Lowering your cholesterol: can you control it?

culled from:tescohealthandwellbeing.com

Cholesterol – you really can’t live without it. In fact it’s so important that our bodies produce nearly two-thirds of the cholesterol in our bloodstream. The problem is that too much cholesterol can pose a major health risk. And with factors such as age, sex and genes playing a major part in your cholesterol levels, how much control do you really have?

What cholesterol is bad cholesterol?

Essentially, cholesterols can be broken into two distinct types. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are considered ‘good’ cholesterol: they suck up excess cholesterol and bring it back to the liver where it’s recycled. Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) also bring cholesterol to the parts of the body that need it. These become ‘bad’, however, when there are too many of them in the bloodstream. When this happens we’re put at greater risk of:

• Clogged arteries
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Stroke

Heart disease causes 47% of all diseases in Europe. It is the main cause of death for women in all countries of Europe and the main cause of death for men in all but 6 European countries.

Can you control cholesterol?

Unfortunately, high cholesterol can be caused by factors beyond our control, such as:

• Genes: High cholesterol can run in families (hypercholesterolemia).
• Sex: From puberty, men have a higher level of LDLs than women do. The hormone oestrogen also raises HDL levels. As oestrogen is higher in women during child-bearing years, they are less likely to develop heart problems during this time.
• Age: Men over the age of 45 and women over the age of 55 are at greater risk of developing high cholesterol.

However, unless high cholesterol is a genetic trait, our bodies will only produce the amount they need to run effectively. This means that excess cholesterol often comes about because of an unhealthy lifestyle. So, even though some risk factors for high cholesterol are beyond our control, there are still plenty of measures that we can take to help control our cholesterol levels.

What can you do to control cholesterol?

Diet

Aside from the cholesterol that our bodies produce, the foods we eat have the largest impact on our cholesterol levels - which makes choosing the right ones all the more important. Foods that are high in saturated fats or trans fats can raise blood cholesterol and cause the arteries to narrow (known as atherosclerosis) and so are best avoided. On the other hand, foods that are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can help improve your levels of HDLs or 'good' cholesterol.
Eat more:

• Olive oil: High in monounsaturated fats, olive oil spread is a great substitute for butter
• Fish: Oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, herring and trout are high in omega 3 fats, which can help prevent blood clots in the arteries
• Fresh fruit and vegetables: these are rich in antioxidants and potassium, having five portions of fruit & veg per day can help reduce blood pressure and artery clogging
• High fibre foods: nuts, fruit, cereal and pulse vegetables (peas, beans and lentils) help reduce the cholesterol the intestine releases into the body

Eat less:

• Processed meats: help to lower your blood pressure by avoiding salty meats high in saturated fats such as burgers, salami and bacon
• Butter, cheese, cream: Yes, dairy provides us with lots of good things, but many dairy products are high in saturated fats - so don't overdo it
• Sugary food: cakes, chocolate, pastries, and biscuits and so on are all sources of cholesterol-increasing fats

Try tracking your intake of fats and saturates on the Tesco Health & Wellbeing Food Diary - you may be surprised at what you're eating!
If you're concerned about your cholesterol, you can also try our Cholesterol Lowering Diet.

The American Heart Association recommends that only about 5% to 6% of calories should come from saturated fats. So if you need 2,000 calories a day, just 120 of them should come from saturated fats. That’s about 13 grams of saturated fats a day.

Exercise

Regular exercise helps clear fat particles from the blood stream after meals. It also affects blood cholesterol levels by increasing the amount of HDLs (the ‘good’ cholesterol) and, over a longer period of time, reducing the amount of LDLs (the ‘bad’ cholesterol).
Don't forget to track your exercise in your Fitness Diary to see how you're doing!

Quit smoking

Smoking reduces the level of HDLs (the good cholesterol!) in the bloodstream. This means that fewer fatty deposits can be transported back to the liver, which can lead to narrowing of the arteries.

Medical check-ups

Because there are so many factors affecting high cholesterol, it’s important to keep on top of things by having regular check-ups – particularly as you enter the higher risk age bracket (45 or more for men, or 55 for women). Your GP can test your LDL and HDL levels and talk you through the steps you need to take to achieve a healthier cholesterol balance.