Low Cholesterol Diet

High cholesterol is a common affliction in the Western world today. The vast majority of us eat too much fast food and do too little exercise. Increased cholesterol levels can lead to cardiovascular problems; it can cause the build up of plaque in  your arteries and eventually lead to atherosclerosis and myocardial infarction (heart attack).

Having low cholesterol can make your heart healthier and help you live longer! There are a few types of cholesterol:

• LDL or Low Density Lipoprotein - the bad cholesterol
• VLDL or Very Low Density Lipoprotein - another type of bad cholesterol, too much VLDL puts you at risk of coronary heart disease
• HDL  or High Density Lipoprotein - the good cholesterol

Increased levels of LDL and VLDL put you at risk of coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis can lead to the formation of a thrombus (blood clot), which, if dislodged can cause a stroke or heart attack. Lowering LDL alone may not be enough for those at high risk of a heart attack and thus HDL must be increased.

The Effects of High Cholesterol

Increased levels of HDL is cardio-protective, meaning it lowers your risk of a heart attack or atherosclerosis. It acts by, simply put, pulling the plaque off of the hardened vessel walls. It also binds to the bad cholesterol and carries it to the liver to be disposed.

At Risk Levels:

• Men - Less than 40mg/dL (1mmol/L)
• Women - Less than 50mg/dL (1.3nmol/L)

Optimal Levels of HDL:

• Men and Women - 16mg/dL (16mmol/L) or more

Total Cholesterol - the sum of your HDL, LDL and VLDL levels (not always VLDL). This is the level that needs to be altered in order to have low cholesterol. High total cholesterol can indicate your risk of having a heart attack but it's not the best indicator; low cholesterol is also not a good indicator. Knowing the levels of each lipoprotein is far better.

Increasing HDL and Lowering LDL

There are many ways to alter your diet to tip the scale in your favour when it comes to cholesterol:

• Lower your saturated fat in-take. Not all saturated fats cause an increase in cholesterol - only fats with 12 carbons (C12), 14 carbons (C14) and 16 carbons (C16). That means you should avoid: lauric acid, myristic acid and palmitic acid. As a general rule, saturated fat intake should be lowered.

• Eat more grass-fed meat and less grain-fed meat. This point is linked to the first; grass fed meat has a higher concentration of C18 fatty acids (stearic acid) which DOES NOT increase cholesterol. Stearic acid is found in abundance in cocoa butter!

• Incorporate olives and olive oil into your diet. Olives contain Oleic Acid which is a mono-unsaturated fatty acid capable of reducing LDL and is resistant to lipoperoxidation. It is also found in rape seed oil.

• Avoid trans fats - they contribute towards cardiovascular disease.

• Increase intake of Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids - BUT, ensure your diet contains more Omega 3 than Omega 6. While Omega 6 reduces cholesterol, it also has inflammatory effects. Omega 3 has anti-inflammatory properties amongst a myriad of other benefits.

• Supplement with Chromium (250mg a day) - it helps the body process sugars and fats thus leading to less chance of type II Diabetes and higher HDL function.

• Supplement with Niacin (200mg three times a day) - niacin has shown it's ability to increase HDL levels and reduce total triglyceride levels in clinical studies. If you are prone to Niacin Flush, you can use Inositol Hexanicotinate also known as "No Flush Niacin," it's as safe and possibly more effective!

• Supplement with circumin (found in turmeric) (500mg a day) - it is a very powerful anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory. In one clinical study it was shown to increase HDL levels by 29% in one week.

• Supplement with red yeast rice (two 600mg doses per day) - red yeast rice has been shown to cause a 25% - 40% decrease in total cholesterol levels and increase HDL levels! Red Yeast Rice inhibits the enzyme responsible for cholesterol production in the liver.

• Other supplements to note: Ginseng, Ginkgo Biloba, Dong Quai, Evening Primrose Oil, Starflower Oil, St John's Wort

There are a lot of options out there to lower cholesterol and support healthy HDL levels.

As society progresses and fast food/junk food becomes more and more prevalent it becomes more important to supplement correctly and watch your blood cholesterol levels. I would recommend everyone get their cholesterol checked at least once every six months to make sure that nothing's going wrong. I would also suggest that people begin supplementing with niacin or a vitamin B complex for the purposes of safety.