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Cholesterol & Diet

Most people think of cholesterol as a negative thing, and with good reason since it is a major risk factor for heart disease, according to the American Heart Association. However, cholesterol is not all bad, as we need it to survive. The trick is in finding the right balance of cholesterol in our diets to keep us healthy.

  1. Definition

    • Cholesterol is a fat found in animal cells that the body needs for many metabolic processes, such as bile production and hormone creation. The body makes cholesterol, and you also consume it in food.

    Problem

    • While the body needs cholesterol, too much cholesterol in the diet contributes to heart disease. Cholesterol can build up on the walls of arteries, which makes the heart work harder to pump blood into the body.

    Types

    • Foods contain two types of cholesterol: low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol that can clog arteries, and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol that cleans out the arteries.

    Foods That Increase Bad Cholesterol

    • The National Institutes of Health indicate that foods high in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol, such as fatty meats, oils and fried foods, will cause LDL cholesterol levels in the body to go up.

    Foods That Lower Bad Cholesterol

    • Mayo Clinic indicates that nuts, fish, oatmeal, bran, olive oil and foods with plant sterols are all beneficial in lowering LDL cholesterol numbers.

    Diet Balance

    • The American Heart Association recommends that all people limit their fat intake to 25 to 35 percent of their daily calories, with only 7 percent coming from saturated fat and 1 percent from trans fat. A healthy diet contains less than 300 mg of cholesterol per day and includes 25 to 30g of dietary fiber from whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes.

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