February is American Heart Month and cholesterol plays a very important role in our heart health and longevity. Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, remains the leading global cause of death with more than 17.3 million deaths each year.
At our training studio the subject of cholesterol comes up quite a bit and we agree that there is a lot of confusion on the subject, but before we jump into some myths let’s make sure we’re on the same page when it comes to what exactly cholesterol is.
Myth #1: “Cholesterol” is cholesterol
While cholesterol is an actual molecule what it is bound to while it’s floating through your blood is what’s more important than just how much of it there is overall. In fact, depending on what it’s combined with can have opposite effects on your arteries and heart. Yes, opposite!
So cholesterol is just one component of a compound that floats around your blood. These compounds contain cholesterol as well as fats and special proteins called “lipoproteins”.
They’re grouped into two main categories:
- HDL: High-Density Lipoprotein (AKA “good” cholesterol) that “cleans up” some of those infamous “arterial plaques” and transports cholesterol back to the liver.
- LDL: Low-Density Lipoprotein (AKA “bad” cholesterol) that transports cholesterol from the liver (and is the kind found to accumulate in arteries and become easily oxidized hence their “badness”).
And yes, it’s even more complicated than this. Each of these categories is further broken down into subcategories which can also be measured in a blood test.
So “cholesterol” isn’t simply cholesterol because it has very different effects on your body depending on which other molecules it’s bound to in your blood and what it is actually doing there.
Myth #2: Cholesterol is bad
Cholesterol is absolutely necessary for your body to produce critical things like vitamin D when your skin is exposed to the sun, your sex hormones (e.g. estrogen and testosterone), as well as bile to help you absorb dietary fats. Not to mention that it’s incorporated into the membranes of your cells.
Talk about an important molecule!
The overall amount of cholesterol in your blood (AKA “total cholesterol”) isn’t nearly as important as how much of each kind you have in your blood.
While way too much LDL cholesterol as compared with HDL (the LDL:HDL ratio) may be associated with an increased risk of heart disease it is absolutely not the only thing to consider for heart health.
Myth #3: Eating cholesterol increases your bad cholesterol
Most of the cholesterol in your blood is made by your liver. It’s actually not from the cholesterol you eat. Why do you think cholesterol medications block an enzyme in your liver (HMG Co-A reductase, to be exact)? ‘Cause that’s where it’s made!
What you eat still can affect how much cholesterol your liver produces. After a cholesterol-rich meal, your liver doesn’t need to make as much.
Myth #4: Your cholesterol should be as low as possible
As with almost everything in health and wellness, there’s a balance that needs to be maintained. There are very few extremes that are going to serve you well.
People with too-low levels of cholesterol have increased the risk of death from other non-heart-related issues like certain types of cancers, as well as suicide.
Myth #5: Drugs are the only way to get a good cholesterol balance
We ask that you never start or stop any medications without talking with your doctor first.
And while drugs can certainly lower the “bad” LDL cholesterol they don’t seem to be able to raise the “good” HDL cholesterol all that well.
Guess what does?
Nutrition and exercise, baby!
One of the most impactful ways to lower your cholesterol with diet is to eat lots of fruits and veggies. And by this we mean a lot, say up to 10 servings a day. Every day.
The delicious basic salad dressing below should help you add at least another salad to your day which can easily account for 4 servings if you do it the right way!
You should also exercise, lose excess or risky fat, stop smoking, and eat better quality fats.
Start by adding in the good stuff, like fatty fish – such as salmon, tuna, sardines, mackerel, and trout are full of omega-3 fatty acids; and healthy fats avocados and olive oil. Ditch those over-processed hydrogenated “trans” fats.
Summary:
The science of cholesterol and heart health is complicated and we’re learning more every day. You may not need to be as afraid of it as you are. And there is a lot you can do from a nutrition and lifestyle perspective to improve your cholesterol level.
Basic Salad Dressing
Ingredients:
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons strong brewed Earl Grey tea
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, r chives
Instructions:
Skewer the garlic clove with the tines of a fork, and use to vigorously blend oil, vinegar (or lemon juice), tea and mustard. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Just before serving, stir in fresh herbs. Serves (2) – add on top of your favorite salad and Enjoy!
Tip: Double the batch and store extra in airtight container in the fridge. Will keep for about a week.
Yours in health,
References:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-cholesterol
http://summertomato.com/how-to-raise-your-hdl-cholesterol
https://authoritynutrition.com/top-9-biggest-lies-about-dietary-fat-and-cholesterol/