The cholesterol levels of more than 100 million American adults put them at risk for cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association. If you're one of them, you might wonder what you can do to lower the amount of unhealthy fat in your bloodstream. Lifestyle changes, including reducing the amount of cholesterol you consume, can help.
Factors That Affect Cholesterol
Although you can't control some of the factors affecting your cholesterol -- your age, gender and family history, for instance -- you can influence your cholesterol levels and heart health. You can cut back on dietary fats and sugars, lose weight, limit alcohol consumption and exercise. If you smoke, stopping will also help. A cholesterol test measures three types of body fat, two bad and one good. Your low-density lipoprotein -- LDL -- cholesterol, can clog your arteries and raise your risk of chronic disease. So can your triglycerides, another type of low-density fat. Your HDL -- high density lipoprotein -- cholesterol helps your body get rid of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides. Aim for lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and higher HDL cholesterol.
Cholesterol
You want to lower your consumption of fats -- some more than others. Include no more than 200 mg of food cholesterol in your daily diet if you are at high risk for heart disease. High risk factors include your age -- your cholesterol levels natural rise as you get older -- and diseases such as type 2 diabetes. You are also at higher risk if members of your immediate family suffer from high cholesterol or heart disease. Smoking also increases your risk. If no such risk factors exist, you can include as much as 300 mg of cholesterol in your daily menu.
Saturated Fat
You will find both saturated fat and cholesterol in animal products. Red meat, in particular, contains a lot of saturated fat. Most foods that include saturated fat also include cholesterol, so limiting saturated fat in your diet will help you reduce overall cholesterol. Some plant oils, such as palm and coconut, also include high amounts of saturated fat. Keep your intake of saturated fat to no more than 20 percent of your daily calories. On a 2,000-calorie daily diet, limit your saturated fat to 20 g. Lean poultry contains little saturated fat. A fast-food grilled chicken sandwich without mayonnaise contains 2 g.
Other Fats
Eat little or no trans fat. This type of fat, found in shortening, margarine and snack food, can cause increases in your triglyceride levels. Although most national restaurant and doughnut chains no longer deep-fry products in trans fat, some do. No more than 1 percent of your daily calories -- about 2 g -- should come from trans fat. Increase your consumption of healthy oils such as olive oil, but don't overdo it -- all fat contains a lot of calories. Keep your total daily fat intake between 44 and 78 g daily.
References
- American Heart Association: Cholesterol Statistics
- MayoClinic.com: High Cholesterol -- Tests and Diagnosis
- MayoClinic.com: High Cholesterol -- Lifestyle and Home Remedies
- MayoClinic.com: Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork with These Nutrition Guidelines -- Cholesterol
- MayoClinic.com: Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork with These Nutrition Guidelines -- Saturated Fats
- McDonald's: Nutrition Facts
