An estimated 25 million Americans have high cholesterol, making it one of the most common chronic diseases in the United States. At the same time, two-thirds of us are eating too much saturated fat (experts recommend up to 10% of our daily calories).Spoiler: these statistics are no coincidence.
“While there are genetic factors that contribute to high cholesterol, we are increasingly finding that high saturated fat intake leads to elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels,” he says. Stephen Juraszek, MD“There’s also good evidence that lifestyle choices, including dietary changes, can help lower blood cholesterol levels for many people,” added the clinical researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts.
Let’s take a look at what research has to say about the relationship between cholesterol and saturated fat, and some dietary tweaks that may help lower your numbers.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol may sound like a bad thing, but this fatty substance actually plays an important role in your body: As well as aiding in digestion, cholesterol helps make vitamin D and sex hormones.
Your liver naturally produces about 80% of your body’s cholesterol. Of course, you can also get cholesterol from food. But research has shown that dietary cholesterol is not the same as blood cholesterol. That means foods high in the substance don’t directly raise blood cholesterol levels, nutritionists say. Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RDN, CDN.
Although cholesterol may sound like one substance, there are two main types of cholesterol.
- LDL (low density lipoprotein) This is what’s known as “bad” cholesterol: It has a waxy consistency and can stick to artery walls. Over time, having too much LDL circulating in your blood can clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, and other diseases, Juraszek says.
- HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) is the “good” type of cholesterol because it helps remove excess cholesterol from your bloodstream by carrying it to your liver, where it can be broken down and removed.
When you’re diagnosed with high cholesterol, it usually means you have high LDL levels and low HDL levels. Cholesterol tests also check for a type of fat called triglycerides. Although triglycerides are not a type of cholesterol, high levels can harm your arteries and increase your risk of a variety of diseases, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Triglycerides come from the food you eat, especially when you eat more calories than your body needs.
The first thing to avoid if you have high cholesterol
As we’ve alluded to (many times), the biggest thing you want to avoid if you have high cholesterol is eating too much saturated fat.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat intake to no more than 6 percent of total daily calories. So if you need about 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of those should come from saturated fat.
Major sources of saturated fat include red meat, cheese, butter, baked goods and fried foods.
So does this mean that people with high cholesterol should avoid quesadillas and steak frites completely? No. But like most things in life, it’s important to make healthy food choices and enjoy foods high in saturated fat in moderation.
Juraszek points out that diet may not be as effective if you’re genetically predisposed to high cholesterol (and it’s hard to know unless you get genetic testing), and in all cases, cholesterol-lowering medications will likely be recommended in addition to lifestyle changes. But for many people, diet is a great place to start and can complement current treatment.
What specific actions can you take to lower your cholesterol? There are four key actions:
Diet to improve cholesterol
1. Eat more healthy fats “Replacing some of the saturated fats in your diet with healthy fats found in avocados, almonds and fish such as salmon that contain omega-3 fatty acids can have a positive impact on your cholesterol levels,” says Taub-Dix.
For example, studies have found that reducing your intake of saturated fats may lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by 17%. Additionally, replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats (such as those found in nuts, seeds and fish) has been shown to lower your risk of cardiovascular disease by 21%.
The low-saturated fat Mediterranean diet has also been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol and raise HDL levels, which is a big reason it’s good for heart health. This eating style, which emphasizes healthy fats like olive oil, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains and fish, has been linked to a 30% lower incidence of heart attack, stroke and death from cardiovascular disease compared to people who follow a low-fat diet. “I like to think of this as something people can do. addition “They’re choosing what’s good and what’s bad for their diet,” Taub-Dix says, “but by increasing their intake of healthy fats, they’re naturally eliminating some of the not-so-good fats.”
2. Eat plenty of fiber-in particular, Soluble Fiber is found in a variety of foods, including apples, broccoli, beans, chickpeas, and lentils. This particular type of fiber attaches to excess cholesterol in the intestines and moves it out of the body during bowel movements, often resulting in lower cholesterol. In fact, studies have shown that fiber may help reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Taub-Dix adds that if you’re genetically predisposed to high cholesterol, getting enough soluble fiber when making dietary changes can be especially beneficial. (Aiming for 25 to 30 grams of total fiber per day should get you all the soluble fiber you need.) Bonus: Fiber also helps you feel fuller, which may help with weight management and keep cholesterol levels in check.
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables “Plant-based diets have been shown to help lower cholesterol,” says Taub-Dix. But you don’t have to be a vegetarian or vegan to get this. The key is to fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, a quarter with whole grains (high in fiber), and the other quarter with lean protein. That could be half a cup of fish, chicken breast, tofu, or beans.
Conclusion
While dietary changes aren’t always a substitute for medication to control high blood pressure, they can help many people. “I’ll use my own example,” Taub-Dix says. “Many in my family are on cholesterol-lowering medications, which means I have a large genetic predisposition. High cholesterol and heart disease are knocking on my door, but I haven’t rolled out the welcome mat. Eating lots of whole grains, healthy fats, fish, beans, and vegetables, and limiting saturated fats like meat, has helped me keep my cholesterol in check. You don’t have to completely overhaul your diet, but small changes can really make a difference.”
