from the Health Promotion Unit
Sponsored by the Ministry of Health
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fat like substance found in cells of human and animals. It is produced naturally by the body, through liver production but also arrives into the body through dietary intake especially animal intake.
There are two types of cholesterol. Good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Good cholesterol is protective and is associated with High Density lipoprotein (HDL). This type travel away from the arteries and are believed to remove excess cholesterol from the body. HDLS are linked to lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
Bad cholesterol is harmful and associated with low density lipoprotein (LDLS) and unlike (HDLS) carry cholesterol in the blood to the body cells. This causes increased cholesterol and fat to be deposited in the arteries. These fatty deposits created plaque buildup in the arteries causing blood clots thereby increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Good and bad cholesterol refer to lipoproteins which are a combination of fat and proteins which carry cholesterol throughout the body. Triglycerides are another type of fatty acids found in the blood from saturated fats and can also be produced by the body fat stones or in the liver. Overweight people who eat a lot of fatty and sugary foods or drink too much alcohol have a high triglyceride level and are a greater risk of cardio vascular disease. A safe blood cholesterol level is below 200mgs.
Cholesterol is necessary for the body’s functioning and has a number of function including the formation of bile acids required for fat digestions formation of vitamin d in the skin, and manufacturing of some hormones such as progesterone and estrogen.
A common cause of high blood cholesterol is eating too much saturated fat. However some people have high blood cholesterol even though they eat a healthy diet. The reason for this is an inherited condition called familial hyperlipidaemia.
The cholesterol found in some foods such as egg, liver, kidney does not usually contribute to the level of cholesterol in your blood., however it is important that are low in saturated fats. High cholesterol foods to avoid whole milk dairy products, butter, cream, ice cream, cream cheese organ meats.
Many people worry eating too many eggs can raise cholesterol. For most people there is currently no limit on the number of eggs that you can eat in a week. However, because the recommendation has changed over the years, its often a common source of confusion.
In the past a restriction on eggs was recommended because we thought that foods high in cholesterol (including liver, kidneys and shell fish, as well as eggs) could have an impact on cholesterol levels in the body. However, as research in this area has developed, so has our understanding of how foods that contain cholesterol affect people’s heart health?
Some practical ways of lowering blood cholesterol are reduce foods high in cholesterol, eat less saturated and Trans fats/ cholesterol, eat less animal protein, eat more fiber, lose excess weight, exercise more. Last but not least cholesterol lowering medication may be needed. Research has shown medications can reduce bad cholesterol levels as well as dietary intake.
Other measures which will help raise good cholesterol include stop smoking, losing excessive weight, daily exercise and eating foods high in antioxidants (plant Foods) and very low saturated (animal foods) and trans fat.
For most people, the amount of saturated fat they eat has much more of an impact on their cholesterol than eating foods that contain cholesterol, like eggs and shell fish. So unless you have been advised otherwise by your doctor or dietician, if you like eggs, they can be included as part of a balanced and varied.
To reduce cholesterol levels one needs to cut down on saturated fats and instead use unsaturated fats such as olive oil, rapeseed or sunflower oils and spread. The total amount of fats injected should be reduced. The richest source of a particular type of polysaturated fat known as omega-3 is oily fish.
This can help lower blood triglycerides levels preventing the blood from clotting, helping to regulate the heart rhythm, soluble fiber foods such as oats, beans, lentils, nuts, fruits and vegetables can help lower cholesterol.
Some individuals may need medications to reduce cholesterol depending on total cholesterol levels and also depend on the individuals overall risk of cardio vascular disease.
Cholesterol comes from animals. Foods that does not come from animals e.g. fruit and vegetables does not have cholesterol. Other high cholesterol foods include whole milk dairy products, butter, ice-cream or cream cheese.
We need to bear in mind the first sign of heart disease is death. Before disaster strikes the best way to assess risk is to measure blood cholesterol levels. If you don’t know your blood cholesterol levels run don’t walk to your nearest check point. Remember the procedure is simple but more importantly what you learn can save your life.
