Do You Have a Cholesterol Issue?

Cholesterol is a huge issue in my community, the Hispanic Community, and it does not stop there. It is a problem in all communities and people are looking for answers.

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) 71 million adults in the U.S. have a cholesterol problem, high LDL  “Bad” Cholesterol. That is over 1/3 of U.S. adults. This is a problem of epidemic proportions, especially when you consider that people with cholesterol issues have TWICE the risk of future heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S. Although anyone can have high cholesterol, certain ethnic groups have even higher numbers. The most effected ethnic groups are Blacks and Hispanics. Even with more and more treatment the percentage of people with high cholesterol levels has not changed.

Maybe our approach to High Cholesterol needs to change!

Maybe we need to change…….our diet!

We know that eating dietary cholesterol, saturated fat and trans fats definitely raises your cholesterol levels. Yes we need cholesterol, it is an essential component of every cell in your body. But that does not mean you should eat it. Your body takes care of its cholesterol needs. Think about it!

How many of your friends have a low cholesterol problem? None!

How many have a high cholesterol problem? 1/3 of the population!

You do not need to eat foods with cholesterol for your body to function properly. In fact it will work better without your added cholesterol donations.

So if consuming a diet of cholesterol rich foods raises your Bad Cholesterol it would seem obvious that you should eat less of those foods.

So where does dietary cholesterol come from?

The most concentrated sources of cholesterol in our diet are Animal Products like meat, dairy and cheese. There is no cholesterol in plants! Fruits and vegetables are cholesterol free! Want to lower your cholesterol? Eat less animal products and eat more plant-based foods.

What food is the highest source of dietary cholesterol? 

Eggs! 1 egg has 213mg of cholesterol! Lets put that number into perspective.

According to the American Heart Association the daily limit for dietary cholesterol consumption is 300mg for a healthy person. A healthy person is a person with no cholesterol issues. So if you are in perfect health you could eat an egg a day as long as you had little to no other meats, dairy, cheese, cream in your coffee, breads (most made with cholesterol rich milk, eggs and butter) and other sweet baked goods. Most people go way over the recommended limit and that is a major contributing factor to the normal persons abnormally high cholesterol level. The average adult in the U.S. has a total cholesterol level over 200.  1/3 of all heart attacks happen to people with cholesterol between 150 and 200. A healthy total cholesterol level is one under 150, not 200.

If you do have high cholesterol, dietary cholesterol intake should be limited to 200mg a day. That means that 1 egg is over your daily intake limit of cholesterol. So if you had that 1 egg you should absolutely abstain from any other meat, dairy or cheese products that day.

People always say ” I will just cut down on my meat and dairy consumption”. Moderation sounds great but rarely produces great results. Trying to lower your cholesterol by eating just a little bit of meat, dairy and eggs is like trying to put out a fire by throwing just a little bit of gasoline on it. It does not work. “Moderation” works only if you want to develop “moderately” good health.

Without a doubt the best approach to lower your cholesterol is to not eat it!

If you have high cholesterol you have 2 options.

#1 You could continue to eat the same diet that created the problem and take the latest cholesterol-lowering medication, opening yourself up to the inescapable toxicity and the many side effects….and you will still have the problem! 

#2 I think a much better option, certainly a healthier, more logical approach, would be to adopt a plant-based Vegan diet and stop consuming the meats, the dairy, the cheese and the eggs altogether. Stop throwing gasoline on the fire. The effort comes with one major side-effect, better health.

Try it! Your heart will be much happier that you did!