05 Oct What do you know about cholesterol
It may seem counter intuitive, but our bodies need cholesterol. It is an important to the manufacturing of hormones, and helps the body absorb fats more efficiently. We consume cholesterol mostly through animal proteins, plants do not contain cholesterol, but they do contain sterols which are similar. Cholesterol is a lipoprotein, which means its contains fats (lipo) and proteins. Total cholesterol levels should be below 200 mg/dL for most healthy adults.
There are 3 “types” of cholesterol that make up your total cholesterol: high density lipoprotein (HDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides. HDL is the “good” stuff, it helps remove LDL from the blood stream. Foods that contain HDL include olives, olive oil, beans and legumes, fatty fish like tuna and salmon. Normal HDL levels for adults is 40mg/dL, less than that is considered low HDL, and since it’s the good cholesterol, the higher the better.
LDL is associated with plaque build up, that causes clogged arteries and can lead to heart attacks and strokes. Foods that contain saturated and trans fats are high in LDL cholesterol; whole fat dairy, red meats such as beef, lamb, pork and veal, coconut and palm oils, processed meats and many processed foods contain high levels of trans and saturated fats. Normal LDL levels for healthy adults is 100mg/dL or lower.
Triglycerides are the stored excess energy from our diet (excess calories), this type of cholesterol is associated with hardening of the arteries. Diets that contain a lot of added sugar, refined carbohydrates (read: sugars), alcohol and fat can cause high levels of triglycerides. Normal triglyceride levels for adults is 149 mg/dL or lower.
While there are other factors that contribute to blood cholesterol levels, including genetics and certain medications, we can aim to control them using nutrition by choosing foods that contain HDL cholesterol and avoiding foods that contain LDL and controlling our caloric intake to reduce triglyceride levels.
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