Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. While uncontrollable things like genetics and aging can make you predisposed, your lifestyle, specifically diet and exercise, are two of the biggest factors that raise your risk. One thing in particular that you should be aware of when monitoring your heart health is your cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the blood that is necessary for producing healthy cells. “High cholesterol is elevated levels of total cholesterol or LDL cholesterol in our blood, which is a good indicator of the cholesterol in our entire body,” says Cesar Sauza, MS, RD, a Registered Dietitian with AltaMed Health Services, “LDL cholesterol is our bad cholesterol and is more likely to lead to different types of heart disease. HDL cholesterol is our good cholesterol and having higher levels of HDL cholesterol reduces our risk for heart disease.” When you have too much of that “bad” LDL cholesterol, it can lead to clogged arteries and even an increased risk of a stroke.
Your diet is one of the biggest determining factors when it comes to your heart health, and you’ve probably heard things like red meat and fried foods should be avoided when you’re already at risk of heart disease. But according to Sauza, the worst thing to eat if you want to keep heart health in mind is sugar.
“A high-sugar diet arguably is the highest risk factor for high cholesterol or elevated lipid and cholesterol levels overall.” Ultra-processed foods also raise cholesterol due to their typically high saturated fat content, so anything with processed sugar especially is doubly threatening. Sauza notes that processed and pre-packaged baked goods and sweet treats are some of the worst for heart health.
Besides cutting back on the unhealthy things, what are some things you can focus on adding into your diet for optimal long term health? Something that Sauza recommends is making sure to get in lots of fiber. “High fiber foods aid in breaking down cholesterol and fat that may be stored in our blood vessels,” he explains. He also emphasizes the importance of healthy fats, “Healthy fats are heart healthy and an essential part of our diet, omega-3 rich fatty fish and seafood, along with avocado, extra-virgin olive oil, and nuts/seeds should all be included as part of a heart healthy diet.”
If you are already at risk of heart disease, cutting out processed baked goods is one way you can reduce your risk, as sugar and ultra-processed foods are two of the biggest threats to your heart health. Additionally, you should make sure you are regularly working in high fiber foods, and sources of healthy fats, as these will all support your cardiovascular health in the long term as well.
