Cholesterol and carbohydrates are nutrients your body needs to stay healthy. Your body makes cholesterol in response to its metabolism of food. What you eat is an important factor in your body's balance of good and bad cholesterol. Your carbohydrate intake can affect your cholesterol level. While simple carbohydrates have a negative impact on your health, complex carbohydrates can help prevent disease and reduce your cholesterol.
Cholesterol
Although your body needs cholesterol to make hormones and cells, the amount and type of cholesterol that it contains is important. Cholesterol can take the form of a low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, or high-density lipoprotein, HDL. LDL delivers cholesterol to the body, while HDL remove cholesterol from your body. Your body will store cholesterol in your arteries if the levels are high. This can lead to a buildup of plaque that restricts the flow of blood and increases your risk of heart attack and stroke. A health care provider can check your cholesterol levels with a simple blood test.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are one of the major nutrients that provides energy for your body. Depending on their structure and how your body metabolizes them, carbohydrates are classified as simple or complex. Simple carbohydrates include sugars, such as sucrose and fructose, which are absorbed easily to quickly increase blood glucose levels. Complex carbohydrates, such as starch and fiber, provide more health benefits than sugars. Increasing your intake of high fiber foods, such as vegetables and whole grains, can reduce your risk of heart disease by lowering your cholesterol level.
Low Carbohydrate Diet
Low carbohydrate diets can help people that are predisposed to heart disease, stroke and diabetes by lowering their cholesterol levels. Simple carbohydrates in low-fiber foods, such as white pasta and bread, are easily converted to fat and eventually lead to increased cholesterol levels. Limiting the amount of nutrient-poor carbohydrates in your diet can also help you maintain a healthy weight.
Fiber
While decreasing your intake of simple carbohydrates can lower your cholesterol, increasing your intake of complex carbohydrates can also lower your cholesterol. High fiber foods are metabolized slowly and keep blood glucose levels stable. This helps to regulate your insulin levels and keeps you feeling full longer. Eating high fiber foods reduces your risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which are all associated with having high cholesterol.
