Diet Low in Cholesterol

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a compound, actually a fatty molecule, that is both produced by our livers and found in some foods. Any food that comes from an animal, whether that's meat, eggs, dairy products or fish, contains some naturally-occurring cholesterol.

Our bodies make about 80 percent of the cholesterol we need each day, and the rest comes from food. Yes, we actually do need cholesterol for our bodies to run efficiently, to produce hormones like estrogen and testosterone, and to provide our cells with structure.

Most experts say that getting about 300 milligrams of cholesterol from food each day is plenty. Getting too much cholesterol can lead to clogged arteries, which in turn can cause heart disease, heart attacks and other health problems.

Cholesterol actually refers to a few different substances in the blood, and when you get your cholesterol tested you'll get numbers back representing your total cholesterol, LDL (also known as "bad" cholesterol) and HDL (or "good" cholesterol).

The American Heart Association says that total cholesterol should be under 200, LDL should ideally be under 100, and the higher the better is good for HDL, though most people fall in the 40 to 60 range.

Planning a Diet Low in Cholesterol

If your cholesterol numbers are near the healthy range, your doctor may wish for you to try a diet low in cholesterol to see if you can get your numbers into the healthy range without medication. It is not that difficult to lower the cholesterol levels in the foods you eat, and you don't have to become a vegetarian to do it (though certainly that wouldn't hurt if it's something you're interested in).

The most important first step for a heart-healthy diet that will lower cholesterol levels is to cut back on saturated fats and, as much as possible, eliminate trans fats from your diet. Trans fats come from the hydrogenation of oils and are known to raise cholesterol levels. They may be even more harmful than saturated fats.

Saturated fats are found in things like full-fat dairy products, egg yolks, fatty meats and tropical oils like coconut and palm. These fats are full of cholesterol-raising properties and should be limited.

Here are a few quick tips for limiting the cholesterol in your diet:

• Choose 2 percent or skim milk and dairy products, and watch the serving sizes. An ounce of cheese is about the size of two dominoes.
• Limit your consumption of fatty meats like bacon, cured meats and lunchmeats. Eat red meat only a couple of times a week or less. A good serving of meat, three ounces, is about the size of the palm of a woman's hand.
• Try to go without meat for a full day or a couple of nights a week. Try eating more beans, vegetables and soy products instead of meat.
• If you're not already eating fish regularly, get in the habit of eating fish at least once a week. The fatty fish like salmon, tuna, trout, sardines, herring and mackerel are all great choices, since they contain Omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower cholesterol levels.
• Try egg substitutes or egg products in which the yolk has been removed. That way you still get a tasty, protein packed product for a meal or for baking, but without the cholesterol.

More Healthy Eating Tips

Eating a diet low in cholesterol by changing the meats you eat is just part of the puzzle. It's also important to eat a lot of fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Not only are these foods cholesterol free, they can help boost levels of good cholesterol in your body.

It's also a good idea to switch to healthier oils such as olive, canola and soybean. All oils have a lot of fat, but these are mostly made from a healthier sort of fat, particularly if you're using them in place of hydrogenated margarine.

Adding in these changes along with eating foods lower in cholesterol should help get your numbers into the healthy range.