High cholesterol is a fatty substance that circulates throughout the body in the bloodstream. How does it get there? And what contributes to this health hazard?
Naturally produced in the liver, cholesterol isn’t born bad. Every cell in the body uses it – so it has its benefits.
However, too much cholesterol in the blood is dangerous – in particular, non-high-density lipoproteins (non-HDL).
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) explains that non-HDL can build up inside the walls of blood vessels.
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This can clog the arteries, increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke.
Lifestyle factors that contribute to high cholesterol levels include eating too much saturated fat, not being active enough and having too much body fat.
The cholesterol charity, Heart UK, clarifies that eating foods that have too much saturated fat changes the way the liver handles cholesterol.
The liver cells have receptors on them that draw in cholesterol passing by in the blood.
This is so excess cholesterol can be broken down in the liver. However, research has shown that saturated fats stop the receptors on the liver from working well.
And this is how cholesterol begins to build up in the bloodstream.
Foods high in saturated fats include milk and white chocolate, toffee, cakes, pudding and biscuits.
Additionally, pastries, pies, lamb chops, sausages, burgers, bacon and kebabs are all high in saturated fats.
Moreover, butter, lard, ghee, margarine, goose fat, coconut oil and cream should be eaten in moderation.
And cream, milk, yoghurt, crème fraiche and cheese contain high saturated fats.
Although that seems like an awful lot of foods taken off the shopping list, Health UK has some healthier alternatives.
For an indulgent treat, swap milk chocolate for dark chocolate, nuts, seeds or popcorn.
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Instead of cakes, sweets or biscuits, bite into hot cross buns or scones.
And for everyday cooking, swap butter, ghee or goose fat for olive, rapeseed, sunflower or soya oil.
Then, for the main course swap sausages, bacon, salami and canned meat for skinless chicken or turkey, or oily fish.
There are lots of healthy meat-free alternatives too, such as beans, pulses and tofu.
There aren’t usually any symptoms for high cholesterol and so it’s a hidden danger risk.
Blood tests are the only way to check for levels of “good” (HDL) cholesterol and “bad” (non-HDL).
“Good” cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein (HDL) that whisks away “bad” non-HDL cholesterol back to the liver to be broken down and excreted from the body.
Want to know more? Visit the BHF website and Heart UK.
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