Food and your Cholesterol Level

Certain foods can raise our cholesterol levels.
Example: ice – cream, organ meats such as liver and intestines, egg yokes and shellfish.
The good news is that a few adjustments to your diet may be able to do the reverse.

According to cardiology expert, some cholesterol is required by our body. It is an
essential building block of cell membranes in the body. The liver is able to produce most of the cholesterol needed in our body.

In normal digestive process, when we eat food rich is saturated fat it will leads to the absorption of cholesterol in our blood stream.

High level of low – density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol known as bad cholesterol associated with early development of atherosclerosis, the narrowing of blood vessel in our body.

Atherosclerosis in turn leads to other conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure and poor circulation.

To keep your blood cholesterol levels healthy, it is important to keep your saturated fat and trans fat intake low. Both types of fat are able to increase LDL cholesterol levels. Trans  fat also reduces the level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol known as good cholesterol and has more impact on blood cholesterol levels that cholesterol from food.

Saturated fat come from dishes prepared using coconut milk or cream as well as from  palm oil usually labeled as vegetable oil. Trans fat is commonly found in pastries and cakes made with vegetable shortening, commercially prepared deep fried food and processed products containing partially hydrogenated oil.

To be safe, you should limit your cholesterol intake to less than 300mg per day.

Avoid consuming organ meat and shellfish more than twice a week.

And have no more than four egg yolks per week.

You should not be relying on your diet alone, stay away from cigarette and do 30 minute of intensity physical activity at least four times a week.

What is considered a healthy level of cholesterol? 

The lower the total and LDL cholesterol levels, the lower your risk of getting medical problems associated with atherosclerosis. Healthy cholesterol level also depends on the presence of other medical conditions.

A healthy person with no significant medical problems, a total cholesterol level greater than 6.2 mmol/L (240mg/dL) is considered high and undesirable.

Similarly, people with no medical problems should aim to have a LDL cholesterol level   of no greater than 3.4 mmol/L (130mg/ dL).

People with medical problems such as a previous heart attack or stroke, the recommended levels should be even lower.

Heart Friendly Food

Not all food is equal. Studies have found that certain foods such as salmon, walnuts, oatmeal and some vegetables can help control your cholesterol. Four foods you should include in your diet.

1 - Fatty Fish
Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel and sardines are rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids, which help to lower blood fats linked to heart disease. Omega 3 fatty acid prevents blood clots by making platelets less likely to clump together and stick to the artery walls. It also makes blood vessels less likely to constrict.
You should eat at lease two servings of such fish twice a week. Be sure to cook your fish by using healthy method such as steaming and baking to avoid unhealthy fats.

2 - Nuts
Walnuts and almonds are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which keep blood vessels healthy. In particular, walnuts are one of the best plant sources of protein as they are packed with vitamins, fibre and antioxidants. But be sure to stick to just 30g about a fistful a day and avoid nuts that are salted or coated with sugar.

Beside nuts include also one to two tablespoonfuls of ground flax seed into your food each day. It helps to lower bad cholesterol.

While some researched has shown that flax seed and peanuts can help lowered cholesterol levels, further studies needed to confirm their cholesterol lowering benefits.

3- Soy
Soy protein such as soy beans, tofu, and soy milk may be able to keep cholesterol levels in check. They are rich in omega 3 fatty acids, protein, vitamin and minerals. Soy protein is a good alternative to red meat as it lower in fat and higher in fibre.

People with high cholesterol may be able to lower their cholesterol levels by taking soy protein and include them as part of a healthy low fat diet.

4 – Oatmeal
Eating oats not only keeps your bowel movement regular it also helps to lower your cholesterol levels and reduce your risks of heart disease and diabetes.

Oatmeal also fills a person up for a longer period. This will prevent him from taking unhealthy snacks that may result in raising their cholesterol levels.