NUTRITION

CHOLESTEROL

What is cholesterol?
What are HDL's and LDL's?
How much cholesterol should I eat?
Tips to help lower cholesterol

What Is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy fat substance in the blood of our bodies.  Our bodies need cholesterol to function.  Your liver makes all the cholesterol it needs to survive.  The other source of cholesterol comes from food.  Cholesterol is found in animal products such as meat, eggs and whole milk dairy products.  If the level of cholesterol gets to high, it can stick to artery walls and cause serious health problems.  52% of American adults have high cholesterol.

What are HDL’s and LDL’s?
There are different types of cholesterol in the body.  The two most commonly talked about are HDL’s and LDL’s.  These help carry the cholesterol around the body, sort of like a package.

HDL = High density lipoprotein

• The “good” package for cholesterol
• Gathers up the extra cholesterol in the blood
• May help remove some of the cholesterol on the artery walls

• The “bad” package for cholesterol
• Too much can cause arteries to narrow and become clogged
• Can build-up and block flow of blood to the heart
• Causes heart disease

How much cholesterol should I eat?
The recommendation for how much cholesterol someone should eat is less than 300 milligrams (mgs) a day.  Remember only animal products or foods with animal products contain cholesterol.  Plant products do not contain cholesterol.  Reading food labels can help you figure out how much cholesterol is in the food you are eating.

Tips to help lower cholesterol:
1.  Choose lean cuts of meat and remove skin from chicken and turkey.
2.  Limit egg yolks to 3 yolks a week.  1 egg = 2 egg whites or ¼ cup egg substitute when cooking.
3.  Replace whole milk and cream in recipes with low-fat milk, evaporated skimmed milk,
     nonfat dry milk, or fat-free condensed milk.
4.  Use low-fat or fat fat-free versions of cheese, yogurt, and sour cream.
5.  Use vegetable oil when cooking.  Try olive, canola, peanut, safflower, corn, soybean, sunflower, sesame, or cottonseed oil.
6.  Eat more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables everyday.
7.  Do more physical activity.  Aim for 30 minutes 3 days a week.