Last week I wrote about cholesterol, why you should know about it and how to have your levels checked. Today, I would go further to talk about the risk factors for high amounts of cholesterol in the blood and how to lower your risk.
Risk factors for high blood cholesterol.
Some of the major predisposing factors for high cholesterol levels in our blood include:
* Unhealthy diet: Eating a diet high in saturated fat and trans fat may contribute to high cholesterol and subsequently, heart disease.
* Type II diabetes: Type II diabetes tends to lower HDL or good cholesterol levels and raise LDL or bad cholesterol levels.
* Not getting enough physical activity: Sedentary lifestyle is one of the easiest ways to obesity which would in turn lead to accumulation of high cholesterol levels in the blood.
* Family history/Genetics: If you have a family history of high cholesterol, you may need to get your cholesterol levels checked often. The risk for high cholesterol increases even more when a family history of high cholesterol is combined with unhealthy lifestyle choices. Also, If someone in your family has had a heart attack early in life, you and your other family members might be at risk of Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). You need to talk to a doctor and get tested. FH is an inherited genetic condition that causes very high LDL cholesterol levels that begins at a young age and if left untreated, worsens with age.
* Gender: Until menopause, women tend to have lower levels of LDL or bad cholesterol than men do. At any age, men generally tend to have lower HDL or good cholesterol than women.
* Age: For everyone, ageing increases the tendency for high cholesterol. As the body begins to age, its ability to clear cholesterol from the blood decreases. This leads to higher cholesterol levels.
* Overweight and obesity: Being overweight slows down the body’s ability to transfer LDL cholesterol from the blood to where they can be metabolised and this results in raised levels of blood LDL cholesterol levels. This increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Obesity can also lead to high blood pressure, and diabetes.
* Smoking: This quickly damages the elasticity of blood vessels, and makes them more fibrosed and susceptible to accumulation of fatty deposits. Smoking may also lower HDL cholesterol levels.
Lowering Your Risk
As mentioned in my previous cholesterol post, the body needs cholesterol for hormone production and digestion of fat and produces all the cholesterol it needs. Dietary cholesterol is not a necessity and should be consumed in moderation. Before I talk about what you should eat, let’s look at fats and its relationship with cholesterol.
Fat is important for a healthy diet consumption. Both fats and cholesterol are lipids, and the amount and type of dietary fat consumed can affect blood cholesterol levels. Harmful dietary fat, may raise blood levels of LDL and total cholesterol.
Rather than adopting a low-fat diet which for most people is very difficult if not impossible, it is important to focus on eating beneficial fats.
Types of Fats
* Unsaturated fats: These are the beneficial fats and they are either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. They lower the risks of cardiovascular diseases. Foods high in beneficial fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish.
*Trans fats: These are the harmful fats and they increase disease risk, even when eaten in small quantities. Most processed foods contain trans fat from partially hydrogenated oil.
*Saturated fats: While not as harmful as trans fats, saturated fats impact health negatively and are best consumed in moderation. Red meat, butter, cheese, and ice cream contain large amounts of saturated fat. Coconut oil and palm oil are also rich in saturated fat.
Tips to eating healthy and staying healthy.
– Eating healthy, can help prevent high cholesterol. Choose to eat foods that have small amounts of saturated fat, trans fat, sodium (salt), and added sugars. These foods include lean meats; seafood; fat-free or low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt; whole grains; and fruits and vegetables.
– Eat foods that are naturally high in fiber, such as oatmeal and beans, and unsaturated fats which can be found in avocado, vegetable oils like olive oil, and nuts. These foods may help prevent and manage high levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing HDL cholesterol levels.
– Replace red meat and butter with fish, beans, nuts, and healthy oils instead of refined carbohydrates. Refined carbohydrates and starches are digested very quickly, and this affects blood sugar and insulin levels and possibly results in weight gain and disease.
– Since overweight and obesity raise levels of LDL cholesterol, determine whether your weight is in a healthy range, by calculating your body mass index (BMI) with this formula – weight (kg) / [height (m)]2 . You have to reach a healthy weight to help lower your cholesterol levels.
– Be physically active. This can help maintain healthy weight and lower cholesterol level. Make physical activity a part of each day. For short distances, you can walk instead of driving, you can take the stairs instead of the elevator.
– If you don’t smoke, you are advised not to start. If you do smoke, you are advised to quit in order to lower your risk for heart disease.
– If you have been diagnosed of high LDL cholesterol levels, cholesterol-lowering drugs recommended for you by your doctor would help in addressing the issue while you try to eat healthy and work on your body weight.
– Avoid drinking too much alcohol. It can raise cholesterol levels and the levels of triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood. CDC recommends that men should take no more than two drinks per day, and women should have no more than one.
This has been an interesting read, I believe. I look forward to your questions and comments.
Please stay safe. You only live once.
Maureen
Medtrix 