- By Henry Stark
- Around Town
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Are you as confused about cholesterol as I used to be? Do you wonder what it actually is? Do you understand why some of it is "good" and some "bad"? Are you concerned why our levels sometimes get too high and if so, worry that it might lead to a heart attack or stroke? Do you know what you can do to lower the "bad" kind? Those are questions I had until I did some research. I thought it would be helpful to you if I passed along the answers to these questions, and more. I think the logical place to start is to learn what cholesterol really is. It's a waxy, fat-like substance that helps our bodies function properly. Chemically the compound is written C27, H45, OH. Our body actually produces all we need. It's used to strengthen cell walls and membranes, produce hormones, Vitamin D, and bile acids that help us digest fats. The problem comes because we increase our levels of cholesterol based on the animal based foods we eat and our life style.
There are basically two kinds of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL). The HDL is referred to as good because it is delivered to the liver and excreted. LDL is "bad" because, if we eat too much it can stick to our blood vessels and form plaque which can decrease blood flow, block the arteries, and cause a heart attack or stroke.
There is a connection between high cholesterol and aging. There's not much we can do about the aging. We can, however, limit the quantity and kinds of food we consume. And we can help to control cholesterol with exercise.
If you want to reduce your risk of heart attack you should work to reduce your LDL and increase the level of your HDL.
If you really want to live a healthier life you should exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet and not smoke. Statin drugs help too and don't seem to have many or serious side effects.
The only way to measure if you're successful in changing your cholesterol levels is through blood tests.
I'd like to share with you, a discussion about foods you can eat which reduce cholesterol levels in your body. I'm grateful to the Mayo Clinic for their input.
Foods like oatmeal, oat bran, barley, apples, pears, prunes, bananas contain soluble fiber which reduces the amount of LDL in your blood.
Fatty fish contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids which can reduce blood pressure and the risk of stroke. Best fish are mackerel, lake trout, herring, sardines, albacore tuna, salmon, and halibut. Be aware that frying them in oil can be counter-productive.
Nuts are helpful in reducing cholesterol. Don't eat too many though because they contain high amounts of polyunsaturated fatty acids. And try to stay away from nuts that are salted or covered with sugar. The best nuts for reducing cholesterol are walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachio nuts and some pine nuts. If you're not looking to gain weight, a handful a day is enough - that's about 1.5 ounces or 42.5 grams.
Olive oil has lots of antioxidants which can help lower LDL and not affect the HDL. I use extra-virgin oil because it's less processed and contains the most antioxidants.
Foods with added plant sterols or stanols help block absorption of cholesterol. Look for margarines, orange juice and some yogurt drinks
Avoid saturated and transfats, another term for transfatty acids. I find that it really pays to read the labels before you put the item in your cart. You can assume that meat, full-fat dairy products, and some oils (particularly palm and coconut) raise your cholesterol levels. Some magarines, store-bought cookies, crackers and cakes are the worst because they're usually loaded with transfats. They do exactly the opposite of what we want to accomplish: they raise the LDL and lower the HDL levels.
I'm guessing that you're reading this sitting down in front of your computer. So, here's a suggestion. Get up and take a walk to your local supermarket - or at least to your car -and when you arrive at the store only put items in your shopping cart which will lower your LDL and raise your HDL. By the way, the method I use to remember which of the two types of cholesterol is "good" and which is "bad" is that in HDL, the H stands for healthy.
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