What is cholesterol? Can it ever be good for you? Which foods are high in cholesterol? How high or low should your cholesterol be? And is there anything you can do about it?
Cholesterol basics
Cholesterol is a white waxy substance that’s found naturally in your body. It’s key to keeping every cell running smoothly and produces vital chemicals such as vitamin D and hormones.
Most cholesterol is made in the liver and some comes from your diet. Too much saturated fat in your diet can increase blood cholesterol. Cholesterol only becomes a problem when your levels are too high: this can cause fatty deposits to build in your arteries and lead to heart problems.
Cholesterol and heart health
High blood cholesterol levels, and the subsequent build-up of fatty deposits, can cause your arteries to narrow, making it more difficult for your heart to pump blood around your body. Other risk factors that affect your heart health are:
• Age and gender
• Smoking
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• A family history of premature heart problems
• Ethnicity
‘Good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol
There are two types of cholesterol: HDL (‘good’) cholesterol and LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol. When you get your cholesterol checked make sure you find out both levels. To keep your heart healthy it’s important that your LDL cholesterol remains low and your HDL cholesterol stays high.
Good high-density lipoprotein (HDL) takes cholesterol away from your arteries to the liver to be eliminated, which means that a high level of HDL cholesterol can be heart healthy.
Bad low-density lipoprotein (LDL) takes cholesterol from your liver to your body tissues. If your blood has a high level of LDL cholesterol it can build up in the walls of your blood vessels, causing them to narrow.
What is a high level of cholesterol?
Cholesterol is measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood, usually shortened to mmol/litre or mmol/L. According to guidelines by the Joint British Societies, you should aim for a total cholesterol level under 5 mmol/L and LDL at less than 3 mmolLl to keep your heart healthy.
The best way to get a completely accurate reading of your levels is to be tested by your GP, practice nurse or pharmacist.
What causes high levels of cholesterol?
The most common cause is eating too much saturated fat, but there are a number of other things that can have negative effects on your blood cholesterol levels:
• A family history of high cholesterol
• Getting older
• Insufficient exercise
• Being overweight
• An underactive thyroid gland
• Diabetes
• Kidney problems
Is it possible to lower my cholesterol too much?
To put it simply, no. Medication and healthy lifestyle changes including choosing foods containing plant sterols (such as those found in Flora pro.activ) actively combat LDL cholesterol.
