All about cholesterol

Question:

I often hear about cholesterol and the different types. Can you tell me which one we need to increase and which one we should try to reduce?

Answer:

Cholesterol is essential to life. It is a soft waxy substance that helps form cell walls and makes hormones. The body produces most of the cholesterol we require with only a small amount needing to come from the diet.

There are two major types of cholesterol in the body. LDL is commonly known as ‘bad’ because it deposits cholesterol on blood vessel walls increasing the risk of heart disease. HDL is the ‘good’ type, as it removes excess cholesterol from the blood (just like a garbage truck removing the rubbish) and takes it back to the liver where it is broken down. If you want to lower your risk of heart disease, you need to aim for a high HDL level, which is protective, a low LDL level and for your total cholesterol to be within the recommended range.

Goal

Total Cholesterol: Less than 5.0mmol/L

HDL: Greater than 1.0mmol/L

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LDL: Less than 2.5mmol/L

Changing your lifestyle and diet can help you achieve this.

Eat more plant-based meals. Soy, nuts, wholegrains, legumes, fruit and vegetables are superfoods that help you keep your cholesterol under control. Add yellow-split peas to vegetable soup and try chickpeas and nuts in pasta and rice dishes. Add vegetables to pizza and pasta and have dried fruit as a snack. All plant foods are naturally free of cholesterol.
Choose healthier fats. Reducing your intake of saturated and trans fats will lower your LDL levels. Saturated fats are found mostly in animal foods such as milk, butter, cheese and fatty meats. Saturated and trans fats are often found as hidden fats in cakes, biscuits, potato crisps, pastries and takeaway foods. Choose healthier fats instead, such as avocado, nuts, fish and oils such as olive or canola.
Be active. Exercising regularly can increase your HDL levels. Try to be physically active most days for at least 30 minutes. If you can, also enjoy some regular, high impact activity three times a week.
Maintain a healthy weight. If you are carrying excess body fat, reducing it will often lower your LDL and increase your HDL levels. Even a small weight loss can improve cholesterol levels.