Your health relies on your understanding of the relationship between LDL, cholesterol and diet. More than 102 million adults in the United States have high cholesterol, and more than 35 million of these Americans have levels elevated enough to put them at significant risk for the development of heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can reduce your cholesterol and your subsequent risk for cardiovascular disease by paying attention to LDL, cholesterol and diet.
Cholesterol
Your liver creates most of the cholesterol in your body. You gain the rest through the food you eat. You don't have to consume any cholesterol for your body to function -- your liver would simply make more. Cholesterol is present in every cell in your body, and is necessary for creating bile acids, skin oils and some hormones, like estrogen and testosterone. Cholesterol is vital for metabolizing vitamins A, D, E and K.
LDL
Your body absorbs fat and dietary cholesterol from the food you eat and converts them into a form of cholesterol it can use, called lipids, and then transports these lipids through your bloodstream. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, transports lipids from your gut to the awaiting cells, including cells that line blood vessel walls. LDL plays a part in heart disease because of its role in forming plaques in the blood vessels. A diet high in fat and cholesterol is the primary reason for high blood cholesterol. Your body increases the level of LDL to disburse the excess lipids throughout your body. High levels of cholesterol accumulate in the bloodstream and collect along arterial walls in a condition known as atherosclerosis, in which plaques form. Atherosclerosis leads to heart disease, injuring arteries and preventing blood from flowing properly to vital organs, including the muscles of the heart.
Diet
Saturated fat increases LDL levels more than anything else in your diet. Food that comes from animals, such as meat, whole milk, cheese and yogurt, contain saturated fat. Saturated fat is solid at room temperature, like the white flecks of fat in raw hamburger. Trans fats, found in commercially baked products and snack foods, also have an unhealthy affect on cholesterol levels. The Harvard School of Public Health suggests that every 2 percent of calories from trans fats raise your risk for heart disease by 23 percent. This is about the amount of trans fat found in a medium order of fries at a fast food restaurant.
Dietary Suggestions
You can lower your LDL cholesterol by changing your diet. The American Heart Association recommends getting no more than 7 percent of your calories from saturated fat and less than 1 percent of calories from trans fats. Increase your intake of fiber, like that found in oatmeal, legumes and whole grain breads. Soluble fiber binds to cholesterol before your body has a chance to absorb it. Your body then expels cholesterol along with the fiber.
