Multiple factors affect your cholesterol level and your risk for developing heart disease. The food you eat, your overall health and lifestyle choices play roles in your cardiovascular health. Your age, gender and family history also make a difference. Strong evidence supports the role of diet in your cholesterol levels. Weaker evidence suggests that donating blood may also improve your heart health.
Donating Blood and Cholesterol
David G. Meyers, associate clinical professor of cardiology at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, conducted studies published in 1997 and 2002 that found that men who regularly donated blood could achieve up to a 30 percent reduction in their risk of heart disease. The more recent study, published in the June 2002 issue of "Tranfusion," followed the health of 3,000 people who donated blood frequently or one time only between 1988 and 1990. Ten years later, Meyers found, 6.3 percent of frequent blood donors required cardiac care compared to 10.5 percent of the one-time-only donors.
Dietary Recommendations
The American Heart Association and other major health organizations strongly support making dietary changes to lower your cholesterol. These changes include limiting the amount of dietary cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fat you consume. Other recommendations include: stop smoking, lose weight, eat more fiber, eat less sugar, exercise regularly and, if your drink, do so in moderation. The AHD doesn't advocate donating blood to lower cholesterol. If you donate blood, you can get your cholesterol screened and determine any potential benefits for yourself.
Cholesterol and Saturated Fat
MayoClinic.com recommends that you limit your consumption of cholesterol to 200 mg to 300 mg daily and your intake of saturated fat to between 16 grams and 22 grams daily. The lower limits apply if you're at higher than average risk for heart attack or stroke. People with diabetes or high blood pressure, people older than 50, men and anyone with a family or personal history of cardiovascular disease should follow their lower limits. Most animal products contain both cholesterol and saturated fat. You can limit your intake of both by choosing lean sources of meat and non-fat and low-fat dairy. You can also eat more fish and vegetable protein such as black beans.
Other Dietary Considerations
Limit your consumption of trans fat, found in margarine and shortening, to 2 grams daily. You'll obtain more than your daily limit of trans fat in 1 tbsp. of margarine, so choose healthier cooking oils such as olive oil and canola oil. The American Heart Association recommends that women include no more than 100 calories daily and men no more than 150 calories from foods with added sugar. Women and anyone older than 50 should limit alcohol consumption to not more than one glass daily, and younger men should drink no more than two alcoholic beverages in a day.
References
- "Transfusion"; A Historical Cohort Study of the Effect of Lowering Body Iron Through Blood Donation on Incident Cardiac Events; David Meyers, et al.; June 2002
- The University of Kansas Hospital: Study Shows Blood Donation Can Reduce Risk of Heart Disease
- American Heart Association; Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations; May 21, 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork With These Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
- HealthCastle.com; Butter or Margarine: Which One is Better For My Health?; Gloria Tsang; April 2007
