The low cholesterol diet is designed to lower an
individual’s cholesterol level. Cholesterol is a waxy
substance made by the liver and also acquired through
diet.
Cholesterol does not dissolve in blood. Instead it
moves through the circulatory system in combination
with carrier substances called lipoproteins.
There are
two types of carrier-cholesterol combinations, lowdensity
lipoprotein (LDL) or ‘‘bad’’ cholesterol and
high-density lipoprotein or ‘‘good’’ cholesterol.
LDL picks up cholesterol in the liver and carries it
through the circulatory system. Most of the cholesterol
in the body is LDL cholesterol.
When too much
LDL cholesterol is present, it begins to drop out of the
blood and stick to the walls of the arteries. The arteries
are blood vessels carrying blood away from the heart
to other organs in the body.
The coronary arteries are
special arteries that supply blood to the heart. The
sticky material on the artery walls is called cholesterol
plaque. (It is different from dental plaque that accumulates
on teeth.)
Plaque can reduce the amount of
blood flowing through the arteries and encourage
blood clots to form. A heart attack occurs if the coronary arteries are blocked. A stroke occurs if
arteries carrying blood to the brain are blocked.
Managing a low cholesterol diet
Function
Low cholesterol diets are healthy diets that can are
most effective if they become lifetime habits. Low cholesterol
diets work by reducing the amount of saturated
(animal) fat to drive down LDL cholesterol and using
more monounsaturated fats (olive oil, canola oil) and
soluble fiber to drive up HDL cholesterol. By controlling
fats in the diet, many individuals lose weight.
Benefits
-Low cholesterol diets have the following benefits:
-decreased intake of dietary cholesterol
-decreased intake of saturated fats
-increased soluble fiber in diet
-decreased risk of developing cardiovascular disease
No single person originated the low cholesterol
diet. However, the American Heart Association has
been a major developer of this diet.
The National
Cholesterol Education Program organized by the
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute monitors
research and new developments in cholesterol control,
including new approaches to low cholesterol dieting.
