High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, one of the leading causes of death in the United States. You can manage your cholesterol levels with the right nutrition plan. The proper diet cannot only help prevent high cholesterol but can also reduce your cholesterol levels if you already have high cholesterol.
Fat Intake
Although many people blame dietary cholesterol for high cholesterol levels, it is the fat in your diet that has the most impact on your blood cholesterol. Saturated fats and trans fats significantly increase cholesterol levels. If you are a healthy adult, limit your saturated fat intake to less than 10 percent of daily calories. Those with existing heart disease should limit saturated fat to less than 7 percent of calories. Fatty cuts of meat, full-fat dairy products and butter are significant sources of saturated fat in the diet.
Trans fat is the most harmful type of fat. Current recommendations suggest that you limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of calories, although it is best to remove it from your diet completely. Trans fat is found in processed foods and margarines. Read labels and avoid any foods that list partially hydrogenated oils as an ingredient, which indicates the presence of trans fat.
Dietary Cholesterol
While it is true that you need some cholesterol in your body to function properly, your body is able to make all of the cholesterol it needs. Because of this, it is not necessary for your diet to contain any cholesterol. Cholesterol recommendations differ based on your current health. If you have high cholesterol or heart disease, limit your dietary cholesterol to less than 200 mg per day. If you are a healthy adult, limit dietary cholesterol to less than 300 mg daily. Animal foods, such as eggs, meat, milk, butter, cheese and shellfish, contain cholesterol. Plant foods do not.
Foods to Eat
The majority of your diet should consist of fruits, vegetables, non-fat or low-fat dairy products, whole grains and lean protein. Incorporate healthy fats -- monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats -- which can be found in nuts, fish, olive oil and peanut oil, into your diet. Oatmeal and oat bran contain soluble fiber, which can help lower your blood cholesterol levels. Choose oatmeal for breakfast instead of eggs and breakfast meats.
Cooking Tips
The American Heart Association provides several cooking tips that can help you manage your cholesterol levels. When making meals that contain meat, cut off any visible fat, broil meats rather than fry them and remove any skin from chicken. When cooking vegetables, use only a small amount of oil to cook, rather than butter, and use seasonings and herbs to flavor them. Replace any full-fat dairy ingredients, such as whole milk and half-and-half, with low-fat or fat-free milk. Instead of whole milk ricotta or mozzarella, use part-skim varieties.
References
- American Heart Association; Cooking for Lower Cholesterol; April 13, 2011
- Ohio State University Medical Center: Heart Healthy Diet: Low Fat, Low Cholesterol, Low Sodium Diet
- University of Massachusetts Medical Center; Low-Fat/Low Cholesterol Diet; 2001
- MayoClinic.com; High Cholesterol; June 24, 2010
