Before I start to talk about low cholesterol diets, I thought I'd just go through the definition of cholesterol first.
What is Cholesterol ?
Cholesterol is a complex fatty substance that makes up the structure of cell membranes - it's essential to life. About three quarters of the cholesterol found in the body is actually produced by the body - the rest comes from the food we eat.
Blood cholesterol is raised by too much saturated fat and by being overweight. People who are obese, either make too much blood cholesterol or do not excrete enough of it - when this happens fatty substances will start to accumulate on the sides of the arteries and start to harden them (atherosclerosis).[1]
Recommendations About What You Should Eat
Depending on which country you live in, current recommendations for low cholesterol diets could vary, however they center around :
Low cholesterol diets recommend choosing foods high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as canola based or olive oil based margarines, eating avocado's and nuts. Fish can also be a good choice, which is high in polyunsaturated fats. Low cholesterol diets recommend the consumption of fish atleast once per week.
Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. This means eating fruit as snacks in between meals or for deserts and making vegetables essential at lunch and dinner.
Lower your salt intake. Refrain from adding salt to your food, and look for low salt products such as cheese, canned items, breads, meal sauces etc. Many products contain small amounts of salt in them, but because they are hidden within the food, it is easy for the total salt intake to increase to levels that could affect cholesterol levels.
Make sure carbohydrates make up 50% of your total dietary intake. This means again eating your five servings of fruit and vegetables, but also including cereals and grains with every meal. This will have a myriad of benefits.
Drinking alcohol in moderation. While a glass of red wine can be seen to actually lower cholesterol. Too much of a good thing, is not a good thing. Kelly et. al. (2003) recommends 2-3 units of alcohol for women and 3-4 units for men.
If you look at these recommendations to create a low cholesterol diet, they aren't so different from the healthy eating principles I laid out here.
References:
1. Saxelby, C. (2002) Nutrition for Life Hardie Grant Books
