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CHOLESTEROL
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance
found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and in all your body's
cells. It's used to form cell membranes, some hormones and is needed for
other functions.
Your body makes
all the cholesterol it needs. Until it's used, this cholesterol circulates
in your blood. Cholesterol is part of a healthy body, but too much of it
in your blood can be a problem. Eating foods that contain cholesterol
(called dietary cholesterol) as well as foods high in saturated fats and
trans-fats can raise blood cholesterol. The average American man
consumes about 337 milligrams of cholesterol a day; the average woman,
217 milligrams.
Although some of the excess dietary
cholesterol is removed from the body through the liver, the American
Heart Association still recommends that the average daily cholesterol
intake should be less than 300 milligrams. Someone with heart disease
should limit his or her daily intake to less than 200 milligrams. People
with severe high blood cholesterol levels may need an even greater
reduction. Since cholesterol is in all foods from animal sources, care
must be taken to eat no more than six ounces of lean meat, fish and
poultry per day and to use fat-free and low-fat dairy products. A
high-quality protein from vegetable sources such, as beans are good
substitutes for animal sources of protein.
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Dietary cholesterol is found only in foods from animals, such as
meat, fish, poultry, egg yolks, butter, cheese and other dairy
products made from whole milk. One large, whole egg contains about
213 mg of cholesterol. This is about 71 percent of the
daily-recommended limit for healthy people (less than 300 mg), and
too much for those with certain risk factors. Extra-large and jumbo
eggs contain more cholesterol than large eggs -- each provides up to
93 percent of the daily limit.
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Saturated fats are found mostly in
foods from animals, such as meat, lard, poultry fat, butter, cheeses
and other whole-milk dairy products. Foods from some tropical plants
also contain saturated fats, mainly coconut oil, palm oil, palm
kernel oil and cocoa butter.
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Trans-fats are saturated fats that have been processed to prolong
their shelf life, including fast-food chains. Trans-fats are also
found in commercial baked goods and stick margarines made with
partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. The FDA doesn't require
nutrition labels to show the amount of trans-fat in products. Look
for the words "hydrogenated fat" or "partially hydrogenated
vegetable oil" in the ingredient list.
Many scientists think saturated fats
and trans-fats have a greater impact than dietary cholesterol in raising
blood cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol and other fats can't
dissolve in the blood. They have to be transported to and from the cells
by special carriers called lipoproteins (lip"o-PRO'te-inz). There are
several kinds, but the ones to be most concerned about are low-density
lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL).
What is LDL
cholesterol or bad cholesterol?
Low-density lipoprotein is the major
cholesterol carrier in the blood. If too much LDL cholesterol circulates
in the blood, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries
feeding the heart and brain. Together with other substances it can form
plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries. This
condition is known as atherosclerosis (ath"er-o-skleh-RO'sis). A clot
(thrombus) that forms near this plaque can block the blood flow to part
of the heart muscle and cause a heart attack. If a clot blocks the blood
flow to part of the brain, results in a stroke. A high level of LDL
cholesterol (130 mg/dL and above) reflects an increased risk of heart
disease. That's why LDL cholesterol is often called "bad" cholesterol.
Lower levels of LDL cholesterol reflect a lower risk of heart disease.
What is HDL
cholesterol or good cholesterol?
High-density lipoprotein or HDL
carries about one-third to one-fourth of blood cholesterol. Medical
experts think HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and
back to the liver, where it's passed from the body. Some experts believe
HDL removes excess cholesterol from plaques and thus slows their growth.
HDL cholesterol is known as "good" cholesterol because a high HDL level
seems to protect against heart attack. The opposite is also true: a low
HDL level (less than 40 mg/dL) indicates a greater risk of heart
disease. A low HDL cholesterol level also may increase the risk of
stroke.
Eating soy (i.e., tofu, which is made
from soybeans) can help raise your level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
Dishes that include soybeans, soy milk, soy flour, and textured soy
protein are good places to start.
TWO WAYS
TO GET CHOLESTEROL |
