How to lower cholesterol

When was the last time you had your cholesterol checked? Cholesterol plays a major part in a person’s health, and cardiologists say that if you’re over 20 years old, you should have your cholesterol checked at least every 5 years. And if you find you have a high cholesterol — how do you lower it? Read on a and find out.

Your heart begins ticking while you are still in your mother’s womb. It continues to do so, until your last breath. The heart pumps blood and oxygen throughout your body via a complex network of veins and arteries. If there are any blockages along these blood-highways, it causes stress on the heart. Cholesterol is one substance that can cause such blockages.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is an organic molecule — a type of lipid. That means it’s a fat-like molecule and it’s found in animal cells — but not in plants, vegetables or fruit. First, it’s important to mention that cholesterol isn’t bad. Cholesterol plays a vital part in the functioning of your body. In moderate amounts.

Roughly, you can say that there are two types of cholesterol-carriers that deliver cholesterol to your body:

• LDL (carries the ‘bad’ cholesterol)
• HDL (carries the ‘good’ cholesterol).

LDL stands for Low Density Lipoprotein and HDL stands for High Density Lipoprotein. These lipoproteins act like ‘packages’, carrying cholesterol throughout your body, and depositing it to cells.

Cholesterol is first transported to the liver before it’s released into the blood and transported to cells that need it (for energy or as building blocks). LDL cholesterol is a type that can more easily oxidate, meaning it’s easier for it to attach to the arterial walls. Thus, it can contribute to artery blockages, which are connected to heart disease, and a major risk factor.

HDL, on the other hand, is something that may actually reduce your risk of heart disease. It can pick up excess cholesterol and transport it back to the liver where it is broken down. If you are at risk of heart disease, it might not be sufficient to decrease your LDL-levels, but also to increase your HDL-levels.

What affects cholesterol levels?

Why people have high cholesterol depends on many different factors. Heredity, age, gender, physical activity and diet are all key components. In our bodies, the liver produces most of the cholesterol. The rest comes from the food that we eat.

The type of cholesterol found in food is called dietary cholesterol. Food like eggs and prawns are both high in cholesterol. Though, eating dietary cholesterol doesn’t affect the cholesterol levels in your blood as much as eating saturated fat.

There are two types of fats — saturated and unsaturated. If you eat too much saturated fats you can raise your cholesterol level. Some foods that are high in saturated fats include:

• Coconut oil
• Butter
• Chocolate (even though moderate amounts of dark chocolate can be healthy)
• Cheese, whole milk, whipped cream
• Pizza, hamburgers
• Sausage, bacon, ribs
• Beef
• Many baked goods and fried foods

But, it’s not only saturated fat that you should look out for if you want to keep your cholesterol in check. Carbohydrates are a culprit as well. Mainly simple sugars and starches, such as candy, corn syrup or white bread with a high glycemic index, can increase the levels of harmful LDL. Low-carb diets may, on the other hand, have an opposite effect.

When are you at risk?

Cholesterol is measured in milligrams (ml) per deciliter (dL) of blood and is measured by a simple blood-test. Many countries have different criteria for what cholesterol levels they recommend, but these are the guidelines from the Singapore Heart Foundation:

Desirable Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol in mmol/L (mg/dl) Average Adult (without known coronary risk factors) Adult with heart disease / diabetes / other coronary risk factors LDL Cholesterol HDL Cholesterol ≥ 1.0 (40) ≥ 1.0 (40) Total Cholesterol

If you are over 20 years old and it’s been a few years since you had your cholesterol checked — contact your physician. Take a simple blood test to learn your cholesterol levels. Especially if you fall under any of the risk categories, such as heart disease or diabetes.

How to lower your cholesterol

If you have a high cholesterol — what can you do? There are medicines you can take in order to reduce your cholesterol, for these — please contact a physician. But, even if you decide to try a cholesterol-lowering drug — it’s always good to (also) lower it in a natural way.

You can do this largely by watching your diet. These are some foods you should consume:

• Fish
  Countries who eat a lot of fish have a lower risk of death in general, and especially from cardiovascular disease. Fish includes the essential fatty acids omega-3s and omega-6, which help in reducing cholesterol.
• Fibers and grains
  Eat more complex carbohydrates, such as whole-grain products, fruit, vegetables and legumes (beans and lentils, et cetera). Also focus on more on water-soluble fiber, like that found in oats and fruit. This can significantly reduce your cholesterol level.
• Fat-free or low-fat dairy products
  Avoid foods that contain cream or whole milk.
• Go nuts
  Nuts are related to a lower risk of heart disease. Eating 2 ounces of nuts per day can lower your LDL-levels. They also provide a good source of protein, but are quite rich in calories, so eat in moderation.
• Lean meats and poultry
  Try to avoid making meat a central part of your meal, and instead let it play a minor role. Go for lean meats and poultry and trim the fat and skin off fatty cuts.
• Green tea
  Research has shown that green tea lowers your total cholesterol level and raises the HDL-levels — the good cholesterol-carrier. It’s speculated that the polyphenols found in green tea prevent some of the cholesterol from being absorbed.
• Alcohol
  Yes, studies have actually shown that alcohol — in moderation — can reduce your cholesterol level. It raises your HDL, while lowering your LDL. The optimal amount is around one or two alcoholic drinks per day for men, and one for women. If you drink too much however, it has the opposite effect.

When you know what to do, here are the things you should avoid:

• Smoking
  A chemical called acrolein, found in cigarettes, stops the HDL, or ‘good’ cholesterol carrier, from transporting excess cholesterol back to your liver. Want to quit smoking? Here’s how.
• Fatty dairy products
  Avoid things like whole milk and cream — and things made from them. This includes many pastries and ice cream. Unfortunately.
• High-fat, processed and organ meats
  You should try to eliminate, or at least heavily reduce, things like sausages, liver and fatty meats from your diet. This also includes poultry like duck and goose. Even though most of the cholesterol in your body doesn’t come from dietary cholesterol, it’s good to moderate your consumption of things like shrimp or egg yolks too (the whites contain no cholesterol).
• Saturated and trans fats
  Trans fats seem to have no redeeming qualities, but raise LDL and lower HDL. Food that are made from or with hydrogenated oil are things to avoid here. Saturated fats can be avoided by cooking with liquid oils rather than butter, for example. You can also reduce this by not frying food and instead you can broil, bake, roast, steam or stew.
• Baked goods
  Baked goods and pastries are often made with fatty dairy products or plenty of eggs. Limit your intake to maximize your health!
• Salt
  Diets rich in salt increase risk of hypertension and high blood pressure is a major risk-factor in cardiovascular disease.

Get moving

Physical exercise is also a powerful tool when it comes to combating a high cholesterol. Lack of exercise and obesity are both linked to higher levels of LDL. Losing weight and exercising more will reverse these trends.

Try to exercise regularly, at least 30 minutes each day and 5 days a week. If you have a sedentary job, remember to get up from your desk and move with regular intervals.

If you follow the above advice, you should soon find your cholesterol levels reducing and be on your way to a healthier and happier lifestyle — for a long time to come. If you have a high cholesterol — consider contacting physician for a consultation.

As always, would you have any questions regarding cholesterol or cholesterol-reducing drugs — don’t hesitate to get in touch with any of RingMD’s cardiovascular specialists — today.