What is cholesterol? Is it all bad? Can you control it? What should you eat and what foods should you avoid to keep it in check? If you’re young, are you at risk? Can it be life-threatening?
Cholesterol is perhaps one of the most misunderstood health concerns. Recently, it has become a popular topic of discussion in the medical fraternity. While new research will keep revealing new observations and theories, we’re going to help you understand why you need to pay attention to your cholesterol levels.
Read on to learn more!
What exactly is cholesterol?
It is a type of waxy fat or lipid that the human body produces. It is found in our blood and like all other fats, cholesterol is insoluble in water. Hence, according to Cleveland Clinic, it does not come apart in blood.
Does our body really need it?
Each and every cell in our body needs cholesterol to form a protective membrane around it. This membrane acts as a barrier or a protector against unwanted substances that may try to enter the cell or interrupt its normal function.
It is also required for the production of certain hormones and Vitamin D in the body. It also plays an important role in helping the liver produce enough bile to aid digestion. In general, our liver has enough of HDL or good cholesterol to meet our body’s requirements.
The good and the bad
It’s a popular misconception that cholesterol is bad for our health. This is not entirely true.
To understand this, one has to first identify the different components of this fat found in our body. There are two main types of cholesterol, HDL and LDL.
HDL or high-density lipoprotein is known as good cholesterol as it helps the liver expel excess cholesterol from the body. On the other hand, having too much LDL or low-density lipoprotein also known as bad cholesterol in the blood vessels can clog the arteries increasing the risk of cardiovascular concerns.
Take it as a warning
In most cases, a spike in LDL levels or a considerable fall in HDLs indicate that one needs to pay more attention to their lifestyle and diet. Watching what you eat and exercising regularly can significantly lower your risk of several life-threatening diseases. If taken lightly, you could be more prone to conditions such as:
- Coronary Heart Disease:
According to WebMD, high LDL levels could cause a buildup known as plaque around the walls of our arteries. This could lead to hardening of arteries which may even narrow the passage from where blood travels to the heart. It may cause further complications when the arteries’ walls start breaking down creating blockages in the heart. In such a case, the risk of heart attack is very high.
- Stroke:
High LDL doesn’t just impact the heart. If the plaques block the blood vessels that reach the brain, one may even have a stroke.
- Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)
Ever had a muscle cramp on your calves that improved with rest and care? High cholesterol is often responsible for such situations as legs and feet are affected the most after heart and brain.
PVDs are very common conditions caused due to spasms in the blood vessels. These are clear indicators of fatty deposits and calcium build up in the arteries.
- Diabetes
While high LDL doesn’t cause diabetes, it especially increases the risk of heart diseases for those with type 2 diabetes. This is because blood sugar often attaches itself to the lipoprotein and hence the latter can stay in blood for a longer period of time, aiding plaque formation.
What should you eat
Dietary cholesterol is present in several food items that should be a part of one’s everyday diet. Not only does it work towards increasing HDL in your body, it may also balance out excess LDL that is perhaps already present in one’s system.
Here are a few foods that you should include in your diet:
- Soluble Fiber
It is found in large quantities in whole grains, legumes, beans, flax seeds, apples and citrus fruit. According to research, consuming 5-10 grams of soluble fiber everyday could help in significantly lowering LDL levels.
- Fruits & Vegetables
On an average, consuming four servings of fruits and vegetables every day could lower your risk of heart disease. This is because the antioxidants present in fruits and vegetables prevent the oxidation of plaque in the arteries. As a result, LDL levels also decrease considerably.
- Unsaturated Fats
Naturally fatty foods such as full-fat yogurt, greek yogurt, avocados, oily fish and nuts are rich in unsaturated fats. They’re known to reduce LDL levels in the body.
We hate to be the ones breaking it to you but the gastronomical joys of fast-paced, urban life can do you more harm than good. If you regularly eat the following, it’s time to get alert:
- Fried Foods
Love deep-fried stuff? Can’t resist those fries, crumb-coated meats and cheese? They’re loaded with trans fats that don’t only cause obesity but are also linked to several heart diseases. Consuming these high calorie items frequently could increase LDL in one’s body.
- Desserts
We cannot sugarcoat this. While an occasional indulgence may not be as harmful, indulging in no nutrient, high in sugar products such as brownies, cakes, cookies and other such desserts could spike up the LDL levels in your system.
- Processed Meats
While organ meats are rich in nutrients and can help boost the presence of HDL in the body, processed meats are just as bad. Being excessively high in salt and perhaps even preservatives, those sausages or bacon you’re having for breakfast could be fatal, if consumed too frequently.
How to lower the risk?
Healthline has collated a few, evidence-based actions that contribute in lowering the risk: These include:
- Eating more produce & fiber: Increasing the intake of plant-based foods can go a long way in keeping your arteries plaque-free!
- Quit smoking: Not only does smoking increase your LDL levels it also adversely affects your HDL levels. When you quit smoking, your HDL levels go up, almost naturally.
- Exercise regularly: Keeping your body active and maintaining a healthy weight is a very effective way of avoiding heart problems.
Did you know? Making it a habit to read labels for packaged food items can help you avoid saturated fats as well as trans fats. They’re notorious for drastically increasing LDL levels in the body. Any product with ‘added sugars’, ‘partially hydrogenated’ items and ‘palm oil’ and its derivatives should be avoided.
Keeping it in check
One of the good things about this fatty substance is that they’re easy to manage and control by a few precautionary measures. However, there are no pronounced symptoms of high LDL and hence the only way to be aware of it is to get a blood test done. It is recommended that every one above the age of 20 should get a blood test done once every five years to check their cholesterol levels.
What to look for in a test?
Known as Lipid Profile or a Lipid Panel, this test may often have several parameters of testing depending upon how advanced the blood test is. Every lipid panel should look at:
- LDL: Low-Density Lipoprotein
- HDL: High Density Lipoprotein
- Triglycerides: A kind of fat in the bloodstream that can also affect the heart adversely.
How to accurately understand test results?
According to WebMD, your total blood test results can be interpreted as:
- High risk: 240 mg/dL and above
- Borderline high risk: 200-239 mg/dL
- Desirable: Less than 200 mg/dL
If your LDL levels are above 190 mg/dL, you are more prone to heart diseases. If HDL levels are less than 40 mg/dL in men and less than 50 mg/dL in women, consider yourself in the risky zone. Triglycerides on the other hand can be measured as follows:
- Very high risk: 500 mg/dL and above
- High risk: 200-499 mg/dL
- Borderline high risk: 150-199 mg/dL
- Normal: Less than 150 mg/dL
Things to bear in mind before the test
If it is a routine test, your doctor or pathologist may conduct a non-fasting test. This test, in most cases, is a simple blood test that provides total blood cholesterol readings. Unless specified, this doesn’t include complete lipid panel results.
However, if you already have conditions such as diabetes or blood pressure or perhaps if you’re overweight, it is best to get a complete lipid panel test done. To get the most accurate results, it is best to fast for at least 9-12 hours before the test.
Biocity Healthcare offers a complete Lipid Profile analysis in several healthcare packages. It includes eight parameters such as Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides, HDL, LDL, VLDL, Total/ HDL Ratio, LDL/HDL Ratio, NON/HDL Ratio.
If you’re worried about managing your cholesterol levels, Biocity Healthcare also provides free dietary consultation by certified nutritionists. You can check out some of our packages on our website here.
