Eating a diet high in cholesterol may damage your health and longevity. The American Heart Association recommends that you maintain total blood cholesterol levels of less than 200 mg/dL with less than 100 mg/dL of low-density lipoproteins. If your cholesterol is higher than these numbers, your doctor may suggest medical and dietary methods to lower your cholesterol.
Definition
Your liver produces cholesterol, which is a waxy substance that plays a critical role in the body and comes in two varieties: high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, and low-density lipoprotein, or LDL. LDL has the potential to clog arteries, so it is often referred to as "bad" cholesterol. HDL helps to remove LDL from your arteries and is often called "good" cholesterol. Your doctor may use a blood test to measure your levels of HDL, LDL and total cholesterol. The liver produces about 1,000 milligrams of cholesterol daily.
Cholesterol's Role in the Body
Your body needs cholesterol to produce certain hormones and to synthesize vitamin D from sunlight. It is also essential for building cell walls and creating the bile necessary for fat digestion. However, your body generally produces enough cholesterol in the liver to perform all of these functions. Dietary intake of cholesterol is unnecessary and doesn't contribute to good health.
High Cholesterol
Dietary and genetic factors cause high cholesterol. People with a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol may produce too much. Dietary cholesterol can exacerbate this condition. Eating a high-cholesterol diet can also result in high blood cholesterol in people without a genetic predisposition. High levels of total cholesterol and LDL can lead to atherosclerosis, a condition in which LDL builds up on artery walls, causing a narrowing of the passages through which your blood passes. Severe arterial blockages from cholesterol may lead to heart attack and stroke.
Link Between Diet and Cholesterol
It is possible to have high cholesterol that is caused solely by diet, regardless of whether or not you have a genetic predisposition to high cholesterol production. Dietary cholesterol can build up in the blood, clogging your arteries. Limiting dietary cholesterol intake can both prevent and treat high cholesterol. In many cases, medical intervention and drug therapy for high cholesterol aren't necessary if you make simple dietary changes that decrease the amount of cholesterol you eat.
Low-Cholesterol Diets
Saturated and trans fats all increase your blood cholesterol. Instead of eating these foods, choose a diet high in plant foods such as whole grains, fruit and vegetables, which are naturally cholesterol-free and contain healthy fiber and nutrients that may help lower cholesterol. Fish contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids that promote heart health; fish also is lower in saturated fat and cholesterol than other animal protein sources.
