by Erik Van Tongerloo

Created on: February 28, 2007   Last Updated: October 11, 2009

We have noticed during the last years an increase of people who suffer high cholesterol levels. We are overwhelmed with too many sweets and food high in cholesterol and many people can't resist the temptation to eat this delicious food which can harm our health if we exaggerate consuming this kind of food.

Cholesterol is an essential substance made in our body through the liver and necessary for vital functions in our body. We need cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, bile acids which are necessary for digestion and to form and maintain cell membranes. We have to reduce cholesterol if an excess of cholesterol is present in our blood and can be considered as too high for getting several diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases but also certain cancers.

There are two kinds of cholesterol : the good cholesterol (also called the high density lipoprotein) and the bad cholesterol (also called the low density lipoprotein). The good cholesterol (HDL) is helpful to absorb the bad cholesterol (LDL) out of the bloodstream. The great danger is a high level of bad cholesterol (LDL) which will slowly build up in the arteries of your heart or brains and caused mainly through eating foods which contain too many saturated fats or cholesterol but also genetic factors play an important rule.

High cholesterol is a serious problem and can only be measured through a blood test. It is advisable to check your level of cholesterol at least once a year. The desirable blood cholesterol is lower than 190mg/dl. Reducing your cholesterol level is often a matter of changing your lifestyle. You need a well balanced diet but also exercise is necessary to reduce your level of cholesterol.

Here are some tips which may help you to reduce your level of cholesterol:

* eat plenty of vegetables and fruit
* eat at least twice a week fish and preferable fatty fisch because it contains Omega-3 Fatty acids
* eat foods which are rich in fibre (whole grains, whole wheat pastas, spinach etc)
* limit the intake of fatty meat
* avoid sweets and snacks because these are often rich on saturated fats
* eat yogurt and drink soya milk
* drink low or reduced fat milk instead of whole milk
* avoid smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages
* exercise at least three times each week
* lose weight if you are overweight
* avoid frying your food and start to grill this food
* use olive oil when you prepare your food
* be careful if you go dining out; choose for restaurants which serves low cholesterol dishes
* avoid fast food

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