"As a set of goals, the AHA recommends intakes of <7% of energy as saturated fat, <1% of energy as trans fat, and <300 mg cholesterol per day. These goals can be achieved by (1) choosing lean meats and vegetable alternatives, (2) selecting fat-free (skim), 1%-fat and low-fat dairy products; and (3) minimizing intake of partially hydrogenated fats."

"Efforts to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol typically rely on replacement of animal fats with unsaturated fats (polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats) and on selection of lower-fat versions of foods (i.e., replacing full-fat dairy products with nonfat or low-fat versions.)"

Source: Lichtenstein A, Appel L, Brands M et al. Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations Revision 2006: Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Circulation. 2006;114:82-96.

"Use soft margarine as a substitute for butter, and choose soft margarines (liquid or tub varieties) over harder stick forms. Look for “0 g trans fat” on the Nutrition Facts label."

"Choose fats and oils such as tub margarines, canola, corn, safflower, soybean and olive oils."

Source: American Heart Association recommendation
Available at: http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=532;
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4582

"Keep total fat intake between 20% to 35% of calories, with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids such as fish, nuts and vegetable oils."

"Sources of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids are liquid vegetable oils, including soybean oil, corn oil, and safflower oil. Plant sources of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (α-linolenic acid) include soybean oil, canola oil, walnuts, and flaxseed. . . Plant sources that are rich in monounsaturated fatty acids include vegetable oils (e.g., canola, olive, high oleic safflower, and sunflower oils) that are liquid at room temperature and nuts."

"Consume less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fatty acids and less than 300 mg/ day of cholesterol, and keep trans fatty acid consumption as low as possible . . . Lower intakes (less than 7 percent of calories from saturated fat and less than 200 mg/day of cholesterol) are recommended as part of a therapeutic diet for adults with elevated LDL blood cholesterol (i.e., above their LDL blood cholesterol goal)."

"Limit intake of fats and oils high in saturated and/or trans fatty acids, and choose products low in such fats and oils."

"Oils and soft margarines include vegetable oils and soft vegetable oil table spreads that have no trans fats. The amounts of oils listed in this table are not considered to be part of discretionary calories because they are a major source of the vitamin E and polyunsaturated fatty acids, including the essential fatty acids, in the food pattern."

Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005
Available at: http://www.health.gov/DietaryGuidelines

"It is not necessary to restrict total fat intake for the express purpose of reducing LDL cholesterol levels, provided saturated fatty acids are reduced to goal levels."

"Reduced intakes of saturated fats and cholesterol and other therapeutic dietary options for LDL-lowering (plant stanols/sterols and increased viscous fiber) are introduced first for the purpose of achieving the LDL cholesterol goal. . . The therapeutic diet to maximize LDL cholesterol lowering should contain less than 7 percent of total calories as saturated fatty acids."

"Intakes of trans fatty acids should be kept low. Recent United States data show that the use of liquid vegetable oil or semiliquid margarine results in the most favorable total and LDL cholesterol levels and ratios of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol, whereas the use of butter or stick margarine results in the worst lipid levels . . . The use of liquid vegetable oil, soft margarine, and trans fatty acid-free margarine are encouraged instead of butter, stick margarine, and shortening."

"Polyunsaturated fatty acids are one form of unsaturated fatty acids that can replace saturated fat. Most polyunsaturated fatty acids should be derived from liquid vegetable oils, semi-liquid margarines, and other margarines low in trans fatty acids. Intakes of polyunsaturated fat can range up to 10 percent of total calories."

"Less than 200 mg per day of cholesterol should be consumed in the TLC Diet to maximize the amount of LDL cholesterol lowering that can be achieved through reduction in dietary cholesterol."

Source: The Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III) Final Report. NIH Publication No. 02-5215 September 2002.
Available at: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/guidelines/cholesterol/atp3full.pdf

"Avoid saturated fats (such as butter, solid shortening, lard and fatback) and trans fat (found in vegetable shortenings, some margarines, crackers, cookies, snack foods and other foods made with or fried in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils). Replace saturated and trans fat with oils such as corn, canola, olive, safflower, soybean and sunflower."

Source: National Institutes of Health.
Available at: http://health.nih.gov/

"Dietary fats should provide 20% to 35% of energy and emphasize a reduction in saturated fatty acids and trans-fatty acids and an increase in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. ADA recommends a food-based approach for achieving these fatty acids recommendations; a dietary pattern high in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, lean protein, fish and use of nonhydrogenated margarines and oils."

"An increase in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) can be attained by choosing fats and oils high in linolenic acid (ALA), and increasing consumption of fish, particularly fatty fish."

"Concurs with the acceptable macronutrient distribution range of the DRI report on macronutrients for ALA, which is 0.6% to 1.2% of energy."

Source: Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Dietary Fatty Acids. J Am Diet Assoc. 2007;107:1599-1611.

"The evidence shows that intake of saturated fatty acids is directly related to cardiovascular risk. The traditional target is to restrict the intake of saturated fatty acids to less than 10%, of daily energy intake and less than 7% for high-risk groups."

"To promote cardiovascular health, diets should provide a very low intake of trans fatty acids (hydrogenated oils and fats)."

"These dietary goals can be met by limiting the intake of fat from dairy and meat sources, avoiding the use of hydrogenated oils and fats in cooking and manufacture of food products, using appropriate edible vegetable oils in small amounts, and ensuring a regular intake of fish (one to two times per week) or plant sources of a-linolenic acid."

Source: Diet, Nutrition and the Prevention of Chronic Diseases. Report of a Joint WHO/FAO Expert Consultation. WHO Technical Report Series 916, 2003.
Available at: http://www.who.int/hpr/NPH/docs/who_fao_expert_report.pdf

"There is a body of evidence suggesting that saturated and trans fatty acids and cholesterol increase blood total and low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations, and therefore the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). . . To minimize saturated fatty acid intake requires decreased intake of animal fats (e.g., meat fat and butter fat) and certain oils, such as coconut and palm kernel oil."

"Intakes of trans fatty acids, saturated fatty acids and cholesterol should be kept as low as possible while consuming a nutritionally adequate diet."

"The amount of butter that is added to foods can be minimized or replaced with vegetable oils or nonhydrogenated vegetable oil spreads. Vegetable oils, such as canola and safflower oil, can be used to replace more saturated oils such as coconut and palm oil. Such changes can reduce saturated fat intake without altering the intake of essential nutrients."

"Trans fatty acids are high in stick margarine and those foods containing vegetable shortenings that have been subjected to hydrogenation . . . the intake of trans fatty acids can be reduced without limiting the intake of most essential nutrients by decreasing the serving size and frequency of intake of these foods, or by using unhardened oil."

"The AMDR (Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range) for fat and carbohydrate is estimated to be 20 to 35 and 45 to 65 percent of energy for adults, respectively. . . The AMDR for n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (α-linolenic acid/ALA) is 0.6-1.2 percent of energy (Adequate Intake (AI) of 1.1 g/day), and for n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (linoleic acid/LA), 5-10 percent of energy (AI of 12 g/day)."

Source: Subcommittees on Upper Reference Levels, Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dietary Reference Intakes: Energy, Carbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty Acids, Cholesterol, Protein, and Amino Acids. Washington, D. C. National Academies Press; 2002/2005.

"Aggregate data from randomized trials, case-control and cohort studies, and long-term animal feeding experiments indicate that the consumption of at least 5% to 10% of energy from omega-6 PUFAs reduces the risk of CHD relative to lower intakes."

Source: Harris W, Mozaffarian D, Rimm E, Kris-Etherton P, Rudel L, Appel L, Engler M, Engler M, Sacks F. Omega-6 Fatty Acids and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease: A Science Advisory from the American Heart Association Nutrition Subcommittee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism; Council on Cardiovascular Nursing; and Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. Circulation. 2009;119:902-907.