Symptom Checker and Care Guides
Your Complete Guide to Being Well and Staying Healthy
Healthy Living
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Smoking Cessation
You’ve heard all the reasons to stop smoking. You may have thought about quitting or even tried it a time or two. But you may need a little help. Learn how to get ready to quit, how to quit, and how to stay quit for a healthier, smoke-free future.
Health Centers
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Heart Disease
Heart disease is the biggest health risk Americans face today. If you don’t have heart disease now, you can help prevent it. If you’ve already been diagnosed with heart disease, you can keep it from getting worse. Here are the tools to get you started.
Your Family
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Older Adults
Although genetics determines how long we will live, it's the lifestyle we choose that will determine how healthy we are as we age.
Today's Interactive Tools and Multimedia
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Health Tip of the Day
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A Guide to Fats
Fats are a group of chemical compounds that contain fatty acids. Energy is stored in your body mostly in the form of fat. There are three main types of fatty acids: saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Reducing all types of fat in your diet is best.
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Saturated fats are found mostly in foods of animal origin: meat, poultry skin, butter, cheese and partially hydrogenated oils. Saturated fats increase the LDL (bad) cholesterol level in your blood.
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Polyunsaturated fats are found in corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean and sunflower oils. They can reduce LDL cholesterol levels but in excess they may also reduce HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
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Monounsaturated fats are the primary fats in olive, peanut, sesame and canola oils. They raise HDL cholesterol as they lower LDL cholesterol, but they should be consumed in moderation.
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Trans-fats are found in hydrogenated vegetable oils such as margarines and shortenings, and in many commercially made desserts. Trans-fats raise LDL and lower HDL cholesterol.