Answer to #1
Food manufacturers produce a fat-free alternative to real half-and-half by adding a thickening agent called carrageen (made from seaweed) to skim milk. A typical serving (2 tablespoons) of fat-free half-and-half has about 20 kcal, whereas real half-and-half has about 40 kcal.
Answer to #2
Salmon and other fatty fish are excellent sources of -3 fatty acids, and their concentrations do not depend on whether they were caught in the wild or raised commercially.
Answer to #3
As with all foods, including reasonable amounts of either butter or margarine in your diet does not pose a problem. However, because we now know that trans fatty acids may be a bigger risk factor for heart disease than saturated fatty acids, choosing butter over margarine may be the wiser choice.
Answer to #4Search the Internet for locally funded programs for LDL-cholesterol testing.
In Placer County, California, I discovered several such programs. I also found that an individual can sign up with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in one of their ongoing clinical studies.
Answer to #5Individuals who are at high risk of having an elevated cholesterol levelchildren in particularshould have their cholesterol tested just as we have newborn testing for PKU and other, preventable diseases. Several agencies have formal guidelines for childhood testing of cholesterol. If parents with children diagnosed with high blood cholesterol were armed with factual information early in the childs life, then perhaps we might envision a future with less obesity, diabetes mellitus, and early death from cardiovascular disease.
Answer to #6As discussed in your Nutrition Matters about Nutrition and Cardiovascular Health, some risk factors for cardiovascular disease are nonmodifiable. Most likely, James has a genetic predisposition to high blood cholesterol that was unchanged by dietary or exercise modifications.
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