High cholesterol is a health problem that worries many people, so lowering it is a constant concern.
Produced by the liver, cholesterol is a fatty substance whose high levels can cause the risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke. Its values increase mainly due to foods rich in saturated fat and trans fat.
But not only changes in diet help with an optimal cholesterol level, but also daily habits.
“Total cholesterol doesn’t matter, it’s important to have high HDL!
Even though cholesterol has a bad reputation in nutrition, it is a form of fat that is essential to life and has many important functions in the body. Cholesterol enters the structure of bile salts, hormones, the brain and vitamin D. It should be known that food supplies only 20% of cholesterol in the blood, most of it being synthesized internally, by the liver.
Good cholesterol versus bad cholesterol
There are 2 types of cholesterol:
- LDL or “bad” cholesterol, a large, light, cholesterol-rich molecule called the “supply chain”; it transports cholesterol from the liver to the cells and deposits it on the artery walls.
- HDL or “good” cholesterol, a small and heavy molecule that carries excess cholesterol from the cells back to the liver to be eliminated/reused (the scavenger).
The increase of the LDL fraction above 160mg/dl and the total cholesterol above 250mg/dl increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Instead, the HDL fraction has a protective role, the higher its level, the better (minimum 40mg/dl).
Beware of products of animal origin
The risk of cardiovascular disease is assessed according to the LDL/HDL ratio and is considered satisfactory if the value is less than or equal to 4.5. The objective must be not so much to decrease the level of LDL-cholesterol as to increase the level of HDL. A level of HDL higher than 80mg/dl offers cardiovascular protection regardless of the value of total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol!
Cholesterol exists exclusively in products of animal origin: meat, sausages, cheeses, eggs, butter. The impact of diet on blood cholesterol levels is only 10%. Alcohol consumption, smoking and sedentary lifestyle have a major negative impact on cholesterol levels, much more important than the consumption of animal fats.
Habits that help maintain an optimal cholesterol level
A diet rich in fiber (whole grains, legumes and vegetables), with a high intake of calcium (dairy products with a maximum of 10% fat), fatty fish and oleaginous fruits (seeds, nuts, hazelnuts) has a positive effect on cholesterol.
A healthy lifestyle with regular exercise, avoiding excessive alcohol consumption and eliminating smoking result in an optimal blood cholesterol level regardless of diet!”, writes doctor Mihaela Bilic on Facebook, according to Antena3 CNN.
