Five Cholesterol Myths and What to Eat Instead (repost)
You
knew there was a bit of an over-emphasis (borderlining obsession) about
cholesterol, right?
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 that 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, the 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) maybe
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 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
Don't
start or stop any medications without talking with your doctor.
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. I mean lots, say up
to 10 servings a day. Every day.
Don't
worry the recipe below should help you add at least another salad to your day.
You
can (should?) also exercise, lose weight, stop smoking, and eat better quality
fats. That means fatty fish, 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.
References:
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