Adding healthy fats to your meal does not guarantee lowering your cholesterol levels, not every carbohydrate will raise the levels of cholesterol in your blood, and what is the difference between Cholesterol in your body and Cholesterol in the food?
This article will answer any questions you may have about cholesterol.
1. Eating a vegetarian diet limits cholesterol
Have you have heard that following a vegetarian diet will lower your cholesterol levels, if so then you need to understand that this is not always true.
2 great examples of vegetarian fats that can raise cholesterol levels are coconut oil and palm oil.These oils can raise the risk level of having a heart attack. Coconut and palm oil are commonly used in the fast food industry so it is important to pay attention to nutritional value and saturated fat of the foods you eat containing these oils, so you are not killing yourself slowly while eating a vegetarian meal.
2. Having high cholesterol is bad news
Having high cholesterol is not always a bad thing. Cholesterol consists of LDL cholesterol (bad Cholesterol) and HDL cholesterol (Good Cholesterol). Sometimes, for reasons that are primarily genetic, HDL cholesterol levels can be very high (positive factor). Yes, having a high HDL cholesterol level does mean that you overall cholesterol levels are high BUT, due to the fact it is healthy cholesterol, this means that it is not a problem that needs medical treatment. So if you suffer from high cholesterol in general, make sure get a test to determine if it is LDL or HDL cholesterol.
3. I am working out, but my good cholesterol levels aren’t rising, should I just quit working out?
The answer is simple – you should keep on working out because physical activity improves your overall general health and strengthens your heart health in particular. In addition, good cholesterol (HDL) is divided into three types (1, 2 and 3). HDL 2 in particular is very important as it protects against heart disease. Studies have shown that people, who work out over time, raised the levels of HDL 2, thus resulting in better protection from heart disease.
4. Cut carbs to lower triglyceride levels
This is not true. It’s obvious that if one cuts all forms of carbs, there will be a drop in triglyceride levels, but following such a drastic change in your diet will leave you feeling tired and fatigued. This can have a detrimental effect on your body that can ultimately lead to the formation of certain diseases. Another way of lowering triglycerides is by consuming less simple sugars, eating less complex carbs (for those eating a carb heavy diet), losing weight if you are obese and adding physical exercise into your daily routine.
5. The amount of cholesterol in foods eaten raises your cholesterol levels.
Generally, this is not true. It is true in cases of consistent overeating. 66% of the cholesterol in your body is produced by the liver and other bodily organs. The other 33% comes from food. In the case that there is an overload of cholesterol consumed through food, the liver will slow down on production of cholesterol to achieve a state of balance in the body. This mechanism also works in the other direction, if we decrease the amount cholesterol we consume from food to zero, the liver will increase its internal production of cholesterol. Only by consuming copious amounts of food containing cholesterol will result in a large increase in cholesterol in your blood supply.
6. Avoid eggs to lower your cholesterol
While it is true that eating too many eggs can raise cholesterol levels, eating 2-3 eggs a week will not have a detrimental effect on cholesterol levels.
7. Following a proper diet doesn’t really have an effect on cholesterol
Following a diet that is geared towards lowering cholesterol may help reduce cholesterol levels by 15% to 28%. Another benefit of eating healthy is that it may help prevent the need for taking cholesterol cutting medications. A diet rich in fiber will be sure to have a beneficial effect on lowering cholesterol levels. Another rule of thumb when following a cholesterol lowering diet is to try to avoid food that contains trans fat.
8. I am on medication to lower cholesterol levels so there is no point following a diet
Eating a nutritional diet focused on lowering your cholesterol levels is a step that must be taken when trying to combat cholesterol levels regardless of being on medication to lower cholesterol. The combined effect of being on medication at the same time following an effective diet is sure to help lower high cholesterol levels.
9. Fish oil lowers cholesterol level
Although fish oil is beneficial to heart health, by helping lower triglyceride level, fish oil can raise the levels of bad cholesterol. This increase in bad cholesterol is not that harmful to your health because the most significant component of harmful cholesterol is not raise by the consumption of fish oil.
10. I have heard that eating fish everyday will lower triglyceride levels
This is not true. This is because fish contain minute amounts of heavy metals like mercury, which is extremely toxic to humans. Mercury is present in the flesh of fish due to the current pollution epidemic in the seas and oceans they thrive in. It is recommended to consume fish twice a week to reduce the risk of eating too much mercury. Try to eat fish that come from cold water sources as they contain less mercury and have more heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids.