Perhaps not as much as Extension educators hope, especially if the topic is controversial or the information is complicated. The dietary fat and cholesterol issue is one such complex topic. Participants received handouts containing tips to help reinforce learning. As a good health practice, everyone should be on a low cholesterol diet. The saturated fat content of a food affects the blood cholesterol level more than the cholesterol content of the food.
All vegetable oils are low in saturated fats.
People on low cholesterol diets cannot eat dairy products. All fats, whether from plant or animal sources, provide the same number of calories. Fish oil supplements have been proven to reduce the incidence of heart disease. Low-cal, reduced calorie, lite, and lean all mean basically the same thing on food labels. Comments from participants during the presentations indicated most were no longer confused about the facts and felt more confident to make heart healthy food choices.