How to lower your cholesterol with diet
Introduction
What is cholesterol?
Your body needs some cholesterol to function well. But if you have too much cholesterol in your blood, it can stick to the walls of your arteries, narrowing or even blocking them. This puts you at risk of coronary artery disease and other heart diseases.
Cholesterol travels through the blood in proteins called lipoproteins. One type, low density cholesterol, or LDL for its acronym in English, is sometimes called "bad" cholesterol. A high level of LDL leads to an accumulation of plaque in the arteries. High-density cholesterol, or HDL in English, is sometimes called "good" cholesterol. It transports cholesterol from other parts of the body back to the liver, where it is eliminated.
There are some steps you can take to lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL). By keeping your cholesterol levels within normal values, you can reduce your risk of heart disease.
What are the treatments for high cholesterol?
Treatments for high cholesterol are healthy lifestyle changes for your heart and medications. Lifestyle changes include a healthy diet, weight control and regular physical activity.
How can I lower my cholesterol with my diet?
Lifestyle changes that are healthy for the heart include a diet to lower cholesterol. The DASH eating plan is an example. Another is the diet of therapeutic changes in lifestyle. These are the recommendations:
Choose healthier fats. You should limit both total fat and saturated fat. No more than 25 to 35 percent of your daily calories should come from dietary fats, and less than seven percent of your daily calories should come from saturated fats. Depending on the amount of calories you consume per day, these are the maximum amounts of fats you should eat:
Daily calories Total fat Saturated fat
1,500 42-58 grams 10 grams
2,000 56-78 grams 13 grams
2,500 69-97 grams 17 grams
Saturated fat is a harmful fat because it increases your level of bad cholesterol (LDL) more than anything else in your diet. It is found in some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods and processed and fried foods.
Trans fat is another harmful fat. It can raise your bad cholesterol and lower your good cholesterol (HDL). Trans fat is found mainly in foods made with hydrogenated fats and oils, such as stick margarine, crackers and chips.
Eat fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids. These acids will not lower your level of bad cholesterol (LDL), but may help raise your level of good cholesterol (HDL). These fats can also protect your heart from blood clots and inflammation and reduce your risk of heart attack. Good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include salmon, tuna (canned or fresh) and mackerel. Try to eat these fish twice a week.
Limit salt. You should try to limit the amount of sodium (salt) you consume to no more than 2,300 milligrams (approximately one teaspoon of salt) per day. That includes all the salt you consume, whether it has been added in the kitchen or at the table, or already present in food products. Limiting salt will not reduce cholesterol, but it can lower the risk of heart disease by helping to reduce blood pressure. You can reduce salt by choosing foods with low salt content and "no added salt", in addition to prefer condiments on the table or when cooking instead of salt.
Limit alcohol Alcohol adds additional calories, which can lead to weight gain. Being overweight can raise your bad cholesterol level and lower your good cholesterol level. Too much alcohol can also increase your risk of heart disease, because it can raise your blood pressure and triglyceride level. A drink is a glass of wine, beer or a small amount of hard liquor, and the recommendation is:
No more than two alcoholic drinks a day for men
No more than one alcoholic drink a day for women
Nutrition labels can help you determine how much fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, fiber and sodium the foods you buy contain.
NIH: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Instead of these harmful fats, try healthier fats, such as lean meats, nuts and unsaturated oils such as canola, olive and safflower oils.
Limit foods with cholesterol. If you are trying to lower your cholesterol, you should consume less than 200 mg a day. Cholesterol is found in foods of animal origin such as liver and other viscera, egg yolks, shrimp and whole milk dairy products.
Eat a lot of soluble fiber. Foods rich in soluble fiber help prevent the digestive tract from absorbing cholesterol. These foods include
Whole grain cereals such as oats and oat bran
Fruits like apples, bananas, oranges, pears and plums
Legumes such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, bean beans and beans
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables can increase the important substances that lower cholesterol in your diet. These substances, called stanols or plant sterols, function as soluble fiber.
