FAT SOLUBLE VITAMINS

A writer asks if it is necessary to consume fat in order to absorb vitamin D from food and does it matter what type of fat.

According to Consumer Reports on Health, one should stick mainly to unsaturated fats, found in most vegetable oils and also found in fish oil. Saturated fats can raise LDL (bad cholesterol). Foods that contain healthful fats are themselves often rich in fat soluble vitamins, which include A, E and K, in addition to D. Good sources include avocados, nuts, vegetable oils, fatty fish such as wild salmon and trout. But don’t take the need for a little fat as license to over do it. Even with the healthful kind, fat should account for only about 15 to 35 percent of your daily calories.

Medical consultants include Larry B. Goldstein, M.D., director of the Duke Stroke Center, Durham, North Carolina, and Neil A. Busis, M.D., director of neurology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Shadyside Hospital.