I'm female, 38 and was have recently found out I have a cholesterol level of 6.5, which while I appreciate probably isn't too high it really should be lower. Combine this with a family history of heart disease and possible stroke and the Dr advised me to reduce the levels through diet. I suspect the levels have crept up through my liberal use of butter in cooking and the amount of cake and biscuits I've eaten since having children.
I've replaced butter with benecol, increased the amount of veg I eat and am laying off the fatty snacks (cakes, biscuits etc). I've been checking the saturated fat of things I buy but am unclear as to when the level of saturated fat becomes a problem... is 10g per 100g too much? Is there a recommendation of how many times a week (day?) I can get away with eating stuff with a higher saturated fat content? What about cheese? I love a good cheese...
What is safe to eat in terms of sweet snacks? Grapes and other fruit don't quite cut it, and at any rate fresh fruit is expensive (I eat a lot...) and I am not a fan of most tinned fruit.
Does sugar affect cholesterol? Are cappuccinos bad for cholesterol?
Can anyone help guide me through this stuff?
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ChalkWitching
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That’s a huge list. Fats are controversial some will say saturated is ok others it is not.
Omega 3 seems to be the fat of choice so good quality virgin olive oil.
Plant based diet people will advise taking almost no fat!
Moderation seems like o be the answer and to avoid trans fats completely.
That’s your solid fats and fats used to deep fry or in baked goods.
If it says Hydrogenated then avoid it. Bit of a killer as far as biscuits are concerned.
Oily fish is good 2 to 3 times a week.
Other than that plenty of information on the net. Benocol is a very expensive way to take plant stenols. I would leave that in the shelf and buy fresh fruits and nuts.
With a family history of heart disease your target total cholesterol should be 4.0 or below (this may not be achievable by diet alone because of our starting level). The problem with biscuits and similar products is trans-fats which raise the LDL (bad cholesterol) level. Some manufacturers are addressing this but usually profits rule.
Sugar does not affect cholesterol directly but the excess calories get laid down as fat so best limited.
A cappuccino's damage? If it is made with skimmed milk and taken unsweetened or with artificial sweetener fine, full cream milk and sugar not so good!
Why not buy a low fat recipe book for ideas and to gain knowledge.
My mum had stents fitted when she was around 60. My Dad has been doing family history for some years now and found a lot of his relatives had heart attacks in their 40s, but this would be my grandparents' (wartime) generation. Does my grandparents generation count as family in terms of warning signs for cholesterol levels?
It certainly can do. My father, his brother and their father all died prematurely from CVD. Although it unclear I believe a sister died from vascular dementia (blocking of blood vessels).
The Lp(a) is one of a number of blood tests that shows a genetic tendancy to CVD. However many GPs will not carry it out - I was told it was researchy! My bypass definitely wasn't!
"Drat" - it speaks volumes and I can sympathise with it completely.
I've had 2 stents recently. I have been really surprised at the non-physical effect. So much has had to change for me. My diet is one. Its tough, but I realise now I have no choice. I looked for ways around the changes, but I am now at the point where its accept the changes or accept the regrets at some point in the future. I know this isn't what you want, it will be difficult for you and those close to you. I've found that by being open with friends and family, they understand and are supportive. You need the help from wherever its available. Don't turn away from others and read these blogs, they help me, particularly when I am feeling down.
6.5 seems too high, but diet only accounts for a small percentage of your cholesterol level, your liver makes 80% of your cholesterol so diet changes will only have a marginal effect.
There is a lot of discussion about lipid levels so I would not venture to give individual advice, however there is one thing the medical profession is united on and that's the effect diet has on our overall health.
Too much saturated fat and sugar bad, lots of fruit and vegetables good.....and the best investment for health is a good pair of trainers....and to use them of course, and the feeling of wellbeing a good brisk walk in the fresh air can give you!
Here's some advice I found online and it's consistent with all the dietary info I have had. Mind you, I take Ezetrol (Ezetimibe), which reduces the amount of cholesterol the body absorbs.
Plants do not contain cholesterol and are usually low in saturated fat so vegetables and other plant-based foods should feature regularly in a diet to lower cholesterol. These include oat cereals, barley fruit, vegetables, soya foods and drinks, beans and pulses, nuts and seeds such as:
Porridge
Oatbran
Oat breakfast cereals
Bread made with 50% oat flour or oat bran
Oatcakes
Pearl barley
Baked beans
Adzuki beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, butter beans, cannellini beans, chickpeas, edamame beans, kidney beans, lima beans, mung beans, navy beans, pinto beans, split peas, white beans
Red lentils, green lentils
Vegetables rich in soluble fibre such as okra, aubergine, citrus fruits, turnip, sweet potato and mango
Unsalted soya nuts (also called roasted edamame beans)
The web can be very confusing as there isn't consensus about what causes heart disease. Some people think too much sugar rather than fats is the issue.
Since I've had to pay far more attention to my diet I've had 3 watchwords which are moderation, balance and variety. In other words nothing extreme like cutting out whole food groups such as carbs, balancing the plate of food as between protein, carbs etc and eating as many variety of foods as possible.
I've become a bit obsessive about reading food labels. Once you get your eye in it doesn't take a minute. I pay particular attention to total fat and of which saturates. NHS guidance is not more than 20 g of saturated fat per day for a woman. I don't bother to add it up but if something is high in saturated fat I would avoid it. Also look at the sugars, shown as carbohydrate, of which sugars. I discovered fairly early on that all the carbohydrate in milk is in the form of sugars, so I do watch my milk intake and have been going less to Costa for a cappucino (but that's also because I buy a packet of biscuits as well).
If you can get hold of a hard copy, inside the booklet is a pop out card which matches the nutritional panel on a lot of food packaging. It slips easily into a wallet or purse and I use it all the time in the supermarket. There is a copy on page 74 of the booklet. There is also a page on cheese !! as well as loads of other stuff. Try your doctors or hospital or order it from BHF.
Same problem here; so much conflicting advice. I even read articles tat say plant sterols as advertised in benecol and flora are dangerous. I've decided moderation is he key. I loath and detest fish of any kind so have more or less banned red meat ( except maybe twice a month and then fat free), cook with rape seed oil or olive oil; use lots of herbs and spices and add mountains of vegetables to everything. Because of severe IBS I have to have a low fibre diet which doesn't really help. My cholesterol was only just over 4 but because I just had a heart attack, the doc wants it lower so has also put me on the lowest dose of statin. I allow myself one small cake bar a week and eat nuts instead of sweets (watch the calories). Walnuts are supposed to help reduce cholesterol and I have one small square of dark chocolate a day. Bloos test due in two weeks so we will see if it's been any help.
I asked if I could see a dietician for advice, just once but was told they no longer exist in our area. The GP has excellent diabetic nurses but no one else to give advice.
It sounds like you are doing the right things. Plenty of grapes and nuts are good, (for me anyway), soon you won't want cakes and stuff. Also exercise exercise exercise.....
human body produces 80% of cholesterol necessary for the body to function. 20 % from what goes into our mouth. Total cholesterol 6.5, your GP needs to do a risk analysis using all other data from you medical check and fully explain what to reduce for a healthy life.
Regular exercise, watching out for hidden and free sugar can help as well.
Thanks all. The Drs news has left me quite stressed as I really don't want to die and leave my family alone. Or even be incapacitated by a heart attack or stroke. Arrgghh. I've been looking at food labels and avoiding things where the saturated fats are high in comparison to the unsaturated fats. Not got as far as looking at sugars yet but have deffo reduced my intake.
I'm finding it quite hard dealing with the not knowing exactly what I need to do to reduce my levels. The Dr said they'll give me another cholesterol test next year but I feel nervy waiting.
As for exercise, I work in a desk job 2.5 days a week but have a 3 year old, so you'd think I'd get lots of moving about, but I'm not sure I do. I'll try and up my exercise. I am working towards being able to run again in the new year, so long as my knees agree with that.
Definitely avoid anything with palm oil or coconut oil in the ingredients. If you use oil in cooking then rapeseed is the best to use as olive oil is nit quite as health once heated apparently.
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