Can someone please explain cholesterol to me?

I recently have had my cholesterol done and need to make a few changes as well. I am still working on finding all the correct info but from my understanding to lower overall cholesterol you look at saturated/trans fat, which is found in things like meat, cheese and a lot of processed foods. I am working to stick with leaner meats and limit cheese.

To increase HDL (the good stuff) I was told to eat the healthy fats, avocados olive oil nuts etc, and continue working out.

ETA: Thanks for all the links. I am going to take a look at them as well!

You really do not want to lower your cholesterol levels. Cholesterol is vital to our bodies.

Also I would also suggest cutting back on trans fats, but not on Sat fats (sat fats are good for us).

The reason to cut back on trans fats is not to control your cholesterol production levels but to reduce the oxidation of LDL's in your body (they are at there most harmful to us when they are oxidised). Also to help reduce inflammation, which in turn reduces the amount of LDL's.

The best thing to do to raise your HDL is exercise.

Also, "cholesterol" found in foods really has nothing to do with your total cholesterol/LDL/HDL levels. Fats are much, much more important.

Saturated fats and trans fats = bad fats = raise LDL (bad cholesterol).

Polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats = good fats = raise HDL (good cholesterol) and lower LDL and triglycerides.

How many times in the last 40 years has that been said.........well it was wrong then and it's still wrong. Transfats should be avoided, no doubt about it. Your right though exercise is and should be our foundation for overall health and it does positively effect our cholesterol.

Hello

I have just had my cholesterol tested and am in the desirable range (total 4.13mmol, HDL 1.24mmol) but my HDL is slightly down on last year. I want to keep an eye on this so I have changed the settings on MFP to show me my daily cholesterol target but now I'm slightly confused. My goal is 300 but I am not really sure what that means?

Also, I thought nuts were a good source of good cholesterol but I had 5 brazil nuts earlier and they are showing as 0.

Thanks in advance

Lisa

Sorry but based on information would you avoid saturated data in any quantity?

I'm afraid I don't agree with your butter theory. If you have cholesterol 'issues', it's not the cholesterol itself that's the issue but inflammation and oxidation.

And the main foods to promote oxidation and inflammation (with the exception of trans fats) is not fat - it's sugars and processed carbs are among the biggest culprits.

Sat fat isn't the bad guy. Hell sat fat is what we're made of!!! When we burn body fat (the stuff most of us are on here to lose) our body is consuming sat fat.

You are confusing dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol levels. The types of fat and carbohydrates you eat often affects your blood cholesterol more than dietary cholesterol.

Maybe this will help.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/fats-and-cholesterol/

Having read through it I do think it's conclusions about saturated fats are out of date and incorrect. I personally would suggest moving away from margarine and back to butter. IMHO

They are not out of date, but it is important to remember that general recommendations do not easily change. People often think new studies trump older studies, which simply is not true. One must look at all the data, old and new, to form a general recommendation. Only when there is more data pointing in a different direction do recommendations change.

As to butter or margarine, it really depends on the margarine and quantities eaten. Those with cholesterol problems would probably be better off with a margarine that contain plant sterols and no partially hydrogenated oil, especially if they eat much of it.

If one believes that dairy fat is unhealthy, then it makes sense you would believe that.Personally refined vegetable oils are to be strictly avoided.

Why?

you are probably better researching this one by yourself, because I have highish cholesterol genetically and the amount of misinformation that gets throw around here on this topic is beyond belief. The best one was from an alleged nurse who said 'it's produced by the body so it can't be bad', I mean so is cancer yet, I still be concerned if my body produced that one.

However I think tracking your fats, particularly your 'good fats' and ensuring you don't have transfats, would be more beneficial then cholesterol, simply because not every food that has cholesterol will have it listed in the database.

Where does the 35,000 mg's that you have circulating in your body right now come from, I wonder?