the body receives an unbalanced diet that's heavy on the partially hydrogenated fat and saturated fat and light on the grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. Add to this a stress-filled, unhealthy lifestyle and you end up with blood cholesterol levels that are way out of whack.