It’s not the total amount of fat in your diet that’s linked to disease. What really matters is the type of fat in your diet.

The Harvard School of Public Health has published a nice table along with a concise discussion that compares the 4 types of fats in our diet, including sources and their effects on LDL (bad) and HDL (good) cholesterol.

The good

• Monosaturated: Lowers LDL, raises HDL
• Polyunsaturated: Lowers LDL, raises HDL

The bad

• Saturated: Raises LDL and HDL

The ugly

• Trans: Raises LDL, lowers HDL

12/9/06 10:24 JR