There is a bona fide link between high cholesterol and heart disease. It's important to monitor your cholesterol intake, especially if you've been diagnosed with high cholesterol. Controlling what you eat and limiting your intake of cholesterol-rich foods will help reduce risk for serious conditions, such as heart attack and coronary artery disease.
Cholesterol Benefits
Cholesterol is a fat, naturally found in the cell walls of animals, which is why you can consume cholesterol when you eat animal products. You'll find this waxy substance in cells throughout the body. Cholesterol plays an important role in the production of hormones, vitamin D, bile salts and other substances. You need cholesterol for your body to function properly, but only at healthy ranges.
High Cholesterol Detriments
Excess cholesterol can circulate through the bloodstream with the potential to stick to the side of blood vessel walls. When this occurs, a plaque forms, impeding blood flow. This plaque narrows the blood vessels, making them inflexible and hard, in a condition called atherosclerosis. If the plaques are present in the blood vessels of the heart, reduced blood flow can lead to symptoms such as chest pain. If a clot forms around a plaque in the heart, a heart attack can occur.
Daily Cholesterol Recommendations
A diagnosis of high cholesterol means you should modify your diet to reduce intake of cholesterol. Consumption should be limited to 200 mg or less of cholesterol per day. This can lower levels of low-density lipoprotein, called "bad" cholesterol by 3 to 5 percent, according to research cited by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Limit foods that contain high levels of cholesterol, such as eggs, shrimp and the kidney, liver and brain from red meat sources. Be aware that small servings can easily meet the recommended daily limit of cholesterol -- one whole, cooked, scrambled egg contains about 215 mg of cholesterol. Limit egg yolks to two per week, including baked goods that contain eggs.
Recommendations
Besides cholesterol, you should also reduce intake of foods high in saturated fats and trans fats. This includes fried foods, margarine, butter, lard, cream and whole milk. Saturated fat should be decreased to less than 7 percent of calories, which can decrease LDL levels by 8 to 10 percent. Periodically, check your cholesterol to ensure your LDL levels are below 100 mg/dL and your HDL, considered "good" cholesterol, is above 60 mg/dL. Incorporating 30 minutes of routine exercise into your daily life is also good to control weight, strengthen your overall health and decrease your risk for high cholesterol and heart disease.
