When many people hear the word “cholesterol” alarm bells start going off. But cholesterol isn’t the enemy – in fact, it plays an important role in your body’s ability to function. The problem is when you have too much “bad” cholesterol.
The “bad cholesterol,” LDL, is what can clog your arteries and increase your chance of developing heart disease and other chronic health conditions. However, there is also “good cholesterol,” HDL which helps get rid of bad cholesterol. If your cholesterol levels are teetering on the higher side, you may be wondering what you should do to lower them – and there’s no time like the present to get started.
How does cholesterol work?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that can clog arteries if there’s too much of it in the body. Your body makes cholesterol naturally, but when you eat too many foods that also contain cholesterol, these can combine to create an excess of cholesterol in your body. And that’s when things can turn bad.
Are you worried about your cholesterol levels?
According to a leading study published in the journal Obesity, a significant correlation was found between an individual’s abdominal girth and their cholesterol levels. This might indicate that you could also have a fatty liver. So if you carry a significant weight around your middle part, this could be a valuable piece of information for you.
Reference
Truncal and Abdominal Fat as Determinants of High Triglycerides and Low HDL-cholesterol in Adolescents
Beatriz Tresaco et al
Obesity 2012 https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.626
Which foods are the best to lower cholesterol?
There’s a long list of foods you can eat in order to help your cholesterol levels. While no single food may be responsible for dramatic decreases, incorporating several heart-healthy foods can definitely get your levels to more acceptable levels. Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich in soluble fibre are very beneficial for cholesterol levels. Soluble fibre dissolves in water and turns into a gel-like substance. Other good choices are monounsaturated fats and foods that contain natural plant sterols such as nuts and seeds.
If you are finding this topic of interest you might want to watch my YouTube video on the following clickable link:
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About Dr Arun:
Dr Arun Dhir is a Melbourne based GastroIntestinal andBariatric Surgeon. He has a b usy private practice that has a strong focus in the area of obesity management and gut health. Dr Arun’s current research is on the changes in gut microbiome after obesity surgery and on reflux disease. He has also written several books and has published several articles in scientific journals. Arun’s published works include Happy Gut Healthy Weight (Balboa Press 2018), “Creating a New You – Health Journal” (Metagenics 2019), and Your Mess Has a Message (2021).
Dr Arun is also a Yoga and Meditation teacher that allows him to better understand and assist his clients with the mind-body-gut connection. He regularly writes and speaks about gut health, gut microbiome, obesity, gastrointestinal surgery and healing.
Dr Arun’s life vision is to bridge the art of Eastern healing and the science of Western medicine through education and research.
Arun loves cycling, hiking and playing drums. He also serves in the Royal Australian Army as a General Surgeon.
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