Eat To Your Hearts Content
Cardiovascular disease including coronary heart disease (CAD), stroke and peripheral vascular disease are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Increased total plasma cholesterol levels, increased low-density lipoproteins (LDL) the bad cholesterol low and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) the good cholesterol are risk factors for CAD. Following is information on diet to help you lower your blood cholesterol.
| CHOLESTEROL CATEGORIES | |
| LDL Cholesterol | |
| Less than 130 mg/dl | Desirable |
| 130 to 159 mg/dl | Borderline-High Risk |
| 160 mg/dl and above | High Risk |
| HDL Cholesterol | |
| Less than 35 mg/dl | Low HDL-cholesterol - High Risk |
| 45-50 good men |
women 50-60 good
35-95 normal |
Note: These categories apply to adults age 20 and above. |
|
Monounsaturated fats - olive and canola oil, peanut oil, nuts, avocados raise HDLs in normal weight people and do not raise total or LDL cholesterol levels.
Polyunsaturated like safflower, sunflower and corn oil lower both LDL and HDL.
Polyunsaturated fat is also thought to cause oxidation of LDL (oxidized LDLs are more atherogenic). Saturated fat uniformly raises total and LDL cholesterol. Trans fats are polyunsaturated fats that are liquids oils made solid by processing and made more atherogenic as a result e.g. Crisco, margarine, etc. See the word hydrogenated fats in the ingredient list and avoid those products.
Omega 3 fatty acids - soybean, flaxseed, walnuts, fish and fish oil. May lower triglycerides and reduce blood clotting. Omega 3 fatty acids relax narrowed arteries, lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol. Fish-low in saturated fat, high in omega 3 fatty acids.Try to eat fish twice a week-Salmon, sardines, trout, mackerel (best bets).
Soluble fiber eating 3 grams/day will lower cholesterol by 5%- (1 bowl long cooking oatmeal/day) foods high in soluble fiber: oat bran, legumes, barley, fruits and vegetables. Metamucil- 3 glasses of Psyllium laced beverages day lower LDL by 13%. Kellogg's Bran Buds is one of the first food products to contain pysillium.
Red Wine - raises HDLS, reduces blood clotting Flavenoid compounds (quercetin) in the grapes may inhibit LDL oxidation; the same compounds are in grapes and grape juice, apples and onions. Tea especially green, is another source of flavanoids.
Coffee - Studies show that cafetiere (brewed, unfiltered) coffee raise LDL cholesterol. This is coffee made by pouring boiling water over ground coffee in a container with a sieve plunger AKA French Press. Filtered coffee does not have this effect.
Garlic -l owers cholesterol, blood pressure and incidence of LDL oxidation. Cooked fresh and dried powders are better than raw for lowering cholesterol, 1-3 cloves/day. Kwai is a commercially available garlic supplement- 900mgs/day lowers total chol>11% and LDL>14%. Caution: if taking Coumadin or other blood thinning medications avoid garlic pills and eat no more than one clove/day.
Soy Protein - may help to lower serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol- soy is also a good source of soluble fiber and phytochemicals. Try soymilk, tofu, Miso, tempeh, textured vegetable protein (TVP).
Folic Acid, B6 and B12 - lower homocysteine levels (thought to make artery walls sticky allowing cholesterol build up)
- good sources of folic acid are oranges, legumes, spinach and fortified cereals
- Good sources of vitamin B6: bananas, broccoli, chicken, legumes, and tuna.
- Good sources of vitamin B12: beef, sardines, yogurt, pork and chicken.
Vitamin E - prevents oxidation of LDLs and stickiness of platelets Good sources of vitamin E-vegetable oils, fish oils wheat germ, nuts, grains and seeds, fortified breakfast cereals. Hard to get 200-400IUs day from diet. Best bet is to supplement for heart disease prevention.
Vitamin C - prevents oxidation of LDLs and helps to keep the arteries opened up to facilitate blood flow. Good sources- citrus fruits, kiwi, guava, tomatoes, broccoli, and tomato and mixed vegetable juices. Get at least 200mgs/day.
Lycopene (one of the large family of carotenoids) may help to prevent heart disease and cancer (prostate cancer). Cooked tomato products with olive oil are the best sources- watermelon and red grapefruit are also sources of lycopene.
Tocotrienols derived from rice bran and (don't need the and) seem to lower cholesterol by acting on the liver enzyme used to make cholesterol from saturated fat. Supplement called Evolve. 200 mg/day. Don't bother taking E and tocotrienols together take either one or the other.1 out of 4 do not respond. Responders lowered total and LDL by 16 and 23% respectively.
Other heart healthy foods: Pineapple's heart healthy component is an enzyme called bromelain. It:- lowers blood pressure
- reduces platelet aggregation
- reduces LDL levels and thereby helps stave off atherosclerosis
- relieves angina
- may normalize irregular heartbeat
Red Yeast cultivated on rice contains several HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors that are related to the prescription drugs that lower cholesterol. They stimulated the production of good cholesterol and lower the bad cholesterol. Cholestin - is a red yeast product sold over the counter that does all that and lowers TG levels too. Available at drugstores.
Cholestaid - an over the counter cholesterol buster. Cholestaid contains saponins, compounds that some believe bind with cholesterol, blocking absorption and promoting excretion. Saponins are found in nature -oats, quinoa, soy, chickpeas, kidney beans, green peas, potatoes and spinach. Cholestaid lowers total and LDL cholesterol after several months 2 tablets three times/day. The cost $35.00 for 90 pills.
Guggul - oleo gum that comes from the trunk of a tree that grows in India. Lowers cholesterol and TGs in both humans and animals. Healthfood stores. May raise HDLs. Caution: avoid if you have liver disease, inflammatory bowel disease or diarrhea.
Benecol - margarine-like bread spread that contains plant sterol from pine trees. Doesn't raise cholesterol like butter and margarine and is drug-like in that it lowers it. You can buy this in the supermarket. Take Control - another margarine-like spread contains a plant ester from soybeans that lower cholesterol. At supermarkets.
Note: Research shows that the cholesterol lowering margarines listed above have to potential to lower the blood level of carotenoids in your blood. Carotenoids like beta-carotene, lycopene and lutein are just a few famous members of this nourishing family of phytochemicals. Research shows that carotenoids may lower the risk of heart disease, cancer, stroke and macular degeneration, the major cause of blindness in the elderly. So if you use this products you may need to supplement or eat more foods from this category - fruits and vegetables.
The bottom Line
Eat a healthy diet, low in total fat, but not fat free. Monounsaturated fats and omega 3 fatty acids have a therapeutic effects on cholesterol levels and overall heart health.
Eat more fish, white meat chicken, legumes (beans) and soy protein. Limit meat to 1-2 times week. Use non-fat milk products exclusively.
Eat foods high in fiber; e.g. whole grains (brown rice, whole grain bread, pasta and cereals) Best bets start the day with a big bowl of oatmeal or Kellogg's Bran Buds.
Minimize excess table sugar, syrup, honey, regular soda, and candy, refined carbohydrates- e.g. white bread, pasta, rice. Excess sugar turns to fat. Refined carbohydrates are broken down rapidly to sugar.
Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables try to get one of every color every day.
Eat everything in moderation, exercise and maintain a healthy weight.
Raising HDL(the good cholesterol)
There is good and bad cholesterol. The good cholesterol is HDL or high-density lipoprotein. The HDL's act like a broom, they sweep cholesterol out of the arteries and thereby protect you from cardiovascular disease. The bad cholesterol is LDL or low density lipoprotein. LDL deposit in the arteries and cause illness.
HDL is the only cholesterol level that you want to be high. Most people think genes determine how well HDL respond to diet and lifestyle changes. For some the only way to raise HDL is medication. Alcohol may raise HDL but also raises triglycerides.
Following are things you can do that might help raise this protective cholesterol level.
1. Lose weight if you are overweight. Excess
body fat causes the body to break down HDL
faster so they are not available to do their
clean-up work.
2. Exercise. Research show that this is one
way to raise the HDL. It may be the fat
loss!
3. Stop smoking!
4. Ease up on carbohydrates. People of normal
weight with high triglycerides and low HDLs may
be better off eating fewer carbohydrates- both
sugars and starches esp. the refined type- and
more monounsaturated fats, as found in olive
and canola oils, avocado and nuts and omega 3
found in fish, walnuts, flaxseed etc.
5. Eliminate trans fats by limiting foods made
with hydrogenated oils. Some research suggests
that this kind of fat lowers HDL.
6. Eat lots of vitamin C rich foods like
citrus fruits, kiwi, strawberries, tomatoes,
broccoli, cauliflower and potatoes. Extra
vitamin C might raise HDLs.
A Canadian study shows that drinking orange juice - up to 3 glasses a day can increase HDL cholesterol by as much as 27%. Why this is so is not entirely clear, but what is known is that it contains a flavenoid (phytochemical) called hesperidin. Eating whole oranges probably won't work as well because it takes about 4 medium oranges to make one 8oz glass.
Four glasses a day comes out to a whopping 500 calories, so if you decide to add the orange juice, cut out 500 calories somewhere else in your daily diet.
Updated June 2000
Donna Tinnerello, MS, RD, CD/N is a registered dietitian, living in Manhattan, with more than 10 years experience in HIV and nutrition. Her subspecialties are cardiovascular, renal, gastrointestinal disease, diabetes and weight management.
Donna is available for private consultation by referral only.
Ms.Tinnerello has donated time and articles to our web site at always your choice and we sincerely appreciate her contributions.