Your liver produces a small amount of cholesterol, which is vital for building strong cells. However, your body only needs a little bit of this soft, waxy substance to keep your cells healthy, according to the "Gale Encyclopedia of Diets: A Guide to Health and Nutrition." Excess amounts of cholesterol, or hypercholesterolemia, increase your risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke. MayoClinic.com advises readers that a healthy diet is an integral part of lowering cholesterol.
Good and Bad Cholesterol
Cholesterol contains fatty substances that do not dissolve in your bloodstream; instead, they travel through your blood, carried by lipoproteins. There are two types of lipoproteins, low-density, or LDL, and high-density, or HDL.
LDL, the "bad" cholesterol, carries cholesterol away from your liver, but too many LDL lipoproteins cause an accumulation of fatty deposits in your arteries, decreasing the flow of blood.
HDL, the "good" cholesterol, does just the opposite, it picks up the fatty deposits from the lining of your arteries and takes them back to the liver, where they break down and are excreted. Your body needs a balance of both LDL and HDL to function, but eating an unhealthy diet can throw the delicate balance out of kilter.
Diet and High Cholesterol
While you may have a genetic disposition toward high cholesterol, a poor diet is a major factor in developing the disorder. Eating a diet high in fat contributes to excess blood cholesterol, according to MayoClinic.com. Eating a poor diet may also lead to obesity, another risk factor in the development of high cholesterol.
Beneficial Foods
Add fiber to your diet. Soluble fiber, found in oatmeal, apples, pears, beans and other vegetables and whole grains, reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed by your body, according to MayoClinic.com. Nuts, including walnuts and almonds, also reduce cholesterol levels, but eat them sparingly because they're high in calories.
Add fish to your diet. The omega-3 fatty acids found in fish can help reduce your risk of a heart attack. Beneficial fish include lake trout, albacore tuna, mackerel, salmon and herring. Olive oil is another LDL-lowering oil. Use it in place of butter or saturated fats in meal preparation.
Plant sterols reduce cholesterol absorption and are available in some fortified foods, including orange juice and some margarines. Add food products that list sterols or stanols to your diet.
Foods to Avoid
Eliminate or reduce your consumption of red meat, especially fatty cuts. Avoid trans fats, like those found in highly processed junk foods, and avoid full-fat milk and dairy products, advises MayoClinic.com. The saturated fat content in these foods can raise your blood cholesterol.
Food Preparation
Bake meats instead of frying them in oil to reduce cholesterol. The "Gale Encyclopedia" also suggests broiling and grilling as acceptable cooking methods because the fat from the meat drips away.
Cook soups and stews ahead of time and refrigerate. The fats will rise to the top and solidify, making it easy to remove them before reheating and serving. Switch to margarine, but make sure it doesn't contain trans-fat. Serve sauces and salad dressing on the side.
References
- "Gale Encyclopedia of Diets: A Guide to Health and Nutrition"; Jacqueline Longe, 2008.
- Mayo Clinic: High Cholesterol
- Mayo Clinic: High Cholesterol Risk Factors
- Mayo Clinic: Top Five Foods to Lower Your Numbers
