Kinds of Cholesterol

Yes, but we don’t have to eat it. The liver manufactures all the cholesterol the body needs. But most Westerners eat an additional 400 mg of cholesterol a day. It’s this extra dietary cholesterol that causes a considerable part of the problem.

What foods contain cholesterol?

Cholesterol is found only in animal foods. Plant foods do not contain cholesterol. It’s as simple as that.

What is a safe blood cholesterol level?

Many heart researchers suggest that total cholesterol levels under 150 mg% (3.8 mmol/L) will protect people from atherosclerosis, the narrowing, hardening of the arterial walls leading to angina and heart attacks.

Aren’t there several kinds of cholesterol in the blood?

Cholesterol never travels alone—in the blood it has different carriers. The heaviest carrier is HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein), known as the “healthy” cholesterol. HDL is protective because it removes cholesterol from arteries and takes it to the liver, where it is made into bile. The higher the HDL in the blood, the better the protection. Men with HDL cholesterol over 75 mg% (1.9 mmol/L) are considered protected from heart attacks.

A simple way to estimate heart attack risk in Western societies is to divide the Total Cholesterol by the HDL cholesterol. Ideally, this TC/HDL ratio should be under 4.0.

A lighter cholesterol carrier, the LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein), is the “lethal” one. LDL basically determines the rate at which cholesterol is deposited on artery walls. To be safe, LDL cholesterol should be under 90 mg% (2.3 mmol/L).  It is now believed that once the LDL is below the 90 mg% value, then HDL, Total Cholesterol, Triglycerides (TG and TC/HDL ratio) lose their clinical significance. 

Risk Levels for Cholesterol and LDL Cholesterol

While there are several kinds of cholesterol carriers, the LDL cholesterol is emerging as probably the most important one.

Incidentally, Total Cholesterol is the sum of [HDL + LDL + 1/5TG].  This formula loses its accuracy if the Triglycerides exceed 400 mg% (4.5 mmol/L).

Would you explain “oxidized” cholesterol?

When cholesterol is exposed to air, it can become oxidized by combining with oxygen. Even a small amount of this substance can be quite toxic (damaging) to the lining of our arteries. Damaged arterial linings initiate atherosclerosis. Known sources of this most harmful cholesterol include pancake and custard mixes, parmesan cheese, lard, and ice cream. Eating foods high in antioxidants (plant foods) helps neutralize these kinds of dangerous free radicals.

Contact CHIP to learn more about HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.  "Be Healthy by Choice, Not by Chance!".