Cholesterol is a type of fat produced by the liver. Essential to proper body function, it aids in hormone production, supports nerve and brain development, helps the liver digest fats and is a key substance in every cell of the body.
While cholesterol is important to your health, it is possible you can have too much of a good thing. Cholesterol travels to your cells through your bloodstream. Because it is a fat, it does not mix well with water or blood, and must be wrapped in protein. This is called lipoprotein cholesterol, which is categorized into two forms:
- LDL, low density lipoprotein, called bad cholesterol
- HDL, high density lipoprotein, called good cholesterol
Cholesterol Levels
Cholesterol levels can be measured three ways: total cholesterol, LDL levels and HDL levels. Optimum levels for each should be:
- Total cholesterol level = 200 or less
- LDL level = 130 or less
- HDL level = 60 or more reduces the risk of heart disease
- High LDL cholesterol increases the risk of plaque buildup in the artery walls, causing them to narrow, which contributes directly to heart disease, stroke and other circulatory problems.
Cholesterol Screenings
Getting your cholesterol checked regularly is important to warding off heart disease. Start having your cholesterol checked every five years, beginning at age 20. If you find you have an elevated cholesterol level, you may have to have it checked more often. Children over the age of two should also be checked regularly if there is a family history of high cholesterol or heart disease earlier than age 55.
12 Cholesterol Self-Care Tips
The primary sources of cholesterol in our diets are eggs, dairy products and red meat. You can keep your cholesterol in check by balancing the amount of these foods that you eat, along with the following healthy eating habits:
- Consume more fish, poultry, lean beef, pork and lamb instead of sausage and other organ meats.
- Drink skim or low-fat milk.
- Eat sherbet or sorbet in place of ice cream.
- Eat eggs in moderation, or eat only the egg whites. One egg yolk contains 213 milligrams of dietary cholesterol (the daily recommended cholesterol limit is less than 300 milligrams).
- Eat steamed vegetables instead of buttered or fried vegetables.
- Consume butter in moderation.
- Choose baked potatoes over French fries.
- Use unsaturated vegetable oils.
- Choose pretzels or air-popped popcorn instead of potato chips as your snack.
- Stay away from pastries and doughnuts.
- Eat pancakes or cereal with low-fat milk for breakfast, rather than eggs and bacon.
- Eat more fruit.
Did You Know
It is important to keep your “bad” and “good” cholesterol levels in check as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle, because high cholesterol is a risk factor for developing heart disease.
