August 3, 2000

Lower Cholesterol to Reduce Risk of Heart Disease

Every day, news reports remind us of the inter-relationships between food and health. We hear about foods that may prevent cancer, foods that will allow you to lose weight, foods that lower blood pressure, foods that fight infection and disease, even foods that make you feel better emotionally (ever hear of endorphins?) In fact, research is being done to establish the links between certain foods and conditions such as arthritis, asthma, osteoporosis, many forms of cancer, and depression.

Food can impact health either positively or negatively. It’s always a good time to explore at least one connection between diet and health: the relationship between the foods we eat and cardiovascular disease. Although the public has been warned for years about the increased risk associated with diets high in fat and cholesterol, a lot of confusion remains about how much is too much, and how dietary changes can be made without adversely affecting our lifestyle.

Understanding the nature of cholesterol may help to eliminate some of this confusion. While we often think of cholesterol as a “bad word,” cholesterol is an important substance found in all living cells of the body. It is found in the material surrounding and insulating nerve fibers, it is required in the production of digestive juices, and it is an essential component in cell membranes. The liver manufactures 80 percent of our bodies’ cholesterol; the remaining 20 percent comes from the food we eat. Since cholesterol is only found in animal-based foods, there is none in fruits, vegetables, or grains.

By now, many people have heard of “good” and “bad” cholesterol. Cholesterol does not dissolve in water or blood. LDL (low density lipoproteins), the “bad” cholesterol, is deposited to various areas of the body and then accumulates. The “good” cholesterol, HDL (high density lipoproteins), actually picks up the deposited cholesterol and delivers it to the liver, where it can be processed and eventually eliminated from the body. Increased levels of LDL are associated with obesity, sedentary lifestyle, and diets high in saturated fat. Decreasing the amount of saturated fats in the diet, exercising, and eating foods high in fiber all help to increase the HDL level. Steps may be taken to reduce the amount of the “bad” cholesterol in the blood, such as

- Reduce the amount of cholesterol you ingest to 250 - 300 milligrams

per day.

- Lower your total fat intake to 30 percent of the total number of

calories you consume each day.

- Reduce the amount of saturated fat in your diet (e.g. butter, palm

and coconut oil, fat from meat and dairy products) to less than 10

percent of total calories

- Whenever possible, replace intake of saturated fats with mono-

unsaturated fats such as olive and peanut oil, and polyunsaturated

fats such as corn, safflower, and soybean oil.

- Make sure monounsaturated fats comprise no more than

10-15% of your daily calories, and polyunsaturated

fats make up no more than 8-10% of the daily caloric

intake.

- Lose weight if you are overweight.

- Begin exercising regularly.

If these changes do not result in a sufficient reduction of your blood cholesterol, your physician may also prescribe medication designed for this purpose.

Although the preferred level of blood cholesterol varies with age, the National Institutes of Health give the desirable range as 180-230 milligrams. But recent evidence indicates that 200 milligrams maybe optimal for most people. Studies have shown that there is a direct link between blood cholesterol and cardiovascular disease. Researchers at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute found a 2 percent reduction in the risk of heart disease for every 1 percent reduction in the blood cholesterol level. A simple blood test can give the levels for blood cholesterol, HDL, and LDL.

For further information on cholesterol and heart disease, contact the American Heart Association. Questions may also be directed to the Central Connecticut Health District at 721-2822.