The New Complete Book of Food

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in your blood and raise your risk of heart disease. To reduce the risk of heart disease, the
National Cholesterol Education Project recommends following the Step I and Step II diets.
The Step I diet provides no more than 30 percent of total daily calories from fat, no
more than 10 percent of total daily calories from saturated fat, and no more than 300 mg
of cholesterol per day. It is designed for healthy people whose cholesterol is in the range of
200–239 mg/dL.
The Step II diet provides 25–35 percent of total calories from fat, less than 7 percent
of total calories from saturated fat, up to 10 percent of total calories from polyunsaturated
fat, up to 20 percent of total calories from monounsaturated fat, and less than 300 mg cho-
lesterol per day. This stricter regimen is designed for people who have one or more of the
following conditions:

Existing cardiovascular disease

High levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDLs, or “bad” cholesterol) or low

levels of high-density lipoproteins (HDLs, or “good” cholesterol)

Obesity

Type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes, or diabetes mellitus)

Metabolic syndrome, a.k.a. insulin resistance syndrome, a cluster of risk fac-

tors that includes type 2 diabetes (non-insulin-dependent diabetes)

Increased risk of some cancer. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, a
diet high in red meat (beef, lamb, pork) increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer by
15 percent for every 1.5 ounces over 18 ounces consumed per week. In 2007, the National
Cancer Institute released data from a survey of 500,000 people, ages 50 to 71, who partici-
pated in an eight-year AARP diet and health study identifying a higher risk of developing
cancer of the esophagus, liver, lung, and pancreas among people eating large amounts of red
meats and processed meats.

Decline in kidney function. Proteins are nitrogen compounds. When metabolized, they yield
ammonia that is excreted through the kidneys. In laboratory animals, a sustained high-pro-
tein diet increases the flow of blood through the kidneys, accelerating the natural age-related
decline in kidney function. Some experts suggest that this may also occur in human beings.

Food/Drug Interactions

False-positive test for occult blood in the stool. The active ingredient in the test for hidden
blood in the stool is alphaguaiaconic acid, a chemical that turns blue in the presence of blood.
Because the test may react to blood in meat you have eaten, producing a positive result when
you do not really have any gastrointestinal bleeding, lamb and other meats are excluded from
your diet for three days before this test.

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Lamb