Cholesterol is a waxy substance with important roles in the body such us maintaining cell structure, hormone and vitamin metabolism. It is also a substance that we can eat from foods such as eggs, cheese, red meat and fried foods.
Blood cholesterol levels are impacted by cholesterol made by the liver and food intake and other factors. If these levels become too high, it may pose health risks such as heart disease risk but this also depends on the type(s) of cholesterol that are increased. Depending on the structure, properties of cholesterol can vary, for example:
- LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol increases risk of heart disease.
- HDL (high density lipoprotein) has a protective effect
For a long-time, egg yolks were shunned because they contain cholesterol. However, dietary cholesterol from such nutritious foods has not been associated with increased heart disease risk so there’s no need to fear these foods! Further, eating a healthy Mediterranean style diet with focus on fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes and healthy fats is known to be heart-healthy. Here’s tips to get started:
- Include unsaturated fats (e.g. nuts & seeds and their oils, olive oil, avocado) and limit saturated fats (e.g. butter, cheese, processed meats)
- Include Omega-3 fatty acids e.g. oily fish, flaxseeds, walnuts, chia seeds
- Increase fibre, particularly soluble fibre (e.g. fruits, veg, pulses, dals, oats, wholegrains) which can bind with and remove cholesterol from body.
Other than food, exercise habits, sleep, stress and smoking are a few important factors to consider as well.
References
- Berger S, Raman G, Vishwanathan R, Jacques PF, Johnson EJ. Dietary cholesterol and cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2015 Aug;102(2):276-94. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.100305. Epub 2015 Jun 24. PMID: 26109578.
- Widmer, R. J., Flammer, A. J., Lerman, L. O., & Lerman, A. (2015). The Mediterranean diet, its components, and cardiovascular disease. The American journal of medicine, 128(3), 229–238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amjmed.2014.10.014