When To See A Doctor
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute suggests people get their cholesterol checked every five years starting between the ages of 9-11.
As individuals get older, screenings should be adjusted to every two years. Individuals over 65 should get annual cholesterol tests.
Depending on results, your doctor or provider may want to test your blood pressure and cholesterol more frequently.
Whole Milk And Other Full
Some doctors and nutritionists recommend people with high cholesterol to get rid of dairy products from their diet altogether.
This will depend on exactly how high your cholesterol levels are, but many people wont have to go to quite such an extreme.
Dairy products provide many people with essential nutrients, such as calcium for strong bones. There are other foods that can deliver these nutrients but dairy products are convenient and slot nicely into a well-rounded diet.
However, you do need to take steps to cut down your cholesterol intake from dairy by using low-fat or no-fat options.
You can also replace certain dairy products with soy-based products, which are lower in cholesterol.
Some soy-based products also contribute to your good cholesterol levels, helping you lower your overall risk of heart disease and heart attacks.
Why High Cholesterol Is Bad For You
Cholesterol flows through your blood. High levels of LDL cholesterol can form a buildup of plaque on the walls of your blood vessels. This blocks your blood vessels and prevents healthy blood circulation. It can affect your heart and increase your risk of heart problems or stroke.
LDL cholesterol levels can increase due to risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, or a high-fat diet. Your body contains fats known as triglycerides. High triglycerides with high LDL and low HDL cholesterol levels can increase the chances of plaque buildup in your blood vessels.
Also, eating foods with saturated fats can increase your blood cholesterol levels. Saturated fats are unhealthy fats that are solid at room temperature. These fats increase the levels of LDL cholesterol in your blood. High levels of LDL cholesterol can result in blockages in blood vessels, heart problems, or stroke.
The American Heart Association suggests that only 5% to 6% of your calories should come from saturated fats in your diet.
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Baked Goods And Sweets
Cookies, cakes and doughnuts usually contain butter or shortening, making them high in saturated fat and cholesterol.
They also tend to be full of sugar, which can lead to high levels of blood triglycerides, an unhealthy blood fat that can be a risk factor for coronary heart disease.
Instead, make your desserts at home, choosing recipes that dont need shortening or lots of butter. This also allows you to modify recipes and cut down the amount of sugar used, to half or three-quarters the recommended amount. You can also enjoy baked fruit as a dessert, or substitute applesauce for eggs or butter in your baking.
Use Polyunsaturated Fats Especially Omega
Polyunsaturated fats have multiple double bonds that make them behave differently in the body than saturated fats. Research shows that polyunsaturated fats reduce LDL cholesterol and decrease the risk of heart disease.
For example, one study replaced saturated fats in 115 adults diets with polyunsaturated fats for 8 weeks. By the end of the study, total and LDL cholesterol levels were reduced by about 10% .
Polyunsaturated fats also may reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Another study changed the diets of 4,220 adults, replacing 5% of their calories from carbohydrates with polyunsaturated fats. Their blood glucose and fasting insulin levels decreased, indicating a decreased risk of type 2 diabetes .
Omega-3 fatty acids are an especially heart-healthy type of polyunsaturated fat. Theyre found in seafood and fish oil supplements. Especially high amounts occur in fatty fish like:
- salmon
- deep sea tuna like bluefin or albacore
- shellfish , including shrimp
Other sources of omega-3s include seeds and tree nuts, but not peanuts.
summary
All polyunsaturated fats are heart-healthy and may reduce the risk of diabetes. Omega-3 fats are a type of polyunsaturated fat with extra heart benefits.
Trans fats are unsaturated fats that have been modified by a process called hydrogenation. This is done to make the unsaturated fats in vegetable oils more stable.
The resulting trans fats are not fully saturated and are called partially hydrogenated oils .
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A Diet For High Cholesterol
When planning a diet to improve heart health and cholesterol levels, it is important to focus on food that you should eat more of and know the foods are likely to be harmful.
It is also crucial that any dietary changes you are making are practical and practicable. For example, some may find it easier or have more time to cook fresh meals than others. However, a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes, wholegrain carbohydrates and lean proteins can be cheap and easy for anyone to achieve.
Making sudden big changes in your diet can be difficult for anyone, and suddenly starting a diet that you find restrictive or unpleasant can feel almost like a punishment and impossible to stick to. Every little healthy change can help, and some people find it easiest to start small by swapping unhealthy food for a healthy alternative. For example, you may decide to swap fatty meat for lean meat, try using olive oil instead of butter, have a handful of nuts instead of a bag of chips. Having an idea of your regular diet and a few ways to improve it can help the next time you go grocery shopping. Make a few healthy changes and see how you feel.
What Are The Forms Of Cholesterol In Body
Cholesterol comes in two major forms:
- LDL , or bad cholesterol
- HDL , or good cholesterol
LDLs deposit one type of cholesterol throughout the body. This kind of cholesterol can build up in blood vessels and lead to serious complications. Thats why it is referred to as bad cholesterol.
HDLs, on the other hand, collect LDL cholesterol from the arteries and bring it back to the liver for disposal. For this reason, it is referred to as good cholesterol.
A diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, and good fats can help lower bad cholesterol. You have a greater chance of getting heart disease when your LDL level gets too high.
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Why Should I Lower My Cholesterol
Evidence strongly indicates that high cholesterol can increase the risk of:
- narrowing of the arteries
- transient ischaemic attack often known as a mini stroke
- peripheral arterial disease
This is because cholesterol can build up in the artery wall, restricting the blood flow to your heart, brain and the rest of your body. It also increases the risk of a blood clot developing somewhere in your body.
Your risk of developing coronary heart disease also rises as your bloods cholesterol level increases. This can cause pain in your chest or arm during stress or physical activity .
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List Of Foods High In Cholesterol That Raise Your Ldl Levels
HDL cholesterol is what is commonly referred to as good cholesterol. Unlike HDL cholesterol , HDL is vital to the healthy growth and development of cells in a persons body.
People who suffer from high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol will be prone to a number of different diseases and conditions including obesity, diabetes and coronary conditions.
Although there can be a variety of reasons why a person suffers from high cholesterol, the most common culprit is foods high in cholesterol. That is, individuals eat the wrong type of food, which in turn increases their cholesterol level.
So, how do you know what foods you can and cant eat if you are trying to maintain your cholesterol level?
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Myth: Eating Foods With A Lot Of Cholesterol Will Not Make My Cholesterol Levels Go Up
Fact: It can be complicated. We know that foods with a lot of cholesterol usually also have a lot of saturated fat. Saturated fats can make your cholesterol numbers higher, so its best to choose foods that are lower in saturated fats. Foods made from animals, including red meat, butter, and cheese, have a lot of saturated fats.
Instead, aim to eat foods with plenty of fiber, such as oatmeal and beans, and healthy unsaturated fats, such as avocados, olive oil, and nuts. Learn more about healthy diets and nutrition at CDCs nutrition, physical activity, and obesity website.
Talk with your health care provider about ways to manage your cholesterol. Learn more about medicines to lower cholesterol.
Lamb High In Cholesterol But Not As High As Beef
While it doesnt contain as much saturated fat as some other red meats such as beef, lamb does have a high cholesterol content.
For every 3-ounce serving of lamb you eat youre taking in about 75 milligrams of cholesterol.
Thats about a third of the ideal daily cholesterol intake recommended by many doctors .
In other words, a bit of lamb here and there is okay, but you need to be careful to balance it with the rest of the food youre eating throughout the day.
As long as the rest of your meals are low in cholesterol then you can get away with eating lamb and other red meats in moderation.
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Why Should You Avoid Cholesterol
Cholesterol travels in the circulation, and having too much of it can harm your body, particularly your heart.
Plaque is a buildup on the walls of blood vessels. It can form when you have too much LDL cholesterol in your system. This deposit narrows the blood vessels, obstructing the proper flow of blood throughout the body and increasing the risk of a heart attack or other complications.
Specialists advise that you consume no more than 300 mg of dietary cholesterol every day.
A great part of the health secret lies in what you eat. So, avoid high cholesterol foods to restrain serious damage to your body organs.
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.
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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What Is High Ldl
Cholesterol itself is a necessary substance in the body. Its manufactured in your liver and it can be present in certain foods, especially meats, eggs, and dairy. LDL is a lipoproteina substance that conveys cholesterol to cells, aiding in maintaining cell structure, and serving as a precursor for substances vital to human function. Everyone has some amount of this lipoprotein, but problems arise when these are elevated.
When there is an excess of LDL, plaques build up in the arteries, causing atherosclerosis and reducing blood flow. When your hearts arteries are affected, insufficient oxygen levels damage cardiac muscles and cause CAD, angina , and even heart attack. Further, arteries in other parts of the body can also be affected, leading to peripheral artery disease and stroke.
Educate Yourself About High Cholesterol
There are two types of cholesterol : HDL and LDL . Need an easy way to remember it? Look at the first letter. You want the good cholesterol to be high, while the bad cholesterol should be lower. Cholesterol can also affect the level of your triglycerides, which is the amount of fat in your blood. Drinking alcohol can raise your triglycerides, and too much alcohol can cause high blood pressure, which creates a potentially deadly cocktail for heart disease.
What numbers should be your goal? The Centers for Disease Control provides this useful information:
Total cholesterol Less than 200 mg/dLLDL Less than 100 mg/dLHDL 40 mg/dL or higherTriglycerides Less than 150 mg/dL
If your cholesterol is too high, try lowering it by:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Making exercise a regular part of your day-to-day activities
- Eating healthy foods and limiting some of the offenders listed above
- Limiting your alcohol use
- Quitting smoking
- Speaking with your doctor about medication
Need more information? Visit the Centers for Disease control website for extensive educational materials on cholesterol, and speak with your doctor about what you can do now for a healthier heart later.
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What Is High Cholesterol
High cholesterol is when theres too much bad cholesterol and/or not enough good cholesterol in your blood.
This picture shows what it looks like if you have low cholesterol, normal cholesterol and bad cholesterol levels.
Sometimes health professionals talk about the terms dyslipidaemia and hyperlipidaemia. Both are clinical terms that mean your levels of cholesterol are outside the normal range.
Symptoms of high cholesterol
You wont know if you have high cholesterol because it doesnt usually have symptoms. The only way to know is to have a blood test.
Why does high cholesterol matter?
When your cholesterol is too high it can build up as plaque in your arteries. If the plaque gets too big, or breaks off, it can cause a heart attack and stroke. This risk also increases when your triglycerides are too high.
Your doctor will use the results of your blood test and your other heart attack risk factors to decide whether you need medication to lower your cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
How Can You Lower Your Cholesterol In A Healthy Way
Having massive levels of LDL bad cholesterol can cause a buildup of cholesterol in your blood vessels, increasing your risk of contracting heart disease.
Certain dietary or lifestyle changes can decrease LDL levels and offer a more favorable HDL to LDL ratio. Lets look at a couple of healthy ways to decrease cholesterol levels.
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Consider Plant Sterols And Stanols
Multiple types of supplements show promise for managing cholesterol.
Plant stanols and sterols are plant versions of cholesterol. Because they resemble cholesterol, they are absorbed from the diet like cholesterol.
However, because parts of their chemistry are different from human cholesterol, they do not contribute to clogged arteries.
Instead, they reduce cholesterol levels by competing with human cholesterol. When plant sterols are absorbed from the diet, this replaces the absorption of cholesterol.
Small amounts of plant stanols and sterols are naturally found in vegetable oils and are added to certain oils and butter substitutes.
A research review reported that clinical studies show that taking 1.53 grams of plant sterols/stanols daily can reduce LDL concentration by 7.512%. Researchers said taking it with a main meal twice per day allows for optimal cholesterol-lowering .
Although research has established the cholesterol-lowering benefit of plant stanols and sterols, it has not yet proved that they decrease the risk of heart disease. Numerous clinical trials have suggested that plant sterols supplements and enriched foods may lower heart disease risk, but hard data is still lacking .
summary
Plant stanols and sterols in vegetable oil or margarines compete with cholesterol absorption and reduce LDL by up to 20%. They are not proven to reduce heart disease.
Add These Foods To Lower Ldl Cholesterol
Different foods lower cholesterol in various ways. Some deliver soluble fiber, which binds cholesterol and its precursors in the digestive system and drags them out of the body before they get into circulation. Some give you polyunsaturated fats, which directly lower LDL. And some contain plant sterols and stanols, which block the body from absorbing cholesterol.
1. Oats. An easy first step to lowering your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal like Cheerios for breakfast. It gives you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Add a banana or some strawberries for another half-gram. Current nutrition guidelines recommend getting 20 to 35 grams of fiber a day, with at least 5 to 10 grams coming from soluble fiber.
2. Barley and other whole grains. Like oats and oat bran, barley and other whole grains can help lower the risk of heart disease, mainly via the soluble fiber they deliver.
3. Beans. Beans are especially rich in soluble fiber. They also take a while for the body to digest, meaning you feel full for longer after a meal. That’s one reason beans are a useful food for folks trying to lose weight. With so many choices from navy and kidney beans to lentils, garbanzos, black-eyed peas, and beyond and so many ways to prepare them, beans are a very versatile food.
4. Eggplant and okra. These two low-calorie vegetables are good sources of soluble fiber.
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