Cholesterol and Diet

As they say, excess of anything is bad. The same goes for cholesterol. Although the body does need some amount of cholesterol to perform bodily functions (which involve the production of vitamin D, bile, and some hormones) too much cholesterol can lead to blocked arteries which greatly increases the risk of heart disease. And so, we should know how our diet influences the amount of cholesterol in the body.

Essentially it is foods high in fat (saturated and total) that contribute to high blood cholesterol. The fat in food includes saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids which are further classified into polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Basically we take in a whole variety of fat out of which the main culprits responsible for high cholesterol levels are saturated fats. Then there is the dietary cholesterol, that which we take in with our diet. Most animal products have some amount of cholesterol in them.

The cholesterol that he body needs, is produced by the liver and we can survive well enough without any cholesterol intake from outside. But if we do eat foods with cholesterol, what happens is that the body adjusts the internal cholesterol production in accordance with the intake. This particular mechanism does not work with the same efficiency in everyone, which means that for some people all the cholesterol gets added up and starts accumulating in the arteries. And excess of dietary saturated fat adds to this.

Eating to lower cholesterol

It's very simple. The solution to any problem is to eliminate the cause. So to lower cholesterol levels, you simply need to start consuming food with less fat and cholesterol. If you have to have fatty food, have food that has unsaturated mono and poly fatty acids instead of saturated ones. But as far as possible, eat food rich in fibre and complex carbohydrates. This will not only lower your blood cholesterol, but keep you energetic. Fibre also helps in bowel movement, and easy bowel movement is a sign of a healthy system.