Most of us know that we need to keep an eye on our cholesterol. Diet is an important part of that, but there is still quite a bit of confusion on the topic. Here’s what we know about cholesterol and what you can do.
Cholesterol: The Quick Run-Down
Cholesterol is a substance that your body uses in a number of ways. It is part of cell walls, it helps produce bile for digestion, and it is used to produce hormones, among other things. There are different types, of which the most commonly known are LDL and HDL. LDL is the type referred to as “bad” because it contributes to fatty build ups in the arteries.1
When you have your cholesterol measured your doctor is generally looking at three things: your total level, your HDL level, and your LDL level. Usually the goal is to be no higher than 200mg/dL of total cholesterol and to have a good ratio of HDL to LDL, meaning you don’t want to see your HDL dropping too low or your LDL getting too high. Specific numbers should be discussed with your doctor.
Cholesterol In Food
For a long time it was commonly assumed that foods containing cholesterol would raise your blood levels of cholesterol. However, more recent research seems to show that consuming cholesterol does not have a direct effect on blood serum levels. Moreover, the liver manufactures 85% of the cholesterol found in your body, so consumption could only account for a small amount of the total anyway.2
Things that do affect your cholesterol are saturated fat, trans fat, fat, and – researchers are beginning to suspect – sugar. Sugar might be a problem because there is an association between diabetes and high cholesterol in the blood. The reason, it is hypothesized, is that insulin and/or insulin resistance disrupts the body’s normal chemistry in ways that drive up your numbers.3
Genetics also play a major role. Even people with perfect health and nutrition habits can have high cholesterol.
How To Avoid Confusion
Back when we thought cholesterol in food was bad, we decided that steak and eggs were foods to avoid because both have relatively high cholesterol. Now we know that there are big, important differences between the two. Steak has 48g of fat, 21 of which are saturated, while eggs have only 5g of fat. Further, we often eat steak with sauces that contain sugar while eggs are more often eaten plain. Such differences are the reason that eggs are back in favor while steak is still considered something to be eaten sparingly.
This ‘devil-in-the-details’ nature of food is what makes nutrition advice seem so fickle. Fortunately, you really can avoid confusion by sticking to some basic principles. Eat mostly vegetables, some fruit and nuts, a little bit of lean meats, and a very sparing amount of red meat. Anything that falls outside of that should be minimized. Try to buy food locally – from the farmers’ market or a CSA if possible – and cook it yourself most days of the week. This kind of eating pattern naturally lowers your consumption of fat, especially saturated, and sugar, which will help you keep your cholesterol under control. It will also help the environment by incentivizing smaller, more sustainable food systems that emphasize plants over animals, rather than a more highly undustrialized, processed, and animal centric one.
And remember, as always, when it comes to specific health concerns you should consult your doctor. If you have or think you have high cholesterol, this must be evaluated by your doctor.