People talk a lot of smack about cholesterol. Because of the way the health industry has demonized cholesterol, people fear it in every shape and form and go to great lengths to avoid consuming it.
You’ll hear people tell you they don’t eat eggs because they’re high in cholesterol. Or they avoid shrimp because of it. But think about all the other nutrients these foods are loaded with besides cholesterol…
Our bodies need cholesterol. Period. And despite popular conception, not all cholesterol is bad. Yes, too high levels can contribute to heart disease, which is the number one killer in America, but making healthy dietary choices can put you on the road to better levels and a reduced risk of disease—not cutting cholesterol out cold turkey.
If you’re on the side of running for your life when you see something that has cholesterol, we’re breaking cholesterol down for you—what is it, why you need it, and how you can naturally lower your levels through diet.
What Is Cholesterol And Why Do We Need It?
Cholesterol is a lipid naturally synthesized by the liver, but also found in animal foods that travel through your bloodstream and play an important role in transporting fats.
Your liver regulates the synthesis of cholesterol based on how much is coming in through diet; if you consume a lot of dietary cholesterol, your liver is going to knock back endogenous production, and vice versa.
Because fat isn’t water-soluble and cannot dissolve in blood, the body packages fat and cholesterol into tiny particles called lipoproteins. These proteins mix easily with blood and travel easily throughout the body. The lipoproteins we hear about are:
- High-density lipoprotein (HDL)—HDL particles pick up cholesterol from the blood and bring it back to the liver for disposal. It’s basically the garbage truck of the bloodstream. It’s the type of cholesterol that you hear referred to as the “good” kind. You want these levels to be high.
- Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)—Carry cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. When there are high levels of LDL particles floating around the blood, they get stuck on blood vessel walls and lead to plaque, which narrows arteries and limits blood flow. When this plaque breaks, it can lodge and lead to a heart attack or stroke.
- Very-low density lipoprotein (VLDL): Synthesized by the liver and carries triglycerides to tissues.
- Triglycerides—TGs comprise most of the fat that is consumed through diet and travels around the bloodstream. It’s your main vehicle for transporting fats inside cells, and while they’re an important part of maintaining health, high levels can be problematic.
As a general rule, higher LDL cholesterol levels are linked to a great risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic health conditions.
Functions Of Cholesterol
Like we said, cholesterol plays an important role in keeping your body healthy—in normal levels. It’s needed for 1:
- Sex hormone synthesis
- Cell membrane integrity and fluidity
- Bile production
- Vitamin D
How To Naturally Reduce Cholesterol Levels
Diet plays a major role in cholesterol levels; the foods you eat can either reduce cholesterol or increase it. If you struggle with high cholesterol, consider these tips to bring your levels back down to a normal range:
Cut Back On Carbohydrates
Not all carbohydrates are the enemy where cholesterol is concerned, but when you’re eating refined and processed carbs, they’re going to drive your cholesterol levels up.
Studies find that a high intake of processed carbohydrates elicits unfavorable effects on lipid profile, which may have negative implications for metabolic syndrome, diabetes, and coronary heart disease 2.
That may be because of the yo-yo effects that high glycemic carbohydrates have on blood glucose wreak havoc in your body. They can stimulate fat production and inflammation, increase overall caloric intake, and lower insulin sensitivity, all of which contribute to cholesterol imbalances and chronic disease.
Instead, opt for lower glycemic (high fiber) carbs that tend to elicit a more sustained release of glucose. That’s things like:
- Quinoa
- Sweet potato, yams
- Beans and legumes
- Oats, steel-cut oats
- Wild rice
If you swap the refined carbs for high fiber, it benefits your cholesterol levels. As fiber travels through your intestines, it absorbs bile—a substance that helps digest fats. Eventually, both the fiber and attached bile are excreted in your stool.
And since bile is produced from cholesterol, when your liver needs to synthesize more bile, it pulls cholesterol from the bloodstream, thus lowering levels.
The same goes for sugar. High sugar intake can increase cholesterol levels by influencing blood pressure and lipid profile, so cut back on it as much as possible 3.
Eat More Fruits And Vegetables
Not only are fruits and veggies loaded in essential nutrients needed to maintain health, but studies find that people who consume a minimum of four servings of fruits and vegetables daily have on average 6% lower LDL cholesterol levels than people who eat less than two servings daily 4.
But fresh fruit and veggies are also loaded with antioxidants, which help prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and sticking to the walls of your arteries to form plaque 5, 6.
Eliminate Trans Fats
When it comes to fats, trans fats are the worst of the worst. Aside from the small amounts that naturally occur in some animal products, trans fats are man-made and offer nothing beneficial to your health.
In fact, foods that contain trans fats actually increase the amount of LDL cholesterol in the blood and reduce the amount of HDL cholesterol 7. Not to mention they trigger inflammation, which is linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, insulin resistance, and other chronic conditions.
Trans fats are found in:
- Vegetable shortenings
- Margarine
- Fast foods
- Fried foods
- Bakery products (using shortening or margarine)
- Non-dairy coffee creamers
Replace the nasty heart-harming fats with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats like those found in avocados, nuts and seeds, olives, and cold-water fatty fish.
Increase Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids have been touted as an effective way to decrease cholesterol levels. There’s ample research to support the role of omega-3s in:
- Decreasing the risk of heart disease and stroke
- Reducing inflammation
- Lowering triglycerides
- Enhancing cognitive health
- Supporting blood sugar management
And interestingly, studies find that omega-3 fatty acids elicit a favorable effect on triglyceride reduction by modulating VLDL, stabilizing vulnerable plaques, mediating pro-inflammatory chemicals, and offering a positive effect for blood sugar dysregulation 8.
If you’re not a seafood-eater, consider adding a high-quality plant-based omega-3 supplement like Performance Lab Omega-3 that offers the same benefits of fish oils without all the drawbacks. It contains high-potency EPA, and DHA sourced directly from the original source—algae.
Final Thoughts
Cholesterol isn’t the demon people have made it out to be. It’s an essential part of maintaining good health, and it plays a lot of major roles in the body. With respect to high cholesterol, poor lifestyle choices and bad eating habits are actually the ones responsible.
So, rather than reaching for statins to help drop your cholesterol levels, clean up your diet! Trust us when we tell you that it offers a lot more benefits than just improving cholesterol levels.
References
- A Zampelas, E Magriplis. New Insights into Cholesterol Functions: A Friend or an Enemy? Nutrients. 2019;11(7):1645.
- Y Ma, Y Li, DE Chiriboga, et al. Association between carbohydrate intake and serum lipids.J Am Coll Nutr. 2006;25(2):155-163.
- LA Te Morenga, AJ Howatson, RM Jones, J Mann. Dietary sugars and cardiometabolic risk: systematic review and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials of the effects on blood pressure and lipids.Am J Clin Nutr. 2014;100(1):65-79.
- L Djoussé, DK Arnett, H Coon, MA Province, LL Moore, RC Ellison. Fruit and vegetable consumption and LDL cholesterol: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Family Heart Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004;79(2):213-217.
- RH Health benefits of fruit and vegetables are from additive and synergistic combinations of phytochemicals. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;78(3 Suppl):517S-520S.
- M Aviram, M Kaplan, M Rosenblat, B Fuhrman. Dietary antioxidants and paraoxonases against LDL oxidation and atherosclerosis development.Handb Exp Pharmacol. 2005;(170):263-300.
- IA Brouwer, AJ Wanders, MB Katan. Effect of animal and industrial trans fatty acids on HDL and LDL cholesterol levels in humans--a quantitative review [published correction appears in PLoS One. 2010;5(10) doi: 10.1371/annotation/c4cf3127-89b2-4d58-abf3-ab0746342a90]. PLoS One. 2010;5(3):e9434.
- D Weitz, H Weintraub, E Fisher, AZ Schwartzbard. Fish oil for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.Cardiol Rev. 2010;18(5):258-263.
