How to lower your bad cholesterol

Almost everyone has heard of cholesterol.  Not everyone has heard that you have both “good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol.  For good health the goal is to raise the “good” cholesterol.  And yes, you do want the “good” cholesterol to be higher.  The other goal is to lower or keep within normal range the “bad” cholesterol. 

What is cholesterol? 

The Mayo Clinic defines cholesterol as “a waxy substance found in your blood”.  Believe it or not but your body not only needs cholesterol for healthy cells, your body also produces cholesterol.  Adults make about 1,000 mg of cholesterol a day and we get about 200-300 mg of cholesterol a day from food.  Our bodies need cholesterol for many functions in the body including being a precursor for vitamin D, a layer covering our nerve cells, to transport molecules around our body, and for each cell. 

What about cholesterol and heart disease? 

Our bodies use the cholesterol called LDL cholesterol to carry cholesterol around our body.  But if you have too much LDL cholesterol, known as the “bad” cholesterol, it can build up in your blood vessels as fatty deposits.  As these fatty deposits get larger they can block blood flow through your arteries.  Or, a piece of these fatty deposits can break off, form a clot that can cause a heart attack or stroke.  High levels of LDL cholesterol are thus linked to heart disease and stroke. 

Another cholesterol in your body is HDL cholesterol, known as the “good” cholesterol.  I call HDL cholesterol the Roto-Rooter cholesterol because it actually takes the excess LDL cholesterol and carries it to the liver.  “The liver then flushes it from your body.  High levels of HDL cholesterol can lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.”

What can you do to lower the “bad” LDL cholesterol or keep it within normal ranges?

Not too long ago, researchers blamed dietary cholesterol as the cause of high cholesterol.  Now, research has shown the cholesterol you eat in your diet has little affect on blood cholesterol.  In fact, the American Heart Association no longer focuses on specific levels of dietary cholesterol. 

The amount of saturated fat in your diet is now the focus as “Saturated fats raise your LDL (bad) cholesterol” and this “increases your risk for heart disease and stroke”.  There are specific recommendations on how much saturated fat you can have such as limiting saturated fat to 10% of your daily calories.  But most people won’t be bothered doing this calculation. 

What can you do to lower the amount of saturated fat in your diet?

Eat less foods that may be high in saturated fat:

• Baked goods like cake, doughnuts and Danish
• Fried foods like fried chicken, fried seafood, French fries
• Fatty or processed meat like bacon, sausage, fast food cheeseburger, chicken with skin)
• Whole fat dairy such as whole milk, butter, ice cream, cheese
• Solid fats or oils high in saturated fat like coconut oil, palm oil, palm kernel oil (See: Skip the coconut oil)

Choose healthier options to cut down on the saturated fat in your diet.

• Read food labels and look for the amount of saturated fat.
• Use olive oil, canola oil, safflower, or corn oil when cooking
•  Choose low-fat or non-fat dairy products like low-fat or non-fat milk, low-fat yogurt.
• Focus on foods that provide low or no saturated fat like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Choose leaner cuts of meat – lean hamburger, chicken without the skin.
• Bake, broil, or grill and not fry foods.  (Sautéing in olive or canola oil would be fine.) 

Focus on fiber

Most Americans have diets low in fiber.  What does fiber have to do with LDL cholesterol levels?  Dietary fiber actually acts as a sponge and reduces the absorption of cholesterol.  The Mayo Clinic notes 5-10 grams of soluble fiber a day can decrease your LDL cholesterol.  Eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and you get 3-4 grams of fiber.  Add some fresh fruit and you add more fiber. Cheerios are a good choice as this cereal is made from oats and provides 2 grams of soluble fiber per serving. Livestrong provides a list of foods that are high in soluble fiber.  These include: 

• Avocados
• Sweet potatoes
• Beans
•  Oatmeal
• Oranges
• Asparagus
• Broccoli
• Apricots
• Nectarines

Where should you go to get reliable information on cholesterol, diet, heart disease?  My go to places are the American Heart Association at Heart.org, WebMD and the Mayo Clinic.  Livestrong also provides good information.

As a nutritionist I do take many of these recommendations to heart.  But many I modify. For example, the newest research indicates full-fat dairy may not be the concern it once was.  My husband and I use real butter mixed with canola oil.  I prefer real butter and the one mixed with canola oil makes it easier to spread.  We tried the reduced fat cheese but found the taste to also be reduced.  So, we enjoy all cheeses.  There are cheeses made with skim milk such as mozzarella.  I do choose low-fat yogurt and drink low-fat or skim milk.   We usually eat baked, broiled or grilled meats but do enjoy some fried foods occasionally.  For more information on diet and cholesterol, see my blog post:  What foods will lower your cholesterol?  

Sources:  Mayo Clinic , Adults , cholesterol , fatty deposits, “good” cholesterol , liver , American Heart Association , focus , high in saturated fat , Skip the coconut oil , options , notes , Cheerios , Livestrong , What foods will lower your cholesterol?     Image Sources: HDL and LDL , Foods to lower cholesterol , Good fats