Everything About The Cholesterol Diet

The Cholesterol Diet

The cholesterol diet seeks to prevent the onset of stroke and various cardiovascular diseases that are leading causes of death in the western world. Moderate levels of cholesterol are required to maintain the cell-membrane, assist in the production of essential hormones such as oestrogen and testosterone in addition to bile and vitamin D. However excess levels of cholesterol may clog arteries and veins and in doing so, prevent blood flow to and from the heart. The National Cholesterol Program (NCP) has put forth a series of guidelines to lower cholesterol levels simply by eating the correct proportions of different food types.

Fats

Fats in the cholesterol diet can be in the form of saturated fats or bad fats which acts to raise low density lipoprotein (LDL) which is involved in the increased transport of cholesterol from the liver into the bloodstream. Foods rich in saturated fats include deep fried products, whole milk dairy products and fatty meats. The NCP advises that less than 7% of total daily calorie intake should be from saturated fats in the cholesterol diet.

The good fats are the polyunsaturated or the unsaturated fats that maintain good health and lowers LDL. These fats can be derived from foods such as nuts, seeds, avocados, fish and olive or canola oils. Polyunsaturated fats should constitute 20% of the total daily intake and 10% for monounsaturated.

Carbohydrates

The cholesterol diet should be composed of complex carbohydrates such as pasta, whole wheat bread and vegetables as opposed to products containing refined carbohydrates such as muffins, donuts and biscuits. Ideally, complex carbohydrate should be about 50 to 60 % of total daily calorie intake in the cholesterol diet. Of this, fruits and vegetables should be eaten in large proportions, around 5 to 6 servings per day and grain foods (pasta, cereals and bread) should be about 6 to 11 servings.

Protein

Protein rich foods in the cholesterol diet can be particularly obtained from poultry, low-fat dairy products, eggs, fish and lean meat. It is recommended that lean meat, poultry and fish intake should not exceed 5 oz/day. Eggs are limited to 2 yolks per week whereas egg white consumption is unlimited. Dairy consumption should only be 2 to 3 servings a day. Taken together, protein intake should not be beyond 15% of total daily calorie consumption in the cholesterol diet.

Cholesterol

As the liver already synthesises cholesterol, eating foods high in cholesterol will only increase the body’s cholesterol levels even further. Therefore it is important to restrict total cholesterol intake to 200mg/ml daily. Usually animal fat products high in saturated fats are conjunctively high in cholesterol levels.

Fiber

Soluble fiber particularly in oatmeal, bran and pectin and phytosterols derived from spreads and salad dressing have been demonstrated to lower cholesterol levels. The cholesterol diet should comprise about 10 to 25 grams of soluble fiber and 2 grams of phytosterols.

Other Points

The cholesterol diet will be only be effective if sodium levels are less than 2400 milligrams daily as the risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease will significantly decrease even further. The correct food choices should be implemented in the cholesterol diet whenever possible. For example, whilst dining at a restaurant, lean meat should be chosen over fatty meats such as sausages or salami. Exercise has been proven to dramatically reduce LDL and thus it is recommended that at least 30 minutes of physical activity should be carried out daily. Smoking and alcohol consumption should be avoided as it facilitates cholesterol transport into cells and inflicts damage therein.

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