In the world of nutrition, CHOLESTEROL is one of the most confusing substances to understand.
What is the difference between "bad" cholesterol and "good" cholesterol?
Of course, fat-rich foods can supply big helpings of cholesterol. And not long ago,
ALL high-fat foods were considered to be bad for your ticker.
But today, with many nutritional professionals now
recommending high-fat KETOGENIC DIETS to their clients, the consensus seems to have changed.
That's because now we know - there ARE fat-rich foods that can be beneficial for your health.
But which every day foods may be giving you the bad side of cholesterol?
We're about to expose some surprising classic
foods you might not know are pushing your elevated cholesterol levels EVEN HIGHER.
We'll explore the link between high cholesterol and high blood sugar.
And we'll show you which types of food can actually work wonders for
LOWERING your high cholesterol levels!
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Now, Diabetes Smarts Presents...
THE 5 WORST FOODS FOR HIGH CHOLESTEROL
So, what exactly is the difference between GOOD and BAD cholesterol?
Scientists have found that HDL cholesterol is in fact needed by the body, and studies prove that
a high level of this type of cholesterol can lower your risk for heart disease.
But LDL cholesterol, in excessive amounts, can lead to a build-up of
plaque in the arteries. That s why this is known as THE BAD type of cholesterol,
and this is the type associated with heart disease and stroke...
...both of which are associated with diabetes.
In fact, studies show that, while people with type 2 diabetes, on average, have more or less
the same levels of good, heart-healthy HDL cholesterol as the general population...
...those living with diabetes have higher levels of LDL cholesterol.
So what foods may you want to re-think as part of your every day diet?
Well, let's get in to...
THE 5 WORST FOODS FOR HIGH CHOLESTEROL...
5. White Bread, Traditional Pastas, & White Rice
With so much emphasis on avoiding saturated fats for healthy cholesterol,
we often forget about carbohydrates, and how they contribute to our cardiovascular health!
While there are heart-healthy carbohydrate-rich foods which have been shown to help in the
regulation of healthy cholesterol levels... like oats, leafy greens, legumes and beans
...Simple sugar carbohydrate foods, like white bread, white flour pastas, and white rice,
are considered to be high on the glycemic index, and can be detrimental for your health.
You probably already know that high G.I. foods will typically
cause your blood sugar levels to rise rapidly after you eat them.
While these foods will flood your system with glucose, they supply little-to-no fiber content,
which can pretty much ensure that your blood sugar will rise after you eat.
This spike in blood sugar causes your insulin to rise, which can then lead to
an increase of bad cholesterol, while at the same time decreasing your good cholesterol.
It turns out that eating too much sugar can force your liver to
make more artery-clogging LDL cholesterol inside your body,
and this process then leads to diminished levels of heart-healthy HDL cholesterol.
Meanwhile, regularly eating high glycemic, simple carbohydrate foods has been found
to lead to an increase of visceral fat, and the reduced removal of harmful triglycerides.
So if you are looking to improve your healthy cholesterol levels while maintaining proper
blood sugar balance, it's best to avoid these processed, high G.I. carbohydrates.
OK, hold on... what types of foods can actively work to IMPROVE your
heart-healthy HDL cholesterol? Stay tuned to the end of this vid to find out!
But now, what every day food are you using which is WORSENING your levels of LDL cholesterol?
4. Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, & Butter
Fat is an essential macronutrient that plays a role in many important functions within the body.
There are three main types of fat: saturated, unsaturated, and trans fats.
Most saturated fats come from animal sources like meat and dairy products,
but plant-based sources of saturated fats are supplied by coconut oil and palm oil.
Saturated fats are solid or waxy at room temperature,
which should give you a clue as to why this is the type of fat associated with plaque
build-up in the arteries. Research shows that saturated fats can cause problems
with our cholesterol levels and increase our risk of developing heart disease.
In fact, the American Heart Association recommends that our intake of saturated
fats should be limited to only about 5% of our daily calories.
Experts recommend limiting your intake of saturated fat to no more than 2 grams per
serving. That means it can be very difficult to cook a healthy meal while using solid-at-room-temp
cooking oils, like coconut oil and butter, without over-doing your saturated fat consumption.
Studies show that overconsuming saturated fats can increase risk
factors for heart disease, like increased LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B.
And if you'd heard that coconut oil, specifically, is a great butter alternative,
think again. In actuality, coconut oil contains very high amounts of saturated
fat in some cases up to 50% higher saturated fat content than butter!
In fact, coconut oil has been shown to
raise cholesterol levels more than other plant-based oils.
So If you're concerned about your cholesterol levels, you may want to reduce your consumption of
foods like butter, palm oil and even coconut oil, to reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease.
Next up, we've got a food you probably already know isn't too
good for your heart, but you may not know why...
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Now, which beloved food is REALLY not great for your heart health, and why?...
3. French Fries (and other deep-fried foods)
Deep-fried foods, especially French fries,
are calorically-dense, but severely lacking in nutrition.
The deep-frying process actually strips food of beneficial nutrients, at the same time adding
excessive amounts of simple sugar carbohydrate content and unhealthy fat content, thanks to
the white flour batter, and the saturated and trans-fat cooking oils in which they are fried.
For example, a 100 gram baked potato contains approximately 93 calories,
with zero grams of fat. But 100 grams of french fries? Try 319 calories and 17 grams of fat!
And while fresh tuna supplies a good amount of heart-helping
omega-3 fatty acids, frying tuna has been shown to decrease its omega-3 content by up to 85%.
Meanwhile, when oils are cooked at the high temperatures necessary for deep frying,
their trans-fat content actually increases!
While there are naturally occurring trans-fats in foods like dairy products,
they don t have the same impact on our health as the trans-fats found in deep fried foods,
which have been linked to obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
Observational studies show that the consumption of trans-fats can increase LDL cholesterol,
decrease HDL cholesterol, and as a result, lead to coronary heart disease.
Several intervention studies have revealed that if trans-fat makes up as little as 4
to 6% of your daily calories, it's still enough to cause elevated LDL cholesterol.
So if you want healthier cholesterol levels,
reducing your consumption of deep fried foods is a great place to start!
2. High-Sugar Sodas
Sure, saturated and trans-fats are main drivers of elevated LDL cholestrol. But
did you know that sugar can be just as harmful to your cholesterol levels?
Soft drinks may not contain cholesterol, but they flood your system with huge amounts of
added sugars. And research has revealed that those who consume more added sugars
have higher triglycerides and lower levels of beneficial HDL cholesterol.
In fact, recent studies show that adults who drink one or more high-sugar sodas per day have
a heightened risk of developing DYSLIPIDEMIA, or cholesterol levels outside of the healthy range.
Specificially, these studies revealed that regular sugary drink consumers have a 53%
higher chance of developing heightened triglyceride levels, but a 98% higher
chance of developing dangerously low levels of needed HDL cholesterol.
Along with disrupting cholesterol levels, consuming excess sugar, in the form of
sugar-sweetened beverages, has also been linked to ATHEROSCLEROSIS, a.k.a. arterial plaque build-up.
One study even revealed that among 30,000 participants, those who consumed 17 to 21%
of their calories from added sugar increased their risk of dying from heart disease by 38%.
The American Heart Association recommends that women get less
than 100 of their daily calories from added sugar,
and men no more than 150 calories. This is the equivalent to 6 to 9 teaspoons of sugar per day.
Of course, many brand name sodas are some of
the worst offenders when it comes to unhealthy added sugar content.
In fact, a typical can of soda contains between 29 and 40 grams of sugar...
...that's the equivalent of 7 to 10 teaspoons!
So drinking even just 1 high sugar soda can put you over the recommended daily limit for
added sugar consumption, which, in turn, can lead to higher levels of unhealthy cholesterol.
So what is perhaps THE WORST food for fighting high cholesterol?...
1. Cured Meats (Including Bacon)
Cured meats - like sausages, bacon, ham, beef jerky, and salami - are highly processed,
and utilize preservative methods like drying,
smoking and salting, in order to increase their shelf life.
Yes, you probably love their taste, but did you know that the process of
preserving these meats has been linked with heart disease, and even cancer?
To begin with, red meats, especially processed red meats,
are often high in saturated fatty acids and cholesterol. In fact, one serving of salami
can contain 80 milligrams of cholesterol that s nearly 30% of the recommended daily limit.
And processed red meats are typically high in cholesterol-raising omega-6 fatty acids,
while being relatively low in beneficial omega-3 fats.
In fact, generic supermarket grain-fed beef has an omega-6-to-omega-3 ratio of 20:1,
while the far less processed grass-fed beef will supply a 3:1 ratio.
For those keeping track, the general guideline for a healthy omega-6-to-omega-3 ratio is 4:1,
so there is in fact a vast nutritional difference between your cured meat and your grass-fed beef.
Meanwhile, the added table salt and other chemical compounds, such as sodium nitrate,
which are added during the curing process, have also been found to increase the risk of
high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other heart disease risk factors.
Plus, eating cured meats which have been heated at high temperatures can lead to free-radical
damage inside your body, which, in turn, can contribute to the oxidization of LDL cholesterol.
This may then lead to the development of atherosclerosis.
In fact, a recent analysis found that a higher consumption of cured meats was
associated with a 30% increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
The process of cooking these meats at high temperatures can also cause
their added nitrates to form into NITROSOMINES,
which may then contribute to other serious diseases, including multiple types of cancer.
So reducing your intake of high cholesterol, saturated fat-rich cured meats will result
in lower LDL cholesterol levels, while also helping you avoid those cancer-causing additives.
Well, now you know 5 not-so-great foods which can worsen your bad cholesterol levels.
But, if you want foods that can actively work to IMPROVE your cholesterol,
the first step is to create a diet that is rich in FIBER. Dietary fiber, found in fruits,
vegetables, beans and legumes, not only helps to lower post-meal glucose levels...
...It helps fill you up, lessening your chances of over-eating other LDL
cholesterol foods. And they work inside your body to improve your healthy HDL
cholesterol levels while removing that naughty LDL cholesterol from your body.
In fact, studies show that regular consumption
of soluble fiber has the ability to reduce LDL cholesterol by up to 10%.
So, ditch the artery-clogging treats as much as you can, and instead, eat more natural,
unprocessed, fiber-rich foods at every meal!
Now, let's hear what you think! What are your favorite foods that fight bad cholesterol,
and why? Comment below and add your voice to our community!
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Thanks for watching, we hope you're having a happy and healthy day!