Facts about Cholesterol
Learn key facts about cholesterol, how diet affects LDL levels, and what a heart-healthy eating pattern looks like.
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids in your bloodstream, and in every cell of your body. Your body produces it and also ingests dietary cholesterol from your food. Cholesterol is used to help form cell membranes, protect the nervous system and produce some hormones and Vitamin D.
Learn key facts about cholesterol, how diet affects LDL levels, and what a heart-healthy eating pattern looks like.
How to Choose Grains and Starches That Support Heart and Metabolic Health Grains and starchy foods are often misunderstood. You may hear that carbohydrates should be limited or avoided, yet these foods have long been foundational to eating patterns linked with longevity and reduced chronic disease risk. The difference lies not in whether you eat…
Dairy products such as skim or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese can be beneficial for lowering cholesterol levels. These products are rich in calcium, which has been shown to help reduce the absorption of cholesterol in the gut. Additionally, they contain a type of fatty acid called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which may help lower…
When choosing what to eat for a Heart Healthy Diet look for high-quality lean protein, which is important for maintaining and repairing muscle tissue, and for maintaining healthy bones. Most of these also contain other important nutrients, such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins.To keep your blood cholesterol level low, choose only the leanest meats,…
You’re told by your physician you need to lower your cholesterol in order to live a healthier life. The blood tests you had done show the total cholesterol levels to be over 200. But what does that really mean and how do you get started towards reducing your cholesterol? To begin, cholesterol is a naturally…
What you need to know about Cholesterol testing Having your blood cholesterol measured is a relatively simple and inexpensive process. The problem is in getting accurate results and then a sound interpretation of the figures. This blood test is complicated to run in a laboratory. Different labs use a variety of methods that yield differing…
Steps you can take to keep your cholesterol level down. If you are trying to control you blood cholesterol level, you must limit not only the amount of cholesterol you consume, but also the amount of saturated fat, which appears to stimulate the body’s production of cholesterol. Experts now recommend that you reduce dietary cholesterol…
The TLC diet is a low-saturated fat, low-cholesterol eating plan. The TLC diet is for anyone whose LDL is above his or her goal level. TLC guidelines: Other Low Cholesterol or TLC diet factors: Soluble fiber may be increased in the diet if LDL is not lowered enough by reducing saturated fat and cholesterol.Certain food…