Cholesterol is a fatty substance which is essential for your body to function day to day. A certain amount of cholesterol is healthy as it forms part of the cell walls and is also necessary to make hormones.
There are two main types of cholesterol – LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol and HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is beneficial to the body. However, if there is too much LDL cholesterol it can be deposited along the walls of arteries, forming atheroma (fatty material) and cause blood vessels to become narrowed or blocked.
Over time, a gradual build-up of atheroma can narrow the arteries that supply the heart with blood. This process is called atherosclerosis and may eventually cause symptoms of angina or result in a heart attack or stroke. One cause of high LDL cholesterol is a diet high in saturated fat.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance which is essential for your body to function day to day. A certain amount of cholesterol is healthy as it forms part of the cell walls and is also necessary to make hormones.
There are two main types of cholesterol – LDL or ‘bad’ cholesterol and HDL or ‘good’ cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is beneficial to the body. However, if there is too much LDL cholesterol it can be deposited along the walls of arteries, forming atheroma (fatty material) and cause blood vessels to become narrowed or blocked.
Over time, a gradual build-up of atheroma can narrow the arteries that supply the heart with blood. This process is called atherosclerosis and may eventually cause symptoms of angina or result in a heart attack or stroke. One cause of high LDL cholesterol is a diet high in saturated fat.
Target Cholesterol Levels:
If you have Diabetes, Heart Disease, Kidney Disease, or if you have had a Stroke your doctor may prescribe a lower cholesterol target level.
A small portion of fat is needed in our diet, but fat is considered to be less healthy than other nutrients as is can raise our blood cholesterol, increase our risk to heart disease and are high in calories which can lead to weight gain. Some fats are healthier than others. There are three main types of fat in food: saturated fat, monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat. A diet high in saturated fat can increase our ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fats is an important dietary change to reduce cholesterol levels. You should avoid saturated fats wherever possible as these can raise your blood cholesterol level.
Saturated fats are found mainly in animal products such as fatty meats, processed meats, full-fat dairy products, butter, coconut oil as well as cakes, biscuits, chocolate and many processed foods.
Low-fat options have less saturated fat.
2. Monounsaturated Fat
Monounsaturated fats should be used in moderation.
Using this type of fat may help reduce cholesterol levels.
It is found in oils such as olive oil and rapeseed oil, olive oil based spreads as well as nuts and seeds.
Polyunsaturated fats should be used in moderation.
Using this type of fat may help reduce cholesterol levels.
It is found in vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, nuts and seeds, polyunsaturated spreads, oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, trout and herring.
Note: All types of fat are high in calories and can lead to weight gain.
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