Cholesterol is a fat-like substance produced by your liver and carried in the blood by tiny couriers known as lipoproteins.
Consuming foods high in cholesterol can raise your blood levels of LDL cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease. The best way to decrease this level is to limit food products containing saturated and trans fats.
Dietary Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an organic waxy substance found throughout our bodies that plays an essential role in helping build cells, produce hormones and produce vitamin D from sunlight. Some cholesterol comes directly from liver production while some is consumed via food as part of its circulation through blood cells via little carriers made up of protein and fat molecule known as lipoproteins.
Blood vessels transport cholesterol between tissues and organs where it is needed and bloodstream. Too much cholesterol in one’s system may lead to blockages that prevent blood flow, leading to cardiovascular disease.
Most people don’t need to restrict dietary cholesterol as our bodies don’t produce enough to impact blood cholesterol levels. Instead, we should adopt a healthy eating pattern low in saturated and trans fats, added sugars, salt and sodium while selecting more foods rich in fibre, vitamins and minerals – this approach may help lower harmful cholesterol and triglycerides levels; consult an Accredited Practising Dietitian for additional guidance.
Risk Factors
There are various factors that contribute to high cholesterol, with too much low-density lipoprotein or LDL in your blood contributing. An excessively high level can form as fatty deposits in your arteries, narrowing and blocking them and leading to heart disease as well as other problems. Other risk factors for high cholesterol may include smoking and drinking too much alcohol.
Diet is one of the key factors contributing to high cholesterol. Aim to consume plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables along with wholegrain foods as well as low or reduced-fat milk products (yoghurt and cheese are an ideal choice) in addition to avoiding foods containing saturated and trans fats which could increase your levels.
Age can play an important role, since the liver’s ability to remove cholesterol from your body decreases with age and increases your risk for dyslipidemia. Being female increases this risk, as oestrogen can lower HDL-cholesterol levels while simultaneously raising LDL-cholesterol levels, although this effect typically reverses after menopause. Furthermore, being overweight or having diabetes increases this risk significantly.
Treatment
There are various strategies you can employ to lower cholesterol. Medication may assist, while lifestyle modifications may improve their effectiveness. One such change would be cutting back on saturated fats found primarily in red meat and full-fat dairy products – this helps lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglycerides that increase risk for heart disease.
Cholesterol is an essential lipid found throughout our bodies that is necessary to building cells and producing hormones such as estrogen and testosterone. Furthermore, cholesterol plays a critical role in absorption of vitamin D as well as producing bile for digesting fats.
A nutritious eating pattern should include whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and healthy fats like soy protein isoflavones in its entirety but without supplementing with soy isoflavones; no evidence has demonstrated their efficacy yet in lowering cholesterol. Furthermore, current guidelines still advise against saturated fat and egg intake due to raising LDL levels.
Prevention
Your genetics play the primary role in whether or not you have elevated cholesterol levels, but diet and lifestyle factors also make an impactful contribution.
People with average LDL-cholesterol may be able to avoid medications for high cholesterol if they follow a heart-healthy eating plan, including restricting red meat and selecting fat-free or low-fat milk, yogurt and cheese). They should also add fruits, vegetables and whole grains as well as increasing healthy unsaturated fats such as avocados, vegetable oils or nuts into their diet.
Foods known to help lower LDL-cholesterol include soluble fiber, plant sterols and stanols found in flaxseeds, beans and oats), turmeric, green tea and unfiltered coffee – however the evidence for many of these items remains weak or moderate, further research needs to be completed to confirm long-term effects and may interact with medications used to treat high cholesterol. Therefore it’s best to speak to your healthcare provider before making changes that affect LDL levels.
