Control or reverse heart disease.

Heart Disease is the leading cause of death for adults over 65 followed by Cancer. Risk factors, such as high blood, pressure and high cholesterol can increase with age. It’s important to remain on top of this, and take precautions against these factors, such as keeping a healthy weight, focusing on a wholesome and mainly unprocessed diet as well as remaining active are very beneficial in order to control or reverse heart disease.

A common concern in addressing heart health is controlling cholesterol levels.

High cholesterol is quite prevalent in the United States. Here are some key statistics:

• Nearly 25 million adults have total cholesterol levels above 240 mg/dL.

• About 86 million adults have total cholesterol levels above 200 mg/dL.

• Approximately 11.4% of adults aged 20 and older have high total cholesterol (240 mg/dL or more).

• Around 7% of children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 have high total cholesterol.

These numbers highlight the widespread nature of high cholesterol, emphasizing the importance of regular cholesterol checks and proactive management through diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.

Hypercholesterolemia is mainly due to lifestyle and diet, although there are some with genetic factors that produce cholesterol from foods containing cholesterol...

The liver and intestines produce about 80% of the cholesterol the body needs, while the remaining 20% comes from food. However, some people, called "hyperresponders", have a genetic tendency to see their blood cholesterol levels rise and fall significantly based on the cholesterol levels in the foods they eat. While dietary cholesterol can slightly increase LDL in these people, it doesn't seem to increase their risk of heart disease. This is because the increase in LDL particles is usually large LDL particles, not small, dense LDL. 

Outside of those Hyperresponders, cholesterol is greatly affected by saturated fats, trans fats, sugar, simple carbs, a diet low in soluble fiber and lack of exercise and stress. An effective strategy includes a combination of lifestyle changes and dietary adjustments. If these are not adjusted or fail to work medication may need to be prescribed. But since every medication can have a side effect it is best to control cholestrol by natural means whenever possible. Here are a few change that can help -

Lifestyle Changes:

• Exercise Regularly: Engaging in physical activity can help raise HDL (good) cholesterol and lower LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglycerides

• Maintain a Healthy Weight: Losing weight can help lower cholesterol levels

• Quit Smoking: Smoking cessation improves HDL cholesterol and benefits overall heart health

Dietary Adjustments:

• Eat Heart-Healthy Foods: Focus on a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish, and nuts while limiting red meat, simple carbs along with sugary foods and beverages

• Limit Saturated and Trans Fats: Reducing intake of saturated fats (found in red meat and full-fat dairy products) and eliminating trans fats (found in some fried and processed foods) can lower cholesterol

• Increase Soluble Fiber: Foods high in soluble fiber, like oatmeal, kidney beans, Brussels sprouts, apples, and pears, can help reduce the absorption of cholesterol into the bloodstream

• Add Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3s, found in fish like salmon and mackerel, can lower triglycerides and improve heart health. There is some evidence that using Krill oil is more effective than fish oil in lowering blood sugar, triglycerides and the "bad" LDL cholesterol.

Medication:

• If lifestyle and dietary changes are not enough, medications like statins may be prescribed to help lower cholesterol levels
  

Also the link between carbohydrate and sugar intake and cholesterol is intriguing. Let’s take a deeper look.

Added Sugars and Cholesterol:

• Americans consume an average of 22 teaspoons of added sugars daily, which can add up to 350 extra calories. Added sugars include sweeteners like white sugar, brown sugar, honey, and artificial sweeteners made from high fructose corn syrup.

• These empty calories not only impact weight and diabetes risk but also affect cholesterol levels. When you eat too much sugar, your liver produces more low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (the “bad” kind) while lowering high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (the “good” kind).

• High LDL levels can lead to artery build-up and increase the risk of heart disease, heart attack, or stroke.

Carbohydrates and Triglycerides:

• High-carb diets can raise blood triglyceride levels by 30-40%. This phenomenon, known as carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia, can occur with just five days of high intake.

• Increased fructose intake has also been linked to elevated triglycerides.

Tips to Manage Sugar and Cholesterol:

• Limit added sugars: Opt for whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains over sugar-sweetened beverages and refined cereals.

• Avoid refined carbs like white bread and pasta.

• Drink fewer alcoholic beverages.

• Swap sugary breakfast cereals or bars for healthier options like oatmeal and yogurt.

Remember, your body doesn’t need sugars to function well. If you do incorporate sugar into your diet moderation is key. The WHO recommends that no more than 10% of total energy intake be from free sugars. However for optimum health less is more. Sugar intake is a main cause for inflammation so it is best to keep any added sugars to a bare minimum. If you have any specific dietary concerns, consider consulting a healthcare professional for personalized advice important early on to make lifestyle changes to offset rising cholesterol and the possible need for medications such as statins.

Lifestyle diseases react very well to lifestyle changes if done before the disease escalates too high. Therefore it is important to take action as soon as you see a shift in your cholesterol levels...or better yet, be preventive by following the above advice even if your cholesterol is in healthy ranges.

It’s important for adults over 40 to have regular check-ups with their healthcare provider to monitor these and other potential health issues. Preventive measures such as balanced diet, regular exercise, and appropriate screenings can also help manage these risks. For many that need help setting up a plan to change behaviors or lifestyle, working with a wellness coach certified in lifestyle medicine can be of great benefit as they are trained to work alongside your physician in managing and overcoming diseases.