This presentation is the first in a two-part series on healthy fats and fatty acids presented by Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD of the Department of Nutritional Sciences at Penn State University. In this part of the presentation, she discusses current dietary recommendations and popular opinions.
Published just before the release of the 2015 USDA Dietary Guidelines, the presentation provides advice related to macronutrient balance for consumers, with special attention given to total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. Patients and practitioners should remember that healthy, high quality fats are important to dietary quality. While Dr. Kris-Etherton recommends keeping saturated fat low, mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids should be promoted and included in the diet. Good sources of fats are vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, avocado, algae, and seafoods.
While scientific journalism sometimes includes sensationalist headlines and misleading information, Dr. Kris-Etherton’s clarifies any confusion by focusing on the science behind dietary recommendations.
