By Guest Blogger, Deborah H. Land
a. The Myth of Cholesterol – the Bad and the Good
For some people, cholesterol is bad because they do not know there are two types of it. These two types are LDL and HDL – the bad cholesterol is called LDL, while the good one is called HDL. Plaques can form on one’s arteries if you have a lot of LDL in the bloodstream. Eventually, your arteries will get narrow as a result of being clogged up and it will block off blood flow. The truth is, your high cholesterol is not caused by dietary cholesterol but by other things. This is caused by excessive amounts of Tran’s fat and saturated fat. Exercise and eating a lot of fiber and unsaturated fats will do a lot to keep cholesterol down.
b. Cholesterol Numbers and What They Mean
Every adult should have their cholesterol checked at least every 5 years. When you get a cholesterol test, you’ll usually get back four different results. Here are the 4 categories and the healthy range you want to be in.
Total Cholesterol – less than 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L)
LDL Cholesterol – less than 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L)
HDL Cholesterol – greater than 40 mg/dL (1.0 mmol/L)
Triglycerides – less than 150 mg/dL (1.7 mmol/L)
If you are over or under the desired level on any category, it is usually indicative that a diet or exercise change is needed.
c. Heart Protection and Vitamin E
Vitamin E, an important vitamin, is sourced in vegetable oils, nuts and leafy vegetables. Vitamin E can decrease your heart disease risk, but it will not prevent a heart attack.
d. Top 5 Super Foods to Lower Cholesterol
1. Oatmeal and Oat Bran: These contain a high amount of soluble fiber, which can lower LDL.
2. Fish: Fish is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids, which lowers LDL and raises HDL.
3. Nuts: Not only are nuts high in fiber, but they contain the healthy fats you need to keep LDL in check.
4. Plant Sterols: This is found in foods like margarine, salad dressing, orange juice, and functional cookies. 2 grams per day will lower your LDL by 10-15%.
5. Soy: This popular meat replacement can lower LDL by up to 3%.
e. Benefits Aplenty with Plant Sterols
You can find plant sterols in many foods, such as fat free milk, granola bars, VitaTops Muffin Tops, and Benecol Spread. If you eat enough plant sterols, you can certainly help your heart – but it won’t completely cancel out the effects of a diet loaded with saturated fat. If you eat healthy foods, exercise regularly, and eat plant sterols; then your cholesterol will be under control in no time.
About the Author – Deborah H. Land writes for the good cholesterol diet blog, her personal hobby website she uses to help people eat healthy to lower bad cholesterol levels.
