Managing cholesterol |
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Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is made in the body and packaged with proteins (lipoproteins) and transported to cells around the body. Too much blood cholesterol can increase your risk of heart problems.
The two main types of cholesterol are:
The risk or cardiovascular disease is particularly high if you have high levels of LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol and a family history of heart disease. Ideally to protect against heart disease we need low LDL cholesterol levels accompanied by high HDL cholesterol levels. This can be achieved in most people by making lifestyle changes.
What causes high cholesterol and how can I reduce my cholesterol?
The main cause is eating too much saturated fat in the diet. The advice is to follow a healthy lifestyle by reducing your fat intake and becoming active. You will need to reduce saturated fat which is found in animal produce such as; butter, lard, dripping, ghee, meat and meat products. Also processed foods and vegetable fats contain trans-fatty acids that act like a saturated fat. They also can increase LDL (bad) cholesterol. So cut back on cakes, biscuits and processed food. Some manufacturers have now stopped using trans-fats in their products, check the food label.
Dietary factors will help to reduce the LDL cholesterol and being active helps to increase the protective cholesterol HDL. Eating omega 3 rich oily fish on a regular basis helps to lower blood triglycerides and can help prevent blood clotting, and regulate heart rhythm. Eating a diet high in soluble fibre such as porridge, beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruit and vegetables can also help lower cholesterol.
Some people may inherit a condition know as familial hyperlipidaemia where they may still have very high cholesterol levels even though they eat a healthy diet. They will need to take medication called ‘statins’ to help reduce cholesterol.
There is also some evidence to show that plant sterols may help in reducing cholesterol levels. They are added to certain foods such as low fat margarines, soft cheeses and yogurts that are now available in the supermarkets.
Do I need to avoid foods that have high cholesterol content?
Cholesterol is present in many foods of animal origin, including meat, dairy produce, eggs, fish (especially shellfish) and many fatty manufactured products. Dietary cholesterol has a small effect on blood cholesterol but for those with raised LDL cholesterol, or people with heart disease should limit cholesterol rich foods.
Triglycerides are another type of fatty substance in the blood produced in the fat tissue and liver. Those will high triglycerides have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those will low levels. People who are overweight and eat too many fatty and sugar foods, or drink too much alcohol, are more likely to have high levels.
Top Tips
For more diet, health, food and fitness information visit www.weightplan.com
Tags: cholesterol, familial hyperlipidaemia, fat, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, processed foods, reducing cholesterol, saturated fat, soluble fibre, trans-fatty acids, Triglycerides
The two main types of cholesterol are:
- LDL (bad) cholesterol – is the harmful type of cholesterol, if levels get high the arteries can become ‘furred’ up and this can lead to atherosclerosis (blocking of the arteries) heart disease and stroke.
- HDL (good) cholesterol – is the protective type of cholesterol which helps remove the cholesterol from the tissues and delivers it to the liver for excretion.
The risk or cardiovascular disease is particularly high if you have high levels of LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol and a family history of heart disease. Ideally to protect against heart disease we need low LDL cholesterol levels accompanied by high HDL cholesterol levels. This can be achieved in most people by making lifestyle changes.
What causes high cholesterol and how can I reduce my cholesterol?
The main cause is eating too much saturated fat in the diet. The advice is to follow a healthy lifestyle by reducing your fat intake and becoming active. You will need to reduce saturated fat which is found in animal produce such as; butter, lard, dripping, ghee, meat and meat products. Also processed foods and vegetable fats contain trans-fatty acids that act like a saturated fat. They also can increase LDL (bad) cholesterol. So cut back on cakes, biscuits and processed food. Some manufacturers have now stopped using trans-fats in their products, check the food label.
Dietary factors will help to reduce the LDL cholesterol and being active helps to increase the protective cholesterol HDL. Eating omega 3 rich oily fish on a regular basis helps to lower blood triglycerides and can help prevent blood clotting, and regulate heart rhythm. Eating a diet high in soluble fibre such as porridge, beans, pulses, lentils, nuts, fruit and vegetables can also help lower cholesterol.
Some people may inherit a condition know as familial hyperlipidaemia where they may still have very high cholesterol levels even though they eat a healthy diet. They will need to take medication called ‘statins’ to help reduce cholesterol.
There is also some evidence to show that plant sterols may help in reducing cholesterol levels. They are added to certain foods such as low fat margarines, soft cheeses and yogurts that are now available in the supermarkets.
Do I need to avoid foods that have high cholesterol content?
Cholesterol is present in many foods of animal origin, including meat, dairy produce, eggs, fish (especially shellfish) and many fatty manufactured products. Dietary cholesterol has a small effect on blood cholesterol but for those with raised LDL cholesterol, or people with heart disease should limit cholesterol rich foods.
Triglycerides are another type of fatty substance in the blood produced in the fat tissue and liver. Those will high triglycerides have a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease than those will low levels. People who are overweight and eat too many fatty and sugar foods, or drink too much alcohol, are more likely to have high levels.
Top Tips
- Get your doctor to check your blood cholesterol levels.
- Reduce trans and saturated fats in your daily diet and replace with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil, olive oil spreads, sunflower or rapeseed oils.
- Reduce total fat intake in the diet buy cutting out processed foods and take away foods, and limiting cakes and biscuits.
- Increase omega 3 fats in the diet by eating oily fish at least twice per week, or include flaxseeds, linseeds and walnuts in the diet.
- Increase soluble fibre intake such as porridge for breakfast, and more beans and pulses added into soups and stews.
- Limited sugary foods and alcohol.
- Become more physically active.
For more diet, health, food and fitness information visit www.weightplan.com
Tags: cholesterol, familial hyperlipidaemia, fat, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, processed foods, reducing cholesterol, saturated fat, soluble fibre, trans-fatty acids, Triglycerides