What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance, a sterol, a type of lipid. Some people think that cholesterol is bad for health. But it is not true. ‘Cholesterol is an essential thing in our body’. That statement is also not completely true but partially true.

So, what exactly is cholesterol? What are the types of it? If there are different types of cholesterol, which types are bad and which are good for us? How to lower bad cholesterol? How to improve good cholesterol? Should we take drugs to reduce bad cholesterol? Are cholesterol and fat the same?

People have lot of questions and obscure things about cholesterol that need further clarification. I will try to explain all the important points about cholesterol in a simple way.

Cholesterol can be found in many common foods that we eat, such as meat and full-fat dietary products. Cholesterol is only found in foods that come from animals, there is no cholesterol in foods that come from plants such as, fruits, vegetables, grains, seeds, nuts, beans.

The liver also synthesizes cholesterol and regulates cholesterol levels in the body. Your body needs cholesterol to process other foods and to extract nutrients from it. Cholesterol is also the building structure for many organs and it is essential for hormones to function properly.

That said, your body doesn’t need cholesterol in high amounts. In fact, excess amounts can lead to the build-up of plaque in the walls of your arteries, leading to heart disease.

There are two main types of cholesterol, one of which is bad for us. And you can know about 10 natural ways to lower cholesterol levels in this article. Let’s talk about them.

Good Cholesterol (HDL)

HDL or High Density Lipoprotein is known as ‘good cholesterol’ in our body. It is good because, it carries other types of cholesterol, including LDL around the body. That means, they transport fat molecules out of artery walls and they help to remove LDL from the blood, and it can reduce the risk of many heart problems.

HDL Cholesterol Level (mg/dl – milligrams per deciliter, mmol/L – millimoles per liter)

• Below 40 mg/dL (1 mmol/L) for men; below 50 mg dL (1.3 mmol/L) for women – Poor and at risk of heart diseases
• 50–59 mg/dL (1.3–1.5 mmol/L) – Much better
• 60 mg/dl and over (over 1.5 mmol/L) – Considered the best and also protective against heart diseases

Bad Cholesterol (LDL)

LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein is known as ‘bad cholesterol’. Everyone is talking about lowering cholesterol levels. But this is the type of cholesterol we really need to lower and care about. Why is this called as ‘bad cholesterol’?

We discussed in good cholesterol, that HDL transports fat molecules out of the artery walls and it reduces the risk of heart diseases. So this LDL can build up on the walls of your arteries and make them narrower. This can lead to many heart related problems and serious health issues.

LDL Cholesterol Level (mg/dl – milligrams per deciliter, mmol/L – millimoles per liter)

• Less than 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L) – Optimal
• 100–129 mg/dL (2.6–3.3 mmol/L) – Almost optimal
• 130–159 mg/dL (3.4–4.1 mmol/L) – Borderline
• 160–189 mg/dL (4.1–4.9 mmol/L) – High
• 190 mg/dL and over (over 4.9 mmol/L) – Very High

Total Cholesterol

• Below 200 mg/dL (5.2 mmol/L) – Desirable
• 200–239 mg/dL (5.2–6.2 mmol/L) – Borderline
• 240 mg/dL and over (above 6.2 mmol/L) – High

Causes of High Cholesterol

01. Genes

Your genes and family history could determine how your body processes your fat consumption. Familial hypercholesterolemia is a genetic disease that causes very high cholesterol in the blood, leading to early heart disease. If one of your parents has familial hypercholesterolemia, there is a 50% chance that you will have it, too.

02. Obesity

Eating too much and moving or working too little can lead to obesity. Obesity means accumulating excessive amount of body fat and increase of body mass than the average. This is bad for your health in every way.

03. Lack of Exercise

Regular exercise and physical activity burn fat and lower cholesterol levels in your body. With a sedentary lifestyle, the chances for high cholesterol go up.

04. Age

Age has a big bearing on the level of cholesterol in the body. Older people have a greater chance for having increased levels of cholesterol. Before menopause, women tend to have a lower level of cholesterol than men of the same age.

This is because women are designed to process more fat required for pregnancy and delivery. However, after menopause, the hormones stop secreting and this changes the way a woman’s body processes cholesterol.

05. Too much Alcohol

Binge drinking can lead to high cholesterol levels. Alcohol contains calories that will make you gain unwanted weight.

06. Fatty Foods

Foods and health go hand in hand. When you consume too many fatty foods, the excess fat from these foods are converted into cholesterol and it remains in the body.

Butter, cheese, whole fat dairy milk, lard, chicken skin are some examples for fatty foods.

07. Other Conditions

High levels of cholesterol can also be caused by some other conditions, such as diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, polycystic ovary syndrome, and conditions that raise female hormones, such as pregnancy.

These are the major causes of cholesterol. If you look closely, you’ll notice that many of them are lifestyle factors. If you want to keep cholesterol at bay, you have to change your lifestyle and embrace more healthy habits.

Diseases Related to High Cholesterol

01. Coronary Heart Disease

Over time, the plaque contributes to the hardening of arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis that narrows the coronary arteries. This impedes oxygen and nutrient supply to the heart. The shortage of oxygen and nutrients damages heart muscles and diminishes their capacity to pump blood.

In worst-case scenarios, the plaque triggers the formation of blood clots in arteries, and the blood clots completely block the arteries, thus cutting off blood supply to the heart. Without oxygen and nutrients, the heart stops beating, resulting in heart attack, and possibly death.

02. Stroke

The cholesterol plaque may also interrupt blood supply to the brain. When the brain does not get enough blood it becomes oxygen-deprived. Your brain cells will be damaged and die, resulting in a stroke.

03. Peripheral Vascular Disease

When the cholesterol plaque interrupts the blood flow to other parts of the body, such as the arms and legs, it can cause numbness, pain, and maybe tissue death, or gangrene.

Other complications that have been linked to high cholesterol are:

• High blood pressure »»
• Gallstones
• Type 2 diabetes »»
• Intestinal ischemic syndrome

How to reduce cholesterol in 30 days

01. Do Exercise Regularly

It has been scientifically proven that regular exercise can help us fight many health problems, and high cholesterol is among them.

• Physical activity can stimulate the enzymes that transfer LDL cholesterol to the liver.
• Physical activity enlarges the size of those protein particles in charge of carrying cholesterol through the bloodstream.
• Another obvious fact is that physical activity helps you lose weight, and we have already said that being overweight increases the risk of high cholesterol.

02. Limit Alcohol Consumption

You have probably heard that red wine reduces the risk of heart attack, but before you go and refill that glass, let me tell you a thing or two about red wine and alcohol in general, and how they affect your cholesterol levels.

It is true: red wine has some beneficial properties due to antioxidant components, such as resveratrol. Studies have shown that, in a way, red wine can, indeed, limit the atherosclerosis process and therefore decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, but experts warn that frequent consumption may increase the risk of multiple health conditions.

So, limit alcohol consumption, if you can stop it, that’s better for a long healthy life.

03. Quit Smoking

Not many smokers are fully aware of the danger of smoking. Let me first explain to you the connection between smoking and cholesterol, and then you can decide whether you should light another cigarette.

The University of Wisconsin’s School of Medicine and Public Health performed a study that showed that those who stop smoking increase their HDL cholesterol by 5%, which can decrease the risk for many diseases and health complications. Besides this, a relatively short amount of time after quitting, improvements in lipids, and lower LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels can also be seen.

The World Health Federation informs that smoking accounts for 10% of all heart disease cases. Toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke, such as nicotine and carbon monoxide, have been shown to accelerate the process of atherosclerosis.

Smoking is bad for your health in all the way. So quit smoking step by step.

04. Foods to Avoid

We can find many unhealthy foods in the market. Usually, we love to eat them, because they stimulate the taste buds. Specially, animal source foods and fried foods have high cholesterol levels, saturated fat or trans fat. So, they help to increase bad cholesterol levels in your body.

01. Liver

When you have high cholesterol, liver is not a good choice for you. Do not let the fact that it is high in iron fool you. While it may boost your hemoglobin, liver has a tendency to increase your LDL cholesterol. Avoid all other animal organs, such as brain and sweetbreads.

02. Butter

When you have high cholesterol, liver is not a good choice for you. Do not let the fact that it is high in iron fool you. While it may boost your hemoglobin, liver has a tendency to increase your LDL cholesterol. Avoid all other animal organs, such as brain and sweetbreads.

03. Ghee

Okay, so I can replace the butter with ghee – not if you want to have your cholesterol levels in check. Ghee is high in saturated fats, which you should avoid as much as you can.

04. Shellfish and Shrimp

Although there are many benefits associated with shellfish and shrimp, if you have high cholesterol or heart disease, you should probably skip that seafood risotto you were planning to order. A single ounce of lobster contains over 20 mg of cholesterol.

05. Coconut Oil

Despite the fact that many nutritionists strongly recommend coconut oil for many conditions such as inflammation, it is high in saturated fats. If you don’t want coconut oil to have an impact on your cholesterol, only small amounts of the oil are allowed.

It is true that coconut oil raises your HDL cholesterol, but it also raises your LDL. The American Heart Association suggests no more than one tablespoon of coconut oil a day.

Note: Coconut oil does not contain cholesterol. Cholesterol level is 0 in coconut oil. But it contains 87 grams of saturated fat in 100g of coconut oil.

06. Fried Food

You do not have to be a nutritionist to know what fried food does to your health. Besides its crunchy deliciousness, we cannot say anything good about fried food. It is packed with saturated fats and calories, and should not be a part of your diet. For example, by eating onion rings, you will not receive the benefits from the healthy nutrients in the onion.

07. Whole-Fat Dairy

We all know the benefits of dairy products: vitamins, calcium, minerals, proteins, and many other nutrients that are important for our health. However, whole-fat milk and yogurt are high in calories, and packed with cholesterol and saturated fats that will elevate your cholesterol levels.

08. Processed Meat

Processed meat is one of the first things you should cross off your menu list. Food like bacon, sausages, salami, ham, corned beef, and other processed meat have been linked to many health problems, including heart disease and high cholesterol. They contain about 50% more sodium than unprocessed meat, and you should avoid them at all times.

09. Trans Fats

Many studies have shown that trans fats increase levels of LDL while reducing the levels of HDL in the blood. Trans fats stimulate plaque formation, clogging the arteries, and increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. You can find trans fats in cookies, baked goods, cream pies, and margarine sticks. When shopping for groceries, double check the trans fat section on the Nutrition Facts labels, and avoid those foods containing ‘partially hydrogenated’ or ‘hydrogenated vegetable oils’.

05. Healthy Diet

People are accustomed to treating some healthy foods as bad and some unhealthy foods as good. However, concern about your diet is very important not only for cholesterol, but also for overall health.

01. Eggs

Omelet lovers will particularly love what I am about to tell you. According to the Cleveland Clinic, people with high levels of cholesterol should not entirely exclude egg yolks from their diet. Many studies have shown that eggs contain potent antioxidants that can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and even cancer. The proteins and beneficial nutrients found both in the egg whites and yolk can improve our health.

Newer studies have shown that eating eggs in moderation is acceptable for those with high cholesterol, and can be quite beneficial, actually. So instead of putting three whole eggs in your omelet, why not beat up one full egg and two egg whites?

02. Plant-Based Foods

Build your meals on fresh, seasonal, fruits and vegetables, as well as legumes, nuts, and whole grains. Use herbs and spices liberally, too. Each meal should include whatever is seasonally available, such as squash in the fall, and tomatoes in the summer.

03. Oil is Better than Butter

Fats are okay when you’re following the Mediterranean Diet, but you have to eat the right kinds of fats. This means trading in your butter or your butter substitute for something natural and heart-healthy, like olive oil. You can also use sunflower oil, soybean oil, safflower oil instead of coconut oil and butter.

04. Smart Protein Choices

Red meat is consumed on the Mediterranean Diet, but not every day. Instead, you should get your protein sources from poultry and fish. Incorporate beef and other types of red meats once or twice a week, but don’t make them a daily part of your diet. Eggs and cheese also provide you with good protein options, and they are healthier than red meat.

Source: Lowering Cholesterol, Angela Gibbs.