Three Steps to Lower Cholesterol :: Health and Disease :: Heart/Cardiovascular

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Three Steps to Lower Cholesterol
by author Lorna Vanderhaeghe, BSc

Despite decades of educating Canadians to eat fewer fat and cholesterol-containing foods, heart disease is still the number one cause of death. According to the Canadian Heart and Lung Association, 40 per cent of adults have high cholesterol levels, the leading risk factor for heart disease. New research now shows high triglycerides may be a better predictor of heart attack risk.

Cholesterol Has Gotten a Bad Rap

Cholesterol is essential to our health. Produced by the liver and found in many foods we eat, cholesterol is required for all repair mechanisms in the body, insulates our nerves, makes up cell membranes, and helps produce certain sex hormones. In most people, a protective feedback mechanism ensures that a decrease in the production of cholesterol from the liver will occur if we consume an abundance of cholesterol-containing foods. For others cholesterol levels must be kept in balance with simple dietary changes and nutritional supplements.

There are two types of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. When LDL - "bad" cholesterol - levels get too high, a slow build up of plaque occurs on the walls of blood vessels, narrowing the arteries and making the heart work harder to force blood through. If too much plaque accumulates, blood flow and oxygen to the heart is impeded, causing chest pain. If a blood clot forms and obstructs the artery, a heart attack may occur.

HDL cholesterol - "good" cholesterol - sweeps away LDL cholesterol, carrying it back to the liver and protecting against hardening of the arteries. HDL also helps break down cholesterol into fatty acids essential for cell membrane integrity. Keeping the correct balance of LDL to HDL is essential to heart health.

Triglycerides are Another Risk Factor

As part of your annual physical exam your doctor may check triglyceride levels along with your cholesterol levels. Triglycerides are the most common form of fat found in the body and high triglycerides may be a better predictor of heart disease than high cholesterol. Excess triglycerides are highly destructive to arterial walls, further promoting arteriosclerosis. Normal triglyceride levels are 140 to 160 milligrams per decilitre (mg/dL), with 140 mg/dL being the ideal level.

Lowering LDL blood cholesterol and triglycerides and increasing HDL cholesterol has an enormous impact on reducing your risk of heart disease and stroke. The Heart and Stroke Foundation states, "for every one-per-cent drop in LDL cholesterol a two-per-cent reduction in risk of heart attack occurs and for every one-per-cent increase in HDL levels, the risk of heart attack drops three to four per cent."

Follow these three steps to better heart health and watch your cholesterol and triglycerides return to a healthy state.

Step 1: Do it with diet

Simple diet changes alone can reduce cholesterol by 20 percent. A rainbow of fruits and vegetables, plenty of soluble fibre (oats, legumes, beans, and apples), and lots of water are all it takes. In 1994 the Journal of the American Dietetic Association reported that the higher the dietary intake of fibre, the greater the decrease in cholesterol levels. Oat bran and oatmeal were responsible for some of the greatest drops in total serum cholesterol.

Fish are rich in heart protective good fats so eat them often. Stop eating margarine as it and hydrogenated vegetable oils raise LDL cholesterol but also lower the protective HDL cholesterol. Use butter sparingly.

Reduce saturated fat (lard, animal fats) and decrease your egg consumption to one a day. As well, eliminate the following foods that contain oxidized cholesterol and trans-fatty acids: store-bought baked goods, crackers, and cookies, coffee whiteners and powdered milk, and bread and cake mixes.

Eating two medium-sized carrots every day can drop your cholesterol by 50 points in as little as 21 days, states Dr. Julian Whitaker in his Wellness newsletter.

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Lorna Vanderhaeghe, BSc, is the author of several books, including the best-seller Healthy Immunity: Scientifically Proven Natural Treatments for Conditions from A-Z (Wiley & Sons, 2001). Her latest book is No More HRT: Menopause, Treat the Cause (Quarry Books, 2002). She is also senior editor of Encyclopedia of Natural Healing (alive Books, 2002) and associate editor of alive Journal.

Source: alive #256, February 2004

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