The Cholesterol Battle

 by J. M. Yarlott, BS, MS

 

The American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee strongly advises these fat guidelines for healthy Americans over age 2:

  • Limit total fat intake to less than 25 - 35 percent of your total calories each day;
  • Limit saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total daily calories;
  • Limit trans fat intake to less than 1 percent of total daily calories; 
  • The remaining fat should come from sources of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, fish and vegetable oils; and
  • Limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day, for most people.  If you have coronary heart disease or your LDL cholesterol level is 100 mg/dL or greater, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 milligrams a day. Cholesterol is only found in animal foods

For example, a sedentary female who is 31 - 50 years old needs about 2,000 calories each day. Therefore, she should consume less than 16 g saturated fat, less than 2 g trans fat, and between 50 and 70 grams of total fat each day (with most fats coming from sources of polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, such as fish, nuts, seeds and vegetable oils).

This quote is from http://invista.com "Cholesterol does not dissolve in water, which means it cannot move through the bloodstream by itself. The liver must provide long-chained essential fatty acids to surround the cholesterol molecule with protein. The resulting package is called a lipoprotein and is capable of moving through the bloodstream. But, in order to accomplish all of this, the body must be well hydrated. Drinking plenty of water each day and avoiding such metabolic hindrances as caffeine drinks is the only way to help move cholesterol on out of the body instead of slowing down the transportation to the point that cholesterol begins to adhere to arterial walls." Drinking water should be alkaline and preferably come from springs. Water purified by reverse osmosis may be devoid of beneficial minerals. The amount of water one should drink is 1 ml per daily calories.

Saturated fat is converted by the liver to cholesterol and raises the blood cholesterol level. Saturated fat is found largely in animal products, but high amounts are also found in avocados, nuts, and seeds. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats do not raise cholesterol levels.

Please fill out this form that will calculate your daily values and apply them to the following food tables.

Name (Optional) Gender Male       Female  
Age    Height in inches    Weight in pounds
 
  Select your Activity factor (3) 

Item

Value
Your daily calories0 Kcal
Minimun daily Protein0 Grams
Average daily fat limit0 to 0 Grams
Saturated fat limit 0 Grams
Trans Fat limit 0 Grams
Daily cholesterol limit 300 mg from foods
Recommended ounces of water per day 0 (0 8 OZ glasses)
Daily fiber requirement 25-30 grams from foods
Daily table salt limit 6 grams (slightly more than 1 teaspoon)

 

This table gives your limits for cholesterol and fat based on your daily calories. Select the lowest serving size in each row.  N/A means the item has no cholesterol.
Food Name Max serving based on Cholesterol Oz. Max serving based on total fat Oz. Max serving based on Saturated Fat Oz.
Butter 4.9 0 0
Mayonnaise 27.8 0 0
Potato Chips N/A 0 0
Olive Oil N/A 0 0
Vegetable Oil N/A 0 0
Walnut Oil N/A 0 0
Cheese 27.8 0 0
Chedder Cheese 10.1 0 0
Brazilnuts N/A 0 0
Bacon 9.6 0 0
Sausage, Beef & Pork 14.9 0 0
Sausage, beef 19.6 0 0
Margarine N/A 0 0
Lambchops 11.1 0 0
Cashew nuts N/A 0 0
Roast Lamb 11.5 0 0
Seseme Seeds N/A 0 0
Margarine, reduced fat N/A 0 0
Peanuts, salted N/A 0 0
Ground beef, extra lean 11.8 0 0
Corned Beef 10.8 0 0
Walnuts N/A 0 0
Beefsteak, broiled 12.9 0 0
Pork chop 12.7 0 0
Almonds N/A 0 0
Avocados N/A 0 0
Eggs 2.4 0 0
roastbeef 14.1 0 0
Cottage cheese 70.5 0 0
Yogurt, lowfat plain 81.4 0 0
Spinach, raw N/A 0 0
Ham 19.2 0 0
Wheatgerm N/A 0 0
Eggs 2.4 0 0
Oatbran N/A 0 0
wholemilk 151.2 0 0
Kidney beans, cooked N/A 0 0
Chicken breast, skinless 12.6 0 0
Most other foods have so little fat and cholesterol that you cannot eat too much, so long as you observe your daily calorie limits.

 

 

 

The following is a list of high fiber foods. The third column gives the serving size for 30 grams of fiber which is the recommended daily amount for lowering blood cholesterol.

 
Food Name FIBER (Grams fiber per 100 Grams food) Food serving size with 30 grams fiber ( OZ)

All bran with extra fiber

50.0

2.1
Fiber One

48.0

2.2
Bran, wheat

42.8

 2.5
Psyllium husks, brand name Konsyl, Metamucil

77.3

1.4
Uncle Sam's high fiber cereal 20.0 5.3
Fiber 7 Flakes

14.1

 7.5
Cracker, high fiber, no added fat 22.9 4.6
Bread, multigrain, high fiber 16.2 6.5
Bran, oat 15.4 6.9
Wheat germ 15.1 7
Bread, wheat or cracked wheat, high fiber 12.0 8.8
Bread, rye, high fiber 12.0 8.8
Bread, oat bran high fiber 12.0 8.8
Seeds, sesame 11.8 9
Nuts, Almonds 11.8 9
Cookie, multigrain, high fiber 11.0 9.6
Bread White, high fiber 9.7 10.9
Apple, dried, uncooked 8.7 12.2
Bread, Italian, high fiber 8.3 12.7
Veggies Peas, split, cooked 8.2 12.9
Nuts Peanuts-salted 8.0 13.2
Bread white, high fiber, with fruit and or nuts 7.7 13.7
Nuts, Brazil 7.5 14.1
Lentils, cooked 7.4 14.3
Pancakes, high fiber, reduced calorie 6.9 15.3
Bread, whole wheat 6.9 15.3
Beans, Kidney, cooked 6.8 15.6

This table is a list of food sources of plant sterols and stanols also known as phytosterols. The list is reproduced from the following website: http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/cholesterol-low.php
Food Sources Total Sterol Content (mg/100g)
Oils
Rice bran
1055
Corn
952
Wheat germ
553
Flax seed
338
Cottonseed
327
Soybean
221
Peanut
206
Olive
176
Coconut
91
Palm
49
Vegetables
Beet root
25
Brussels sprout
24
Cauliflower
18
Onion
15
Carrot
12
Cabbage
11
Yam
10
Fruits
Orange
24
Banana
16
Apple
12
Cherry
12
Peach
10
Pear
8
Nuts
Cashew
158
Almond
143
Pecan
108
Pistachio
108
Walnut
108
Legumes
Pea
135
Kidney bean
127
Broad bean
124

References

List of Foods (with High Phytosterol)That Help Lower Serum Cholesterol

 

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