Low Cholesterol Foods

Cholesterol

Our bodies need cholesterol to function as it is part of the protective membrane that surrounds every cell and insulates nerve fibres. So why all the fuss about high cholesterol? Simple, you can get too much of a good thing and too much cholesterol increases the risk of heart disease and artery damage.

Cholesterol in food

Very few foods actually have high levels of cholesterol in them already, mainly eggs, offal and shellfish. But if we eat foods which are high in saturated fat our liver turns the fat into cholesterol. Certain proteins then combine with the cholesterol and transport it around our bodies, they are called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins come in 3 varieties, the good, the bad and the very bad: HDL (high-density lipoprotein is the good, protective type of cholesterol; LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the bad kind, triglycerides are another bad kind, although they are really fatty substances in the blood, rather than cholesterol. The real trouble begins when the triglycerides and the LDL cholesterol are at a high level and the HDL cholesterol at a low level. At such times our bodies will be at high risk of coronary heart disease.

What should I avoid and what should I eat?

Cut down on saturated fats and trans fats (hydrogenated fats), try and selects monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats instead. Generally try and reduce the around of fatty dairy products, meat and cooking oil you use. Oily fish is good as it is a great source of omega 3’s, other sources of omega 3 essential fatty acids are flax seed (linseed) and oil. Soluble fibre is also good, oats, oatbran, porridge, beans and pulses, lentils, nuts fruit and veg and foods containing plant sterols such as Lestrin which is a food supplement.