High cholesterol levels may lead to atherosclerosis -- a buildup of plaque that hardens and narrows your arteries. Although atherosclerosis can affect every artery in your body, it's most common in your coronary arteries -- causing heart disease, angina and heart attacks -- or in your carotid arteries, where plaque can reduce blood flow to your brain, leading to a stroke. Dietary changes that lower your fat and cholesterol intake may reverse atherosclerosis and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Causes of Atherosclerosis
Although scientists debate what causes atherosclerosis to start, they do know what will make it worse. Diabetes, inflammation, high blood pressure, high levels of LDL -- the "bad" cholesterol -- and triglycerides, smoking, drinking alcohol and an accumulation of homocysteine. Homocysteine is an amino acid linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia and osteoporosis. Other risk factors for developing atherosclerosis include being overweight, not exercising, genetics and gender -- men are more likely than women to develop atherosclerosis.
An Anti-Atherosclerosis Diet Program
Dr. Dean Ornish was one of the first people to develop a diet proven to reverse atherosclerosis and reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease. His program is a low-fat vegetarian diet that recommends 70 percent of calories come from high-fiber carbohydrates. Protein should make up 20 percent of your diet and the remaining 10 percent should come from unsaturated fat. Although the Ornish diet was proven to work, many participants in the study dropped out -- it's an incredibly difficult diet to live with. Although limited dairy and eggs are allowed, no fish, nuts, seeds or oils are permitted. Ornish recognized the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and required his patients to take fish oil pills, but patients weren't allowed to eat fish because of its high fat content.
A More Realistic Approach
The Ornish method works only if you can follow the diet -- which most people can't. The American Heart Association suggests a more moderate approach that includes low-calorie nutrient-dense foods such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, low-fat dairy, lean meat and fish. According to the AHA, you should eat at least two servings of fish each week.
Avoid saturated and trans fats, found in foods containing partially hydrogenated oils, and choose monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats instead. The AHA recommends eating less than 300 mg of dietary cholesterol and 1,500 mg of sodium daily. Between 50 and 60 percent of your calories should come from carbohydrates, 20 to 25 percent from protein and 25 to 30 percent from fat, with no more than 7 percent coming from saturated fat.
Other Foods That May Affect Atherosclerosis
Foods high in soluble fiber, such as oatmeal, barley, prunes and leafy green vegetables, may lower your LDL cholesterol levels by reducing the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. The Mayo Clinic suggests adding between 5 and 10 g of soluble fiber to your diet daily. A dramatic increase in fiber may constipate you -- increase your fluid intake to compensate for the added fiber.
Plant sterols are being added to certain foods -- typically orange juice or yogurt. Eating 2 g of plant sterols daily may decrease your LDL levels by up to 10 percent. You'll find 2 g of sterols in two 8-oz. glasses of fortified orange juice.
