Most of us are aware of the importance of limiting the fat in our daily diets. Excess fat intake has been linked with such chronic conditions as heart disease, obesity, and certain cancers. To reduce our risk for each of these diseases, Americans are advised to keep our fat intake under 30 percent of total daily calories. But what type of fat is the healthiest to eat?

Saturated fats are generally from animal sources. They are the "bad fats" associated with heart disease. They can promote cholesterol synthesis in the liver. These fats can be found in meat, milk and dairy products, butter and margarine, and coconut and palm kernel oils. Experts recommend that you limit your intake of saturated fat to less than 10 percent of your daily calorie intake.

Polyunsaturated fats come from plants. When you replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat, you can reduce your risk of heart disease. Polyunsaturated fats include corn oil, safflower oil, and sunflower oil, walnuts, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds. Less than 10 percent of our daily calories should come from polyunsaturated fats. Excess intake may lead to development of cancer.

Monounsaturated fats are probably the healthiest for us. They are associated with reduced risk of heart disease and do not appear to contribute to cancer. They are found in olives and olive oil, almond oil, canola oil, avocados, cashews, and peanut oil.

A food label tells you the total fat and the specific amounts of saturated, polyunsaturated, or monounsaturated fat in that food. Use it to monitor your fat intake. The most important goal is to keep your total fat intake low and not to be excessive with any one type of fat.

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