The Low Down on LDL - Get a Handle on your Cholesterol

10.28.2009

It is nearly impossible to go anywhere these days without hearing about the constantly escalating problems associated with the way Americans are eating. You have heard all of the statistics before… Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the US, the average persons cholesterol is up, we are getting fatter every year, we are getting diabetes earlier and earlier, and the list goes on...

The ugly truth is that the way we eat can put us at a much higher risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes. So how can we fix the problem without completely changing our culture? Pharmaceutical companies will have you believe that just about the only way to lower your cholesterol is with the help of one of the many dozens of cholesterol lowering medications that are relentlessly pushed on you during every commercial break on TV. If that is the case, why is the US seemingly the only country in the world that is facing a problem of the magnitude we here in America are currently facing? Unfortunately, there is no magic bullet, but there are some simple ways of lowering your cholesterol that will help you to prevent serious health problems in the future.

Any doctor will tell you that the best, and safest, place to start an assault on your dangerous cholesterol levels is with proper diet and exercise. The big problem: that it is much easier said than done.  Compliance to diet and exercise regimens is so poor that many doctors completely avoid even suggesting it. Sadly, there are few industries where this fact is truer than the transportation industry. Long hours, eating on the go, and little opportunity for exercise make it very difficult for transportation workers to stick with these programs. However, there are some fairly simple ways to manage your cholesterol without changing careers.

First, it is important to remember that not all cholesterol is bad for you. You may have heard about “good cholesterol” and “bad cholesterol,” but do you know what that means? There are three forms of cholesterol circulating through your body, LDL and VLDL (bad cholesterol), and HDL (good cholesterol). What is the difference? Basically, HDL is the stuff that scoops up the artery-clogging bad cholesterol and brings it back to your liver so it can be processed. So two things that can improve your overall cholesterol are a lower LDL and a higher HDL, also called the HDL/LDL ratio.*

Increase your HDL cholesterol and lower your LDL cholesterol. Sounds pretty simple, right? Actually, it can be…

Watch what you eat: this doesn’t necessarily mean “diet.” Knowing where you are getting cholesterol from in your diet is one of the most important ways to manage your cholesterol. A quick rule: ALL animal products have cholesterol, while plant products never contain cholesterol.Exercise: Studies show that aerobic exercise of at least 30 minutes at a time will increase HDL levels. In this case, how long you exercise is more important than how hard you exercise. But lets face it, even a little bit of exercise is probably more than you are doing now, and every little bit will help.

Stop smoking: quitting is never easy, but it will increase your HDL levels.

Eat more fiber: fiber helps you in two ways…  High fiber diets will not only increase your HDL, but it can prevent you from absorbing some of the bad cholesterol that is sneaking into your diet.

Eat healthy fats: monounsaturated fats, such as the fats found in peanut butter, avacados, and olive oil, have been shown to increase your HDL cholesterol, without increasing your total cholesterol.

Avoid trans fats: trans fats are hiding in many of the packaged and prepared foods. Any time a label says “partially hydrogenated oils” stay as far away as you can. When cooked, these hydrogenated oils transform into trans fats, which can increase your LDL and lower your HDL.

Fish oil: fish oil supplements, and fish for that matter, are high in omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids have also been shown to increase HDL levels.

Have a cocktail: alcohol, in moderation (no more than 1-2 drinks daily), can also raise your HDL levels. 

Taking some of these small, manageable steps could prevent you from developing some serious health complications down the road. As with anything, this plan is not fool proof, and you may still need to take medication to control your cholesterol, especially if your levels are dangerously high in the first place. I am not suggesting that this will be easy, but nothing worth a damn ever is.
 

* For example, if your HDL level is 50 mg/dL and your LDL is 150 mg/dL, then your HDL/LDL ratio is 0.33. The goal is to have a level above 0.3, but ideally it should be above 0.4.

The average persons HDL is somewhere between 40-60 mg/dL. Any lower than that and your risk of heart disease increases, but levels above 60 mg/dL have been shown to be protective for your heart. While LDL levels above 100 mg/dL will increase your risk of heart disease.

By: Daniel Spetrini