Cholesterol and Heart Disease
- Lindsey
- Mar 18, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 30, 2021
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a wax-like substance that helps build cell membranes and produce hormones. The liver makes plenty of cholesterol to meet our bodies' needs, so no additional cholesterol to consume extra cholesterol through our diets.
What is the ideal cholesterol level?
The ideal blood cholesterol level is below 150 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), based on the Framingham Heart Study results and other research. At that level, heart disease is very unlikely. Unfortunately, nearly 107 million Americans have greater cholesterol levels than 200 mg/dL, which is dangerously close to 225 mg/dL—the average cholesterol level of people living with coronary artery disease.
Can foods help lower our cholesterol?
Diets filled with meat, dairy products, and eggs—raise cholesterol levels, which increases heart attack risk. The liver is triggered to increase cholesterol production with animal product consumption. Plants do the opposite because they are deficient in saturated fat, cholesterol-free, and rich in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber halts cholesterol absorption and hinders the production of cholesterol from the liver. Cholesterol-lowering food includes oatmeal, barley, beans, and high-soluble fiber fruits and vegetables.
Comparing HDL and LDL cholesterol?
Cholesterol is transported in the bloodstream and does not dissolve. There are two cholesterol carriers in the body: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Otherwise known as "bad cholesterol," LDL cholesterol" delivers cholesterol to various parts of the body in limited quantities, dramatically increase your risk of a heart attack because LDL particles contribute to atherosclerosis—or clogged arteries. HDL cholesterol—known as "good cholesterol"—helps eliminate LDL cholesterol and prevents narrowing the arteries.
Doctors look at total cholesterol first to measure cholesterol levels and assess risk. To evaluate a more detailed risk, doctors divide the total level by the HDL level. The risk for heart attack is reduced by having lower total cholesterol and a higher HDL cholesterol ratio with a ratio of 4:1 total cholesterol to HDL. The average American man has a higher proportion than recommended at 5 to 1. Vegetarians, on the other hand, have a lower average at about 3 to 1. Some additional risk factors include smoking and obesity, which lower HDL; vigorous exercise and foods rich in vitamin C may increase the body's good cholesterol and help clear the arteries.
Which diet is best for lowering cholesterol?
A systematic review compared over 49 studies focusing on plant-based diets with omnivorous diets and their cholesterol effects. Overall, the studies showed that plant-based diets lowered total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL levels compared to omnivorous diets. Low-fat, plant-based regimens typically reduce LDL levels by about 15 to 30 percent.
In these studies, recommendations for lowering cholesterol will include consuming chicken and fish. Even though patients with heart disease their cholesterol levels continue to worsen over time. Those who adopt a low-fat, plant-based diet, daily exercise, avoiding tobacco, and managing stress have the best chance of reversing heart disease.
Yokoyama Y, Levin SM, Barnard ND. Association between plant-based diets and plasma lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Rev. Published online August 21, 2017.
Commentaires