High cholesterol has no symptoms, so it is advised to check it regularly with a blood test and at least once every five years.
While it’s common knowledge that saturated fat promotes higher cholesterol levels, there may be another culprit—sugar.
There is a lot of added sugar in our daily diet, from sweetened coffee and sweetened juice to foods with a lot of added sugar. Hidden sugar is also found in bread and bakery products, sauces and teas, and we ingest it by eating honey and other natural or artificial sweeteners.
Added sugars and sweet foods in general, in addition to increasing the risk of obesity and diabetes, also affect the liver, which produces cholesterol. Although our body needs cholesterol to function well, there is also cholesterol that damages the liver. It is LDL cholesterol or the so-called “bad cholesterol” that deposits on artery walls and can clog them, increasing the risk of stroke or heart attack. If we eat too much sugar – the World Health Organization advises a maximum of 50 grams per day, while some other professional associations say a maximum of 25 grams per day (six teaspoons) – the liver produces more LDL cholesterol and at the same time reduces the amount of HDL cholesterol (“good”). cholesterol). Research shows that consuming large amounts of sugar more than triples the risk of a drop in HDL levels.
It is desirable to have as much HDL cholesterol as possible, because it collects all the extra LDL from the bloodstream, returns it to the liver, which then removes it from the body, and in addition, HDL reduces the risk of developing heart disease. The extra calories from sugary foods also lead to higher levels of triglycerides, which are stored in fat cells and released between meals when the body needs more energy. Sugar blocks an enzyme the body needs to break down triglycerides and get rid of them. And when you have high triglycerides along with high LDL and low HDL, plaque builds up in your arteries and increases your risk of fatal heart and blood vessel disease.
When should you check your cholesterol?
High cholesterol does not have any symptoms, so it is advised to check it regularly by drawing blood and of course once every five years. High cholesterol levels can also be inherited, so it is recommended that children have their cholesterol levels checked at the age of six or seven.
If you have high cholesterol, your doctor will advise you to change your diet and exercise regularly or prescribe medication if your total cholesterol is higher than 8 mmol/l. Total cholesterol should not exceed 5 mmol/l, and LDL 3 mmol/l.
Less sugar in the diet
You can reduce sugar in your diet by limiting your consumption of sweets, cakes and bakery products. In addition, reduce your intake of sweetened soft drinks and juices, avoid carbohydrates such as white bread and pasta, drink less alcoholic beverages, replace sugary breakfast cereals with fruit, oats and yogurt, choose whole foods and whole grains, do not add sugar to tea and coffee and read the product declarations.