The Truth About Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that builds up in the bloodstream, often causing clogs and issues with getting blood and oxygen to the heart, but it isn’t always dangerous on its own.
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The substance is actually necessary to build cells and make hormones work properly. However, too much bad cholesterol can cause problems when it circulates in the blood.
What Are the Issues It Causes?
Dr. Eleonora Avenatti, a preventive cardiologist at Houston Methodist Hospital, says that the main issue caused by high cholesterol levels in the blood is atherosclerosis, which is essentially “the build-up of junk inside your vessels.”
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“If you think about your vessel as pipes that have to bring blood to your internal organs — your heart, your brain, your kidneys — over time, [cholesterol] can create junk inside those pipes so that the blood flow is not as good as it should be. Then that can create situations such as heart attacks and strokes and kidney dysfunction,” Avenatti said.
How Cholesterol Is Measured?
If you’d like to know if your cholesterol levels are good or bad, you can visit the doctor’s office for a simple blood test called a lipid panel.
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A doctor can prescribe medication and lifestyle changes if bad cholesterol levels are too high. Usually, the easiest things to change are diet and exercise for healthier heart function.
The Problems Begin With Food
One of the easiest changes for a long and healthy life is to begin with the quality of food and diet. Experts note that foods can impact healthy cholesterol levels and determine if a person will have long-term heart failure. A life of eating these bad foods can cause sudden and late-onset heart disease.
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Follow along to find the worst foods for this issue and eliminate them from your diet if you have issues keeping this common problem under control.
Full-Fat Dairy
Unfortunately, doctors and nutritionists agree that full-fat dairy is high in saturated fat, making it bad for LDL, otherwise known as the “bad” cholesterol.
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Beth Auguste, a registered dietician in Philadelphia, says, “Saturated fat can actually decrease your body’s ability to clear out … the bad cholesterol. Your bad cholesterol goes to your liver to get cleaned up and that’s how you remove some of the cholesterol in your body. That saturated fat impacts your liver because it makes it so that you can’t break down the bad cholesterol as much.”
Red Meat
Red meat, such as beef, pork, and lamb, is high in saturated fat, making it one of the biggest indicators of cholesterol in a diet. However, this doesn’t mean eating these protein-packed foods isn’t beneficial.
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Your bad cholesterol goes to your liver to get cleaned up, and that’s how you remove some of the cholesterol from your body. That saturated fat impacts your liver because it makes it so that you can’t break down the bad cholesterol as much.”
Skin on Meat
Another item with extremely high levels of saturated fat is meat skins, such as sausage casing, turkey skin, pork rind, and chicken skin.
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Experts have said that to reduce saturated fat in their diets, consumers should opt for lean sources of protein like fish, chicken without the skin, legumes (beans, lentils, and chickpeas), and tofu.
Highly Processed Foods
Although plenty of foods are processed somehow, a certain category of foods should be avoided at all costs. Ultra-processed and pre-packaged snack foods are one of the worst culprits for laying on high cholesterol and damaging cardiovascular health.
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Things like fresh bread, rolled oats, and packaged pasta are part of the processed food category, while things like fast food, chips, candy, and soda make up the ultra-processed category. These foods are also likely to have added chemicals, salt, and sugar that make them addictive and hard to put down.
Fried Foods
Fried foods like fried chicken, french fries, and mozzarella sticks all have elevated cholesterol levels. They can also contain trans fats, which increase the blood’s bad cholesterol and the risk of heart disease.
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Both sweet and savory foods make up this category. One of the key ingredients to try and avoid is hydrogenated oils on the ingredient label.
Other Ways to Optimize Heart Health
Thankfully, there are some ways to take care of your heart health while eating most foods in moderation. Some doctors say to prioritize foods that add good cholesterol to the blood, like fish, lentils, and dark leafy greens, while avoiding the harmful options.
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The patterns in your diet are the most important indicators of long-term health. So don’t feel too bad if you indulge in some foods that aren’t beneficial for your health.
The Benefits of a Good Diet
Several places around the world have been designated as “blue zones.” Many of the community lives over 100 years old in these places.
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The factor that unites these communities is always diet. While places like Japan and the Mediterranean have fairly different diets, they all lack processed foods and prioritize healthy fats like fish along with good-quality produce.