All animal fat is saturated and solid at normal room temperatures. The degree of hydrogenation of a fat determines how solid and saturated it is. Saturated fats are broken down in the body and increase blood cho¬lesterol. Therefore, the most effective dietary method of lowering blood cholesterol is to reduce intake of saturated fats. High-cholesterol foods are few, therefore, we do not use the term low-cholesterol diet.
Vegetable fats are unsaturated and almost all are liquid at room temperatures. There are three vegetable oils that should be avoided: coconut, palm, and peanut. Coconut oil contains a high amount of saturated fat and is used for cooking in several countries. It is also used in North America in nondairy cream substitutes, for example, coffee cream. Palm oil contains significant amounts of saturated fat, and peanut oil, though mainly unsaturated, has certain fatty acids that produce plaques of atheroma in animals. The only vegetable that contains a little saturated fat is the avocado; therefore, low-cholesterol, low-fat diets often recommend that you avoid avocados. You will note from Table 1, however, that although a large avocado contains a significant amount of fat, only a little of it is saturated, and no cholesterol is present. Therefore, one avocado a week is an excellent food, especially if a high potassium intake is required.

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