You know that high cholesterol is bad, and since it can lead to heart disease -- the number-one cause of death for adults in the United States -- it's a serious problem. According to The American Heart Association, your body makes about 75 percent of the cholesterol in your blood, and the other 25 percent comes from the food you eat. That leaves you plenty of opportunity to lower your cholesterol by choosing the right foods.
The Facts
Too much "bad" LDL cholesterol in your blood can form plaques on the linings of your arteries and make the arteries less flexible; this is called atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Hardened arteries cannot carry enough blood to your tissues, which starves them of vital oxygen. If a blood clot forms on one of the plaques it can block an artery completely, killing the tissue the artery supplies. If this happens in an artery that feeds the heart muscle it is a heart attack; in the brain it is a stroke.
Features
To improve your cholesterol levels, the American Heart Association recommends a diet low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. They say that your total fat intake should make up 25 to 35 percent of your total daily calories, with saturated fat at less than 7 percent and trans fat at 1 percent or less of your daily calories. If your cholesterol is normal, it recommends no more than 300 mg of cholesterol a day; if your LDL is over 100 mg/dl, keep your daily cholesterol intake at 200 mg or less.
Identification
Check food labels for their fat and cholesterol content. If you eat 2,000 calories a day, you should eat no more than 700 fat calories. A gram of fat has 9 calories, so stick to 78 grams or fewer total fat, keep your saturated fat intake at less than 16 g and keep daily trans fat below 2 grams. Labels don't tell you how much trans fat a food has, so check the ingredient list for hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils -- these are trans fats. There is a link to the USDA online database of nutrition information in the References section.
Solution
To follow these diet guidelines, the American Heart Association recommends reducing foods high in saturated fat, such as red meat and poultry. Substituting fish at least twice a week will help you eat less saturated fat. It recommends eating egg whites instead of whole eggs, since the yolk has more saturated fat and cholesterol. It also has cooking advice: Cook fresh vegetables without too much fat and salt, such as with roasting or steaming; cook with vegetable oils such as canola or olive instead of solid fats such as lard and butter; and watch out for sauces and gravies that can be high in fat. The Heart Assossiation recommends eating more soluble fiber to keep your body from absorbing as much fat, and choosing reduced-fat dairy.
Considerations
Regular exercise can also help you keep your cholesterol in check. Your doctor will advise you about when you should start having your cholesterol checked and how often. LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol are not the only important blood lipid numbers -- the American Heart Association says to keep your "good," or HDL, cholesterol at 50 mg/dl or higher and your triglycerides below 150 mg/dl. Remember, though, that genetic factors can make your cholesterol too high even with diet and exercise -- if this happens, your doctor might talk to you about starting medication.
References
- American Heart Association: Cooking for Lower Cholesterol
- National Institutes of Health: High Blood Cholesterol--What you Need to Know
- Mayo Clinic: Cholesterol--Top 5 Foods to Lower your Numbers
- American Heart Association: Why Cholesterol Matters
- The American Heart Association: Know your Fats
- The American Heart Association: About Cholesterol
