Cholesterol and Saturated Fats: Will the Real Culprit Please Stand Up?

Whats the connection between saturated fats and cholesterol?

It just figures, doesn’t it?

The really good-tasting foods also seem to be the ones with the highest cholesterol content. But before you fret over that information too much, did you know high cholesterol content doesn’t necessarily mean you have to avoid the foods you love?

No really, it’s true. It turns out the real problem isn’t a particular food’s cholesterol content as much as the amount of saturated fats a food contains.
Saturated fats actually cause our liver to go into production mode, generating the harmful type of cholesterol you’ve probably heard so much about.

Saturated fats are primarily found in animal products and are recognized by experts as agents in the elevation of your LDL cholesterol (the “bad” kind). The saturated fats are responsible for the triggering of LDL cholesterol production by your liver.

You don’t have to worry, however, about having enough saturated fats to fuel cholesterol production (and your body does need some cholesterol for cell repair and other things).

If you were to totally eliminate saturated fats from your diet, experts claim there would be absolutely no negative effect on your body, your body is able to produce all the cholesterol you will ever need without the aid of saturated fats.

In fact, the liver pumps into our blood four times the amount of cholesterol it receives from our food. Therefore, since saturated fats are responsible for stimulating cholesterol production in the liver, they are much more dangerous culprits than our poor dietary cholesterol.

So when you are at the grocery store and picking up food items be sure to read the label and look for saturated fats & trans fats as you want these to be as low as possible.

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There are plenty of ways to help reduce cholesterol levels naturally. Medications are widely available but have been known to cause muscle pains and inflict damage on the liver. Lowering levels naturally is a much safer alternative. Natural remedies can also save you money on your prescriptions.

It is important to note that roughly 20% of cholesterol comes from your diet while nearly 80% comes from your liver. So changes in your diet may need to be taken further by adding nutritional supplements to your daily regimen. Cholesterol levels should be checked at least once every five years for people aged 20 or older and yearly for those over 40. Use the following tips to help maintain healthy levels.

- Cut back on consuming sugar, white flower, rich desserts and fried foods.
- Switch to using healthy oils such as olive or walnut oil.
- Eat baked or poached fish a few nights a week.
- Consume more soluble fiber such as apples, barley, oats, psyllium, kidney beans and pears.
- Eat more nuts such as pecans, hazelnuts, peanuts, pistachios and walnuts.
- Load up on leafy and green vegetables during mealtimes. These include lettuce, broccoli, spinach and green beans.
- Switch to eating whole grain foods instead of starchy white bread and pastas.
- Eat more fruits and berries. These are high in antioxidants and phytonutrients.
- Soy can lower bad cholesterol by three percent.
- Exercise at least 30 minutes on most or all days of the week.

When an altered diet is not enough to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, you may want to consider taking some nutritional supplements. Always follow directions specified on labels and be sure to contact your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. Below are some natural supplements that can help you achieve your goals.

- Octacosanol is derived from wheat germ oil. It is proven to reduce total cholesterol levels.

- Omega 3 Fatty Acids come from fish oil and flax seed oil. These not only help lower cholesterol but also reduce inflammation, a common risk factor associated with cardiovascular disease.

- Garlic can lower total levels.

- Niacin is a B vitamin that can help decrease cholesterol when used in larger doses. It lowers bad cholesterol and raises good cholesterol.

- Chromium (GTF) which aids in metabolizing sugars can help lower overall cholesterol.

- Guggul which is made from herbs is a medicine to help rid the body of bad cholesterol.

Always follow your doctors advice before starting any natural supplement regimen.

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