How Sugar Really Affects Your Cholesterol
If youre like most people, you probably think its high-cholesterol foods like eggs or shrimp that are the worst for your cholesterol levels. But thats not really the case.
Because its not actually the cholesterol in food thats the problem. Most of the cholesterol that circulates inside our bodies is made inside our bodies, and not absorbed from the diet. So, its not about avoiding foods that naturally contain cholesterol, its about avoiding foods that prompt our bodies to create cholesterol.
The most powerful driver of cholesterol production?
Believe it or not, its sugar!
When I say sugar, I mean added sugars and simple carbohydrates that can be rapidly turned into sugar within our bodies. Think not only sweets , but other foods containing or made from refined grains like white rice, breads, bagels and pasta.
All carbohydrates are absorbed as sugar. And when blood sugar levels go up , the body responds by releasing insulin. Insulin is a vital hormone that makes sure sugar is stored in our bodies for use between meals. But it doesnt just cause sugar to be stored. It shifts our bodies into storage mode in general.
These Foods Are Notorious For Raising Levels Of Ldl Cholesterol
More than 90 million adults in the United States have high cholesterol which means their levels of these blood fats exceed 200 milligrams per deciliter . Soaring cholesterol levels are serious because they put you at higher risk for a heart attack or stroke.
Certain foods, like oatmeal, nuts, and fatty fish, help to keep your cholesterol levels in check. And not all high cholesterol foods are bad for you. For example, eggs are high in cholesterol, but theyre also packed with protein and other nutrients. Its the foods that are high in saturated fat that you need to worry about, because they can raise your cholesterol levels AND make you gain weight.
What are the worst foods for high cholesterol? Red meat, fried foods, and baked goods are notorious for raising levels of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, the sticky kind that builds up in artery walls.
Here are 4 foods youll want to avoid if you have high cholesterol:
1. Red meat. Beef, pork, and lamb are generally high in saturated fat. Cut of meat like hamburger, ribs, pork chops, and roasts are highest in fat. You dont have to avoid meat entirely, just eat it only on occasion. Limit yourself to the recommended 3-ounce portion size and stick to leaner cuts like sirloin, pork loin, or filet mignon. Better yet, replace meat with proteins that are lower in saturated fat and cholesterol, like skinless chicken or turkey breast, fish, and beans.
Aim For Cholesterol Balance When Eating Eggs For Breakfast
Once banned from the breakfast table, eggs are now generally considered a relatively healthy choice within limits.
A study published in May 2018 in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that eating up to 12 eggs per week did not increase the risk of heart disease for people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. However, the whole diet must be considered.
You can make eggs part of a heart-healthy diet, according to the AHA, as long as you don’t load up on cholesterol from other sources, like meat with visible fat or skin and full-fat dairy.
So if you have an egg for breakfast, don’t have a cheeseburger for lunch.
Aim for balance, says Kristi King, RDN, a clinical instructor at the Baylor College of Medicine and the senior dietitian at Texas Childrens Hospital in Houston. If you are going to consume fried chicken, add a salad instead of fries. If you want fries, get the grilled chicken to go with it.
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Is It Salt Or Sodium
- Sodium chloride is the chemical name for salt.1
- Ninety percent of the sodium we consume is in the form of salt.1
- The words salt and sodium are not exactly the same, yet these words are often used interchangeably. For example, the Nutrition Facts Panel on foods in the grocery store uses sodium, while the front of the package may say no salt added or unsalted.5
Misconception: Diet And Physical Activity Dictate Your Cholesterol Level
Diet and physical activity do affect overall blood cholesterol levels, but so do other factors.
Being overweight or obese tends to increase bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol . Getting older also causes LDL cholesterol to rise. For some, heredity may play a role.
So, a heart-healthy diet and regular physical activity are important to everyone for maintaining cardiovascular health.
Understand the sources of cholesterol.
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Is Dietary Cholesterol Harmful
Research shows that dietary cholesterol doesnt significantly affect cholesterol levels in your body, and data from population studies doesnt support an association between dietary cholesterol and heart disease in the general population .
Though dietary cholesterol may slightly affect cholesterol levels, this isnt an issue for most people.
In fact, two-thirds of the worlds population experience little or no increase in cholesterol levels after eating cholesterol-rich foods even in large amounts .
A small number of people are considered cholesterol non-compensators or hyper-responders and appear to be more vulnerable to high cholesterol foods. However, hyper-responders are thought to recycle extra cholesterol back to their liver for excretion .
Dietary cholesterol has also been shown to beneficially affect the LDL-to-HDL ratio, which is considered the best indicator of heart disease risk .
While research shows that its unnecessary for most people to avoid dietary cholesterol, keep in mind that not all cholesterol-containing foods are healthy.
Sodium And Cardiovascular Health
When it comes to heart health, a diet high in sodium is most commonly linked with an increased risk of high blood pressure. Too much sodium can increase fluid volume, causing water retention, which can place extra burden on your arteries and increase blood pressure in susceptible individuals. Blood pressure refers to the force placed against your arteries during and between heart beats. Having high blood pressure increases the risk of developing heart disease, according to the American Heart Association.
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High Cholesterol Foods Which To Eat Which To Avoid
Cholesterol is arguably one of the most misunderstood substances.
For decades, people avoided healthy yet cholesterol-rich foods such as eggs, fearing that these foods would increase their risk of heart disease.
However, recent research shows that, for most people, eating healthy high cholesterol foods is not harmful to health. Whats more, some cholesterol-rich foods are loaded with important nutrients that are lacking in many peoples diets.
This article explains why cholesterol in foods shouldnt be feared and lists 7 healthy high cholesterol foods and 4 to avoid.
Here are 7 high cholesterol foods that are incredibly nutritious.
How Is Cholesterol Measured
Most people with high cholesterol feel perfectly well and often have no symptoms.
Visit your GP to find out your cholesterol level and to find out what you need to do if your levels of bad cholesterol are high.
For people aged 45 years and over, you can have your cholesterol checked as part of a Heart Health Check with your GP.
If you identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, you should have your cholesterol checked from age 18 years.
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Misconception: Cholesterol Isnt A Concern For Children
High cholesterol can be inherited. This is referred to as familial hypercholesterolemia.
Children who have this genetic disorder are at very high risk of heart disease. This problem is underdiagnosed and undertreated worldwide. Once identified, children with this condition may require aggressive treatment with medications.
Cholesterol testing could be considered for children and adolescents with elevated risk. That includes children or adolescents with:
- Family history of early cardiovascular disease
- Family history of total cholesterol of 240 mg/dL or above
- Obesity or other metabolic risk factors
Regardless of their risk, all children benefit from a healthy diet and lifestyle. Establishing healthy eating and physical activity habits early can reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems over time.
Evidence shows that the atherosclerotic process begins in childhood and progresses slowly into adulthood. Later in life, this often leads to coronary heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.
To reduce your childs risk, its important to:
- Discourage cigarette smoking.
- Identify and treat high blood pressure.
- Help your child maintain a healthy weight.
- Diagnose and treat diabetes.
- Encourage a healthy diet.
Children age 2 and older should eat a diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, fish, whole grains and limits sodium and sugar sweetened foods and drinks.
Misconception: You Should Wait For Your Doctor To Mention Cholesterol
You need to take charge of your health. Starting at age 20, ask your doctor to test your cholesterol, assess your factors and estimate your risk for a heart attack or stroke.
If youre between 20 and 39, your doctor can assess your lifetime risk. If youre between 40 and 75, they will assess your 10-year risk.
Once you know your risk, you can take action to lower it. Your doctor may recommend diet and lifestyle changes and possibly medication. Follow all of your doctors instructions and have your cholesterol and other risk factors checked every four to six years as long as your risk remains low.
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Are Salt And Cholesterol Connected
Dave Feldman is a software engineer and an entrepreneur with a passion for lipids. In this presentation, he gives us a detailed overview of cholesterol. Is LDL clogging our arteries and what is the connection with cardiovascular disease? We get all the answers to this and more in this surprisingly witty and entertaining presentation!Full video: https://www.dietdoctor.com/video/feldman-lcc2018
Video taken from the channel: Diet Doctor
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Video taken from the channel: Dr. Eric Berg DC
Slides available at https://cholesterolcode.com/SL18.Dave Feldman is a senior software engineer and entrepreneur. He began working with programming and system engineering at a very young age and has always enjoyed learning new mechanistic patterns and concepts..After starting a low carb diet, Dave found his cholesterol numbers increased considerably. He then began reverse engineering the lipid system through self-experimentation and testing, finding it was very dynamic and fluid. He has now demonstrated this multiple times by moving his cholesterol up and down substantially. in a matter of days.
Video taken from the channel: Keto Chow
Join us during this lecture where we have a discussion on bile synthesis..***PLEASE SUPPORT US***.***EVERY DOLLAR HELPS US GROW & IMPROVE OUR QUALITY***.FACEBOOK | https://www.facebook.com/NinjaNerdScience.
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Does Alcohol Smoking Sugar Or Salt Affect Cholesterol
Its clear that lack of exercise, bad diet , and obesity can factor into high cholesterol. Furthermore, if you have a family history of the condition, this may also increase the risk. And for everyone, the risk increases with age. How about sugar, salt, cigarette smoking, and alcohol do they also have an effect on blood cholesterol?
Does drinking alcohol affect your cholesterol?
Probably, its still OK to drink alcohol in moderation. Even this may help keep blood cholesterol on its healthy level. In particular, for red wine!
One study showed that red wine might help protect the arterys wall. Its not known how this works. Its thought that this benefits may have to do with its essential natural plant chemicals and antioxidants .
Another theory, drinking alcohol moderately might help improve HDL, your good cholesterol. HDL can help lower your LDL . So, more HDL in the blood is a good thing. See more how HDL controls your LDL on this section!
However, there are also some crucial issues you need to concern.
The excessive consumption of alcohol can be counterproductive. This causes increased risk of stroke, arrhythmia , and heart muscle disease.
Furthermore, drinking alcohol factors into a traffic accident. It also has to do with increased blood pressure.
For these reasons, still alcohol is commonly not recommended for people with high cholesterol. It is not recommended to specifically treat high cholesterol according to the recommendation by AHA .
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How Fat And Cholesterol In Food Affect Blood Cholesterol Levels
The types of fat in the diet help determine the amount of total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. The types and amount of carbohydrate in the diet also play a role. Cholesterol in food matters, too, but not nearly as much.
- The discovery half a century ago that high blood cholesterol levels were strongly associated with an increased risk for heart disease triggered numerous warnings to avoid foods that contain cholesterol, especially eggs and liver. However, scientific studies show a weak relationship between the amount of cholesterol a person consumes and his or her blood cholesterol levels
- In studies of more than 80,000 female nurses, Harvard researchers found that consuming about an egg a day was not associated with higher risk of heart disease. However, people who have heart disease or diabetes should monitor egg consumption.
For most people, the amount of cholesterol eaten has only a modest impact on the amount of cholesterol circulating in the blood. For some people, though, blood cholesterol levels rise and fall very strongly in relation to the amount of cholesterol eaten. For these responders, avoiding cholesterol-rich foods can have a substantial effect on blood cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, at this point there is no way other than by trial and error to identify responders from non-responders to dietary cholesterol.
What Are Some Cholesterol Friendly Foods To Incorporate Daily
On a day to day basis, youll want to fit more fiber into your diet, especially soluble fiber, such as peas, legumes, apples, oranges, pears, berries, broccoli, and oatmeal.
As you know, maintaining a heart-healthy diet is an important part of helping to keep cholesterol levels in check, so making a plan for the foods youre going to eat is important as well.
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How Fat Moves From Food To The Bloodstream
Fat and cholesterol cant dissolve in water or blood. Instead, the body packages fat and cholesterol into tiny, protein-covered particles called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins can transport a lot of fat they mix easily with blood and flow with it. Some of these particles are big and fluffy, while others are small and dense. The most important ones are low-density lipoproteins , high-density lipoproteins , and triglycerides.
- Low Density lipoproteins
Low-density lipoproteins carry cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. Cells latch onto these particles and extract fat and cholesterol from them. When there is too much LDL cholesterol in the blood, these particles can form deposits in the walls of the coronary arteries and other arteries throughout the body. Such deposits, called plaque, can narrow arteries and limit blood flow. When plaque breaks apart, it can cause a heart attack or stroke. Because of this, LDL cholesterol is often referred to as bad, or harmful, cholesterol.
- High-density lipoproteins
High-density lipoproteins scavenge cholesterol from the bloodstream, from LDL, and from artery walls and ferry it back to the liver for disposal. Think of HDL as the garbage trucks of the bloodstream. HDL cholesterol is often referred to as good, or protective, cholesterol.
- Triglycerides
In general, the lower your LDL and the higher your HDL, the better your chances of preventing heart disease and other chronic conditions.
Does Salt Really Harden Your Arteries
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Heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death among Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a prominent feature of heart disease and can affect any artery in the body, including those serving the heart and brain. This can lead to serious problems such as heart attack or stroke. Excess dietary sodium raises blood pressure and may play a role in increasing the risk of atherosclerosis.
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How To Cut Down On Salt
Use these tips to help you eat less than 6g of salt a day:
- Check the labels. When youre shopping, check the label to see how much salt is in your food and how much it will add up to. For example, 1.5g in one meal or snack is quite a lot, but 0.3g should be fine. Many foods will have a label on the front of pack making it easy to check the salt content, if not, it should be on the back. When labels are colour-coded with red, amber and green, go for green and amber as much as possible.Sometimes foods will have sodium printed on the label instead of salt. Sodium is a part of salt. To work out the amount of salt, times the sodium by 2.5.
- Cut down on very salty flavourings. Many table sauces and flavourings are very salty, such as stock cubes, spice mixes and curry powders, gravy granules, soy sauce, mustard, Worcester sauce, salad dressings and ketchup. Look out for low salt options.
Triglycerides In Your Blood
In addition to cholesterol, your blood also contains a type of fat called triglycerides, which are stored in your bodys fat deposits. Hormones release triglycerides to make energy between meals.
When you eat, your body converts any extra energy it doesnt need right away into triglycerides.Like cholesterol, your body needs triglycerides to work properly. However, there is evidence to suggest that some people with high triglycerides are at increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
If you regularly eat more energy than you need, you may have high triglycerides.
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