Cholesterol: The good and the bad, and everything else you need to know

Right now, think of how many friends of yours have high cholesterol? If it is not you, then you know a few and this topic of high cholesterol is often the subject of conversations.

It is important to not just know the word and that high cholesterol is bad and can lead to a heart attack, but rather truly understand its function in the body, what you should be avoiding, and foods to help you reduce your high cholesterol.

There are two main types of cholesterol: high density lipoprotein – HDL (the good cholesterol) and low-density lipoprotein – LDL (the very bad cholesterol).

Cholesterol is a fat-like, waxy substance that your body manufactures in the liver to make cell membranes and produce hormones and vitamin D according to the John Hopkins University Medical Department.

Cholesterol from your liver or via ingested food travels throughout the body via your bloodstream on proteins called “lipoproteins.” When your body has too much or a high level of LDLs then it starts to attach to the walls of your blood vessels. This narrows and restricts the flow of blood to vital organs, muscles and supply to your heart.

The build-up is called plaque. If the flow is severely restricted, the blockage can cause an angina (chest pain) or a heart attack.

The easiest way to test your cholesterol is to use a home kit but it is best to go get a test at your local doctor to be sent off to the labs for analysis.

Four main factors affecting high cholesterol?

1 Poor Diet – This is the biggest culprit, especially when eating too many trans-fats. Trans-fats are also called hydrogenated oils which directly increases your bad LDL cholesterol.

Without going into too much science, it is important to understand what hydrogenated oil is. It is a process of taking liquid unsaturated fat (eg. oils from nuts and avo, for example) and adding hydrogen to it to make it a solid fat. This fat is called trans-fat which is done to increase the shelf life of the product. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned companies from adding partially hydrated oils into food, but they do say it could still be in the following products.

1 Crackers, cookies, frozen pies

2 Fast foods

3 Coffee creamers

4 Refrigerated dough products eg. biscuits and cinnamon rolls

5 Ready-to-use frostings

6 Frozen pizza

7 Microwave popcorn

8 French fries

9 Fried chicken

(source: webmed)

2 Obesity – It’s not to say that all overweight people will have high cholesterol but rather, if you have a body mass index of greater than 30 it puts you at higher risk. Your liver produces cholesterol and all that your body needs. By eating bad LDL in your diet, it typically adds more and stresses your liver and body. By being overweight, the process of getting rid of excess cholesterol does not work as efficiently as that of a fitter person, meaning your bloodstream will have high concentrations of cholesterol.

3 Exercise – It is vitally important because it boosts the good cholesterol HDL and increases the size of the participles that make up the LDL. Bigger is better since it is hard to bind and stick on the blood vessel walls. It allows it to flow better throughout the body. The smaller the particles, the great change of a build-up.

4 Age – The older you are places you at a higher risk simply because your body, and in particular your liver, is aging and doesn’t function like a 21-year-old anymore. That is why a younger biological age is so important. This can only be achieved through good nutrition, exercise and a positive lifestyle.

5 Smoking – There is a reason your life insurance company asks you for a declaration if you smoke or not. Research has linked smoking to potential future health risks that will cost your insurer money. That is why you pay more for life insurance if you smoke. Nicotine is ingested  into your bloodstream from smoking, which in turn harms the blood vessels and reduces the amount of oxygen the heart receives. The heart beats faster and the damaged blood vessels work harder to push the blood which carries the much-needed oxygen throughout the body. The rough damaged vessel walls attract the cholesterol by lodging the smaller ones to produce plaque. Over time, the process is repeated, making the supply of blood to the heart restricted.

10 Things to Reduce Bad Cholesterol:

1 Avoid Trans Fats

2 Quit smoking

3 Exercise daily

4 Lose weight to reach a BMI of below 30

5 Drink alcohol moderately

6 Eat soluble fibre

7 Focus on plant-based protein

8 Reduce animal fats

9 Eat fruits and veg

10 Coenzyme Q10 and Omega fatty acids

Sean van Staden

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.