The Cardiac Clinic for a healthy heart
Phone 0508 CARDIAC (0508 227 342)
www.thecardiacclinic.co.nz
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is
found in all the cells of your body. It is important
in the processes of making Vitamin D, hormones
and substances that help with digestion. Your
liver makes cholesterol, and many foods we eat
contain cholesterol. Interestingly, if we did not
at any cholesterol in our diet we would still
have plenty, made by the liver, to make all the
things that are needed. If your blood cholesterol
is higher than normal, the cholesterol can
become deposited in your blood vessels causing
blockages. This is particularly dangerous when the
blood vessels in the heart or brain are affected.
Cholesterol is transported through our blood vessels by
transporters called lipoproteins. The two main types of
lipoproteins are low-density-lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density
lipoproteins (HDL). LDL’s transport cholesterol from our liver or
digestive system and to our cells. HDL’s pick up cholesterol
from our cells and take it back to the liver. It is important to
have a healthy balance between LDL’s and HDL’s. When
you have your cholesterol measured by a blood test from
your doctor the results show the amount of LDL, HDL and
triglycerides. Triglycerides are another type of fatty
substance that can clog your blood vessels and reduce
or prevent blood flow through them.
Why is high cholesterol dangerous?
High levels of LDL cholesterol means that there are lots of transporters sending cholesterol
out to your cells and blood vessels. Once these transporters arrive at their destination
they drop off their cargo. When LDL levels are too high, cholesterol gets dropped off at
your blood vessels and starts to build up in the wall of the blood vessel. These build ups of
cholesterol and other substances are called plaques.
A balance of LDL and HDL cholesterol is essential for
health, especially the health of your blood vessels.
Having a good amount of HDL cholesterol means that
you have transporters that are picking up cholesterol
from your cells and blood vessels and taking it back
to the liver to get rid of it. You can think of HDL’s as
sweepers, clearing away the cholesterol for you.
Infact, LDL is often referred to as ‘bad cholesterol’
and HDL as ‘good cholesterol’.
How do I improve my cholesterol?
Improving your cholesterol means reducing your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and
increasing your HDL cholesterol.
To reduce your LDL cholesterol and triglycerides you can:
Reduce the amount of red meat you eat (2-3 times per week is ideal)
Avoid takeaways and deep fried foods
Limit cheese and use a low fat option when you need to e.g. Edam
Change from blue top milk to green, yellow or orange
Avoid hydrogenated fats in products such as bakery food, potato chips and processed
foods
To increase your HDL cholesterol you can:
Increase the amount of fish that you eat
Choose raw, unsalted nuts, as a snack
Eat avocados when they are in season
Make salad dressings with olive or canola oil
Cook or stir fry with rice bran oil
Exercise regularly
Choose one or two of these things to change right away and once you have
made the change and are comfortable, choose another two things to make.
Often if we try to change many things about our diet or lifestyle all at once, we cannot
maintain those changes. A little at a time is usually the best way to make the changes stick.