Your blood cholesterol level is one of the first values a family nurse looks at in a blood test. What does that number actually mean? And if it’s too high, is a pill the only answer, or is there something you can do yourself every day?

Cholesterol levels and what they mean

Cholesterol is a fat-like compound. It is found in all tissues: nerve tissue, the adrenal glands, internal organs and the skin. The human body contains about 140 grams of cholesterol in total, and it isn’t there for show: cell membranes, bile acids, vitamin D and sex hormones all use it as a building material.

Over the course of a day, the body handles about one gram of cholesterol. Of this, 20–30% comes from food, while the remaining 70–80% is synthesized by the body itself, mainly in the liver and to a lesser extent in the small intestine and skin. From there, cholesterol travels through the blood to every cell. Synthesis is promoted above all by saturated fatty acids.

A simple truth: cholesterol itself is not the enemy. Problems begin when its levels get out of balance.

What affects cholesterol levels

Several factors influence blood cholesterol at the same time. Genetic predisposition, age and sex are things you can’t change directly. But three things are under your control: food, physical activity and body weight.

When there is too much cholesterol and metabolism is disrupted, it starts to build up on the walls of the blood vessels. The lumen narrows, tissues receive less blood and the vessels become fragile. Eventually they can become blocked, and that raises the risk of a heart attack significantly. Cholesterol is distributed around the body by lipoproteins: complex molecular assemblies that, in addition to cholesterol, contain triglycerides, fatty acids, phospholipids and vitamins.

How to lower cholesterol levels with food

Food is the most tangible lever. Plant foods contain no cholesterol at all, so root vegetables and other vegetables, legumes and whole grains are always a safe choice.

What is worth limiting? Pork fat, butter, cream, egg yolks and high-fat cheeses. Among organ meats, liver, brain and kidneys contain the most cholesterol. Among seafood, crayfish, crabs and oysters stand out. The recommendation is that the amount of cholesterol you get from food in a day should not exceed 300 milligrams.

Instead of frying, try boiling, stewing or baking in the oven. Swapping your frying oil for olive or rapeseed oil makes more of a difference over time than one “health day” a month.

Dietary fiber is a chapter of its own. Oat flakes for breakfast, beans in soup, an apple as a snack: these help bind cholesterol in the digestive tract and carry it out of the body. Honestly, this is one of the few places where “eat more” is better advice than “eat less.”

Cholesterol levels and training load

Regular physical activity isn’t only about body weight. It helps raise the amount of “good” lipoproteins in the blood, which carry cholesterol from the cells back to the liver to be broken down. Put simply: exercise gets your body to clean up its own cholesterol trash.

A moderate training load several times a week already gives a measurable effect: a long walk, swimming, cycling, a gym class. If you haven’t worked out before, start with something you genuinely enjoy.

In autumn, when darkness comes early, exercise tends to be the first thing to fall out of the calendar. Plan it in advance, because a habit that has been broken for a couple of weeks is hard to restore.

Frequently asked questions

How often should you have your cholesterol measured?

For a healthy person, a blood test every 3–5 years from age 30 is usually enough. If heart disease has occurred in your family at an early age, ask your family doctor about more frequent checks.

Are eggs actually bad?

Egg yolk contains cholesterol, yes, but for most healthy people a couple of eggs a week is not a problem. The problem arises when breakfast is four eggs, bacon and a buttered white bread roll, because then the culprit is no longer just the egg.

Is a pill always necessary?

Not always. In the case of a mild increase, lifestyle changes may be enough within 3–6 months. But if a doctor has prescribed a statin, it isn’t sensible to stop taking it on your own. There is usually a reason behind it that diet alone can’t solve.

Author: M.M.

Come and train! ArtGym