Our bodies make cholesterol, which is a waxy and soft substance, from the fat in the food we eat. The problem is not that most of the food we eat these days is packed with cholesterol. The problem is that if you eat a diet full of saturated fat and make too much cholesterol this will increase your chances of heart disease.
Getting your cholesterol levels checked if you’re over the age of 35, or approaching the menopause when the risk of raised cholesterol and heart disease increases for many women, is a good idea but do be aware that just knowing your cholesterol level isn’t always enough. There are things called lipoproteins that carry cholesterol around your body. Unhealthy cholesterol often known as LDL (low density lipoproteins ) can cause a build-up of cholesterol in your arteries whereas healthy cholesterol called HDL (high density lipoproteins) carries it all back to the liver where it will be got rid of safely.
If you have a lot of bad LDL in your blood swimming alongside unhealthy fats called triglycerides and not enough of the helpful HDL cholesterol you are in trouble. There are other risk factors too that affect your risk of heart problems such as your age, family history, smoking, being overweight, high blood pressure and diabetes but whether or not you have any of these risk factors if your levels of LDL are too high you must get them down. You also need to take action if your levels of HDL aren’t high enough.
There are cholesterol lowering medicines but the best and most effective way to lower or improve your cholesterol is with simple lifestyle changes including changing diet, managing weight and increasing exercise. Studies have shown that healthy eating combined with regular, moderate intensity exercise can successfully reduce cholesterol.
A cholesterol lowering diet should be low in saturated fats in particular, and low in fat overall. Biscuits, cakes, pastries, red meat, hard cheese, butter and processed foods all tend to be high in saturated fats, so cut down on these foods. Large amounts of cholesterol are found in a few foods, including offal such as liver and kidneys, and prawns.
It’s also important to eat plenty of whole grains and fibre, especially soluble fibre, which helps to lower cholesterol. It’s found in fruits and vegetables, beans and oats. Aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables each day. One at breakfast, one veggie (e.g. carrot sticks, tomato slices) and one fruit (e.g. orange sections, apple) at lunch, and one salad and one cooked vegetable at dinner…that makes an easy five. Legumes can also help lower cholesterol. Try bean soup, cold bean salad, hummus sandwiches and black bean dip as snacks. Soy protein is especially effective, so be sure to include plenty contained naturally in foods like tofu. Cooked or raw garlic both contain compounds that help lower your liver’s production of cholesterol. Other good foods include raw onion, salmon, olive oil, almonds, walnuts and avocados. And eat plenty of foods that contain cholesterol lowering vitamins C and E, such as red and green peppers, sunflower seeds, walnuts, strawberries, papaya, almonds, peanuts, broccoli, brussel sprouts and soybean oil.
Also plant sterols may play in part in helping to maintain normal cholesterol levels. These are the substances found in cholesterol-lowering margarines and drink. Plant sterols naturally exist in plants but are destroyed when food is processed (it is possible to take sterols in supplement and the one I would suggest is Lestrin – see the Resources Page).
Finally, don’t forget that rregular physical activity is recommended for everyone. It can help raise HDL levels and lower LDL levels, and is especially important for those with high triglycerides and/or low HDL levels who are overweight with a large waist measurement.
(You can take garlic in supplement form to help lower cholesterol, the one I use in the clinic is called Aged Garlic and is in liquid or capsules – see the Resources Page)
