BACKGROUND: In order to perform food surveys and prescribe diets, food composition tables have to be consulted. However, these tables are limited to the description of fatty acids and cholesterol contents and do not provide information on the different preparation methods. OBJECTIVE: Based on data derived from an extensive analysis of the chemical composition of Brazilian foods, we assessed the impact of certain types of foods on diets recommended for the prevention of coronary disease. METHODS: The fatty acid and cholesterol composition of some types of foods and different preparation methods were analyzed. These results were used according to the recommendations of the American Heart Association for an 1,800 calorie diet. RESULTS: Cholesterol found in 100g of eggs (400mg) or fried beef liver (453mg) exceeds the amount recommended for secondary prevention, and there is no difference in cholesterol content between factory-farmed eggs and free-range eggs. The eggs had an average of 400mg of cholesterol per 100g, thus exceeding the recommended amount of up to 300mg. Each egg has 50g on average; one egg can be consumed provided that not more than 100mg of cholesterol are consumed per day. As regards saturated fat, butter (55.2g), margarine (19.4g), tilsit cheese (20.4g), Brazilian Dutch Edam cheese (19.9g), yellow (16.8g) and fresh white cheese (15.5g) exceed the 14g recommended if 100g or more are consumed. The same is true for soy oil (17.5g) and corn oil (16.1g). CONCLUSION: Better knowledge on fat and cholesterol contents in foods allows the prescription of amounts not exceeding the recommended values for prevention, and this may result in better compliance to diets.
Diet; dyslipidemias; risk factors; cholesterol; fats
