"For every one
percent you lower your serum cholesterol, your subsequent heart-attack
rate lowers by two percent."
– Dr. William Sastelli
Director of Framingham Heart Study
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a normal part of all our body cells. Scientifically, cholesterol belongs to a group of organic compounds; include fats, oils, waxes, sterols, and triglycerides that are insoluble in water but soluble in other organic solvents. They are oily to the touch.
Our bodies need cholesterol to manufacture cell membranes, sex and adrenal hormones, bile acids, and vitamin D. Your liver produces about 2000 mg. of the waxy, fatlike substance everyday just for the routine tasks. Problem arises when there is too much cholesterol in the bloodstream as it may develop into plaque.
When cholesterol plaque becomes too thick it can block the flow of blood to organs. If the heart does not receive enough blood and oxygen, it suffocates and dies – causing a heart attack. If the brain does not receive enough oxygen, brain tissues die - causing a stroke.
Because cholesterol cannot dissolve in water, it cannot move through the bloodstream by itself. The liver works to combine each cholesterol molecule with a long-chained essential fatty acid and then surrounds it with protein. This bodily process creates lipoproteins.
What are lipoproteins?
Lipoproteins are carrier molecules that transport cholesterol through the bloodstream. We commonly hear about two types of lipoproteins, high density lipoprotein (HDL) and low density lipoprotein (LDL).
LDL transports cholesterol to the tissues and to walls of arteries and blood vessels. When there is too much LDL, atherosclerosis (the formation of cholesterol plaque) occurs within the walls of blood vessels, thus blocking the flow of blood. For good health we strive to keep LDL low.
HDL picks up cholesterol from the arterial walls and transports it to the liver, where it is broken down into bile acids and moved through the large intestines and out of the body. Called the "good" cholesterol because it’s function, HDL reduces the amount of cholesterol in the body. A diet high in fiber, monounsaturated fats, and balanced essential fatty acids help keep HDL high. Exercise is very helpful in raising and maintaining HDL levels.
Where’s the fiber?
Fiber acts to control cholesterol in the digestive tract. Fiber is the indigestible portion of foods – the bran of grains, the pulp of fruits, and the cell walls of the vegetables.Only in plant foods can we find fiber, and fiber falls into two categories - soluble and insoluble. Soluble forms of fiber dissolve or swell when put into water while insoluble fiber will not dissolve in water.
Soluble fiber helps to lower cholesterol because it acts like glue, attracting and binding excess cholesterol and moving it out through the intestines. Mucilage, pectin, and gum are forms of soluble fiber found inside plant cells.
Sources of Mucilage Sources of Pectin Sources
of Gums
flax seeds apples oats
psyllium seeds berries oat bran
agar-agar cherries guar gum
oranges legumes
grapefruit
pears
What’s up with the fats?
We need fat; it’s an essential part of the make-up of our cells and it’s usually absorbed from our daily diet. Fat is stored in the liver where it can be converted into cholesterol as needed. Typically, high cholesterol develops from eating too much of the wrong types of fat.
Fats and oils are composed of basic units called fatty acids. These fatty acids control cholesterol in the blood. The body can produce all but two of the fatty acids. We must obtain these two “essential” fatty acids from our diet in order to survive.
Fatty acids are classified as saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. These fats are made up of molecules of carbon atom chains with attached hydrogen and oxygen atoms. Understanding the differences can help you choose those fats that are helpful, and avoid those fats that are not!
Saturated Fats (bad fats!)
Saturated fats occur when fatty acid molecules are “saturated” with hydrogen atoms along its carbon chains. These fats are the largest contributor to high blood cholesterol levels, as they lead to the build-up of fat and cholesterol deposits in the bloodstream. Animal products are generally high in saturated fats and cholesterol. Saturated fats are most often solid at room temperature.
Sources of Saturated Fats:
Animal Fats – from beef, pork, lamb, other meats
and poultry
Dairy
Fats – from milk, butter, cream, cheese, and other dairy products
Tropical Oils – from thick oils like coconut, palm, and palm kernel
Cocoa
Butter – found in chocolate
Hydrogenated
Oils – found in shortenings and margarines
Monounsaturated Fats (Best fats!)
These fats occur when a fatty acid molecule has a single point that is not “saturated” with hydrogen atoms. Replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fats will have a positive effect on lowering LDL levels while keeping HDL levels high. Foods rich in monounsaturated fats are generally liquid at room temperature and semi-solid when refrigerated.
Sources
of Monounsaturated Fats and Oils:
Plant
oils – olive, grape seed, canola, hazelnut, and peanut
Fruits
– avocado and olive
Nuts
– most nuts including: Brazil, cashew, hazelnut, peanuts, pistachios,almonds,
macadamia, and pecans.
Polyunsaturated Fats (Good fats and necessary fats!)
Polyunsaturated fats occur when a fatty acid molecule
has two or more double bonds between the carbon atoms. Polyunsaturated
oil contains the two “essential” fatty acids the body is unable to provide
– linoleic acid (called Omega 6 fatty acid) and alpha-linolenic acid (called
Omega 3 fatty acid). While polyunsaturated oils lower LDL, they also lower
HDL by equal amounts. Omega
fatty acids lower the total lipid levels of the body as well as lowering
blood pressure. A good ratio of Omega 6 fatty acids to Omega 3 fatty acids
is between 2:1 and 4:1.
Sources ofPolyunsaturated Fats and Oils:
Omega 6
Plant Oils – grape seed, safflower, sunflower, corn, soybean, and
walnut
Seeds and Nuts – sunflower, sesame, poppy, pumpkin, and walnuts
Grains – wheat germ
Omega 3
Plant Oils – flax *, canola, and soybean
Seeds and Nuts – flaxseed and walnuts
Flesh Foods – fish and seafood
Legumes – soybeans and tofu
Veggies – dark leafy greens
Grains – wheat germ
* Do not cook or heat up flax oil as it is very fragile. It’s taken as
a supplement, used for salad dressing, or drizzled over veggies in place
of butter.
It is important to keep oils chilled to prevent them from becoming rancid. Polyunsaturated oils go rancid more quickly than monounsaturated oils. Keeping oils in the refrigerator is the best way to kept them fresh. Discard any oils that smell off as ingesting rancid oils adversely affects health.
How do I balance essential fatty acids?
Most vegetable oils have higher amounts of Omega 6 oils than Omega 3 oils, so the typical United States diet has an incorrect ratio of these essential fats. Commercial food processing and hydrogenation add to this. We need to eat less processed foods and concentrate on eating more Omega 3 foods to create a healthy balance of essential fatty acids; 2:1 Omega 3 to Omega 6 is a good balance.
