Nutrition in High Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the blood. The body needs cholesterol to build healthy cells, but high cholesterol levels can increase the risk of heart disease. With high cholesterol, fatty deposits can develop in the blood vessels. Eventually, these deposits grow larger, making it difficult for adequate blood to flow through the major vessels. Sometimes, these deposits can suddenly break off and form a clot that causes a heart attack or stroke. High cholesterol can be inherited, but it is often the result of unhealthy lifestyle choices, making it preventable and treatable. A healthy diet, regular exercise and sometimes medication can help reduce high cholesterol.

High cholesterol usually has no symptoms. A blood test performed by your physician is the only way to determine whether you have high cholesterol disease.

Cholesterol is transported through the blood by binding to proteins. This combination of protein and cholesterol is called lipoprotein. Lipoproteins have different names for cholesterol depending on what they carry. They are:

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL): LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, carries cholesterol particles throughout your body. LDL cholesterol accumulates on the walls of the arteries, causing the vessels to become hard and narrow.

• High-density lipoprotein (HDL): HDL or "good" cholesterol, It takes cholesterol and takes it back to your liver. In this way, it prevents plaque formation in the vessels.

In general, cholesterol can be determined by the amount of triglycerides in laboratory results.

Having a high triglyceride level may also increase the risk of heart disease. Some controllable factors - inactivity, obesity and unhealthy diet - cause high cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol. Factors beyond your control can also play a role in increasing cholesterol. For example, genetic makeup can prevent cells from removing LDL cholesterol from the blood efficiently or cause the liver to produce too much cholesterol.

    It can increase bad cholesterol levels. There are several risk factors. These include;

• Poor diet: Constant consumption of saturated fat found in animal products and trans fats found in some commercially baked cookies and crackers and microwave popcorn can lower cholesterol levels. can raise it. Foods with high cholesterol, such as red meat and full-fat dairy products, also increase cholesterol.

• Obesity: Having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, increases the risk of high cholesterol.

• Inadequate physical activity: Exercise increases the body's HDL or "good" cholesterol while decreasing LDL or "bad" cholesterol.

• Smoking: Smoking can damage the walls of blood vessels, making them more prone to storing fat deposits. Smoking can also lower levels of HDL, or "good" cholesterol.

• Age: As your body's chemistry changes as you get older, your risk of high cholesterol increases. For example, as we get older, the liver breaks down LDL cholesterol less.

• Diabetes: High blood sugar, called very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low HDL cholesterol. It contributes to a dangerous rise in cholesterol levels. High blood sugar also damages the lining of the vessels.

How should we eat in high cholesterol?

• Consumption of high cholesterol foods should be limited. These are;

• Egg (The cholesterol content of the egg comes from the yolk. Egg white can be preferred as a seasoning in soups).

• Shellfish

• Red meat

• Giblets

• Sardines

• Full-fat milk and dairy products

• All kinds of fried foods

• Fast food (burgers, etc.)

• Processed meats (sucuk, salami, sausage)

• Confectionery

• Oils should be preferred as oil (especially olive oil)

• Oven, boiling and grilling cooking methods should be preferred rather than frying.

• More pulp should be consumed. Foods rich in fiber are seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Body weight should be reduced to the ideal range. If you are overweight, a weight loss diet should be implemented urgently.

• It would be better to choose brown breads, whole grain breads, brown bulgur and brown pasta.

• Legume consumption should be increased.

• Consumption of creamy cakes and pastry products should be restricted.

• Consumption of packaged products such as chips is definitely harmful.

• Alcohol consumption should be restricted. Especially beer is among the triggers of high cholesterol.

• Oily seeds such as walnuts, almonds and hazelnuts can be included in the nutrition program of cholesterol patients, but attention should be paid to the portion size.

• The juice of vegetables and legumes should not be consumed as much as possible.

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