The Truth About Cholesterol and Fat
Is eating fat bad? Can eating fat improve your cholesterol? I know it is confusing. There is so much out dated research that continues to saturate the airwaves about what increases your cholesterol and worsens your risk for heart disease. The truth about cholesterol is that it’s more complicated that just eating fat.
One of the biggest myths out there is that high fat diets and cholesterol are responsible for heart disease. Did you know that your liver produces 80% of the cholesterol in your body and absorption from food only accounts for 20% of your cholesterol? Your body needs cholesterol to make your hormones, cell membranes and brain cells. Without enough cholesterol, your hormone levels would drop and so would your libido, and your cells membrane would not function well, thus decreasing your ability to absorb vital nutrients.
LDL “bad cholesterol” comes in two forms: The light fluffy LDL particles and the small dense particles which cause damage to your arteries. In the past, we primarily focused on LDL being the single risk factor for heart disease. However, we did not realize that good fat increases the good type of LDL and increases HDL (good cholesterol), and had minimal impact on the total cholesterol to HDL ratio, which is the best predictor of heart disease.
Sugar and carbohydrates have the biggest and worst impact on the total cholesterol and HDL ratio. They raise triglycerides (bad cholesterol #2), lower HDL and increase the production of small density LDL particles. Because cholesterol deposits are found in the arteries of people with heart disease, it seemed logical that if you eat too much cholesterol you would get heart disease. Study after study has shown no link between dietary cholesterol and heart disease risk.
What researchers did find was that trans-fat is clearly harmful; and omega 3s (found in fatty fish, such as mackerel, sardines and salmon, or a good quality fish oil) are beneficial. Fifty percent of patients who have a heart attack have normal LDL cholesterol. However, most of those patients have dia-besity (presence of belly fat), metabolic syndrome or diabetes – all conditions on the same spectrum and related to excessive sugar intake – most of these patients also had low HDL and high triglycerides.
Cholesterol is one of several factors that contributes to heart disease and isn’t even the main player. The presence of inflammation also plays a role; however, a diet high in sugar and refined carbohydrates is what truly increases your risk of heart disease. The sugar you consume gets converted to fat in your body; the worse one of all is high fructose corn syrup.
When ingested in high amounts without the associated fibre found in whole fruit, fructose turns on the cholesterol production factory in your liver, producing small density LDL and triglycerides and decreased production of HDL. The same applies to sugar in any form, i.e., flour, pasta, bread, soda, alcohol and all other refined carbohydrates. The presence of sugar also makes the cholesterol particle sticky and more prone to stick to your arteries.
The type of fat you eat is also a player; trans-fat, hydrogenated fats and vegetable oils worsen your cholesterol and increase inflammation. While omega 3 fats from fish and monounsaturated fats found in nuts and olive oil improve your cholesterol and decrease inflammation. So by eating good fat, you feel satisfied and stay full longer, thus avoiding foods high in sugars and refined carbohydrates, thus ultimately turning off cholesterol production and decreasing the risk heart disease.
Here are some easy things you can do to improve your cholesterol:
- Start by knowing your numbers: get your cholesterol checked.
- Limit sugar and carbohydrates to less than 130 grams a day: sugary foods and beverages, rice, bread, pastries, pasta, potatoes, foods made with flour, alcohol.
- Get 150 minutes of exercise weekly: walking is an excellent form of exercise.
- Eat a diet high in good fats – fatty fish: salmon, mackerel, herring; avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, nuts and seeds.
- Eat more vegetables than meat.
- Take a good multi-vitamin.
Doctor Cassandra Generlette M.D. (Dr Gen) is a local general practitioner who prides herself in the combination of good health practices as well as implementing her knowledge in the field of medicine in order to prevent health risks before they start. Her practice, Holistic Health Care, is located in Cay Hill in the same building as Physio Fit. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the clinic at +1 (721) 543-0094.
