Not only do you consume cholesterol in your diet, your body also makes cholesterol. Once cholesterol is in your body, low density lipoproteins carry it through your body to where it is needed, and high density lipoproteins carry extra cholesterol back to the liver so it doesn't build up too much in the blood. High levels of LDL, or bad, cholesterol and low levels of HDL, or good, cholesterol increase your risk for heart disease, stroke and heart attack.
Recommended Dietary Cholesterol
Too much dietary cholesterol can increase LDL and total cholesterol levels. The Heart Healthy Diet recommended by the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends you keep your dietary cholesterol to less than 300 mg each day. Dietary cholesterol comes from animal products, such as meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy.
Other Dietary Changes to Lower LDL Cholesterol
Dietary cholesterol is not the only component of your diet that raises your LDL and total cholesterol, increasing your risk for heart disease. You should limit sodium to no more than 2,400 mg per day, total fat to less than 35 percent of your calories, trans fat to no more than 1 percent of your calories and saturated fat to no more than 7 percent of your calories.
Dietary Changes to Increase HDL Cholesterol
Consuming monounsaturated fats and omega-3 fats instead of saturated fats increases your HDL cholesterol while decreasing your LDL cholesterol, thus reducing your risk for heart disease and other related conditions. Consume fatty fish, olives and olive oil, avocados, nuts, ground flaxseed, soy and green leafy vegetables to get these fats. Purple skinned fruits contain compounds that may help to increase HDL cholesterol. Limiting your intake of refined grains and sugar can also help.
Considerations
Although the heart healthy diet is beneficial for most people, children younger than 2 years old need more fat to grow properly, and should not follow this diet. There are also non-diet ways to improve cholesterol levels, including exercising, using estrogen-replacement therapy and quitting smoking, as well as taking cholesterol-lowering medication.
References
- University of Massachusetts Medical Center: What You Can Do to Raise Your HDL, the Good Cholesterol
- National Heart Lung and Blood Institute: Introduction to the Heart Healthy Diet
- Daily News Los Angeles; Low-Cholesterol Diet Benefits From Monounsaturated Fat; November 2010
- American Heart Association; Knowing Your Fats; Sept. 28, 2010
