Vitamin D has received a lot of attention and as its health implications become more apparent it is also becoming evident that a significant proportion of our population don’t get enough Vitamin D.

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium through the small intestine. This is important for building strong bones, muscles and teeth. Most of our vitamin D is produced when UV radiation in sunlight hits our skin. Lack of exposure to sunlight can lead to vitamin D deficiency, which can cause rickets in children and osteomalacia (a bone-thinning disorder) in older people.

Most people get enough vitamin D through exposure to sunlight during normal day-to-day outdoor activities. However, some people have very low levels of daily sun exposure. This can lead to low vitamin D and, in some cases, longer term deficiency.

Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is naturally present in very few foods. There are very small amounts of vitamin D in some foods and drinks, but it is difficult to get enough vitamin D from diet alone. Only a few foods (such as fish and eggs) naturally contain vitamin D. Margarine and some types of milk have added vitamin D, but most people only get 10–25 per cent of their vitamin D from food.

There is increasing recognition that a significant number of Australians and people from specific groups within the community are suffering from vitamin D deficiency. While the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency varies, it is much higher than previously thought.

Health effects of low vitamin D

Low levels of vitamin D and vitamin D deficiency may have no obvious symptoms but they can have significant health effects if left untreated.

Low levels of Vitamin D can increase a person’s risk of musculoskeletal conditions such as:

• Bone and muscle pain
• Rickets (soft, weakened bones) in children
• Osteomalacia (weak, fragile bones) in older adults
• Osteoporosis

Vitamin D deficiency has also been linked to various types of cancers (particularly colon cancer), heart disease, stroke, altered immunity and autoimmune diseases. Further discussion on these diseases is beyond the scope of this Hot Topic and more research is required to confirm these links.

At-risk groups

People who are at risk of low vitamin D and deficiency include:

• People with naturally very dark skin. The pigment in skin (melanin) acts as a filter to UVB (Ultraviolet B) radiation and reduces the amount of vitamin D the body makes (synthesises).
• People with little or no sun exposure.
  
  This group includes:
  • Older adults – people who are frail, in medium to long-term residential or aged care and housebound people.
  • People who wear concealing clothing for religious and cultural purposes.
  • People who deliberately avoid sun exposure for cosmetic or health reasons.
  • People at high risk of skin cancers.
  • People who are in hospital for long periods.
  • People with a disability or chronic disease.
  • People in occupations with little sun exposure such as taxi drivers, factory workers or night-shift workers.
• Breast-fed babies with other low vitamin D risk factors. Breast milk is the best type of feed for babies, but it does not contain much vitamin D. Babies get their initial store of vitamin D from their mothers, so they are at risk of low vitamin D if their mother has low vitamin D.

This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner.

The health benefits of adequate fibre in your diet are almost too many to mention but amongst the most important are:

• Promoting good bowel habits and managing constipation
• Managing the side effects of some of the stronger pain killing medications
• Soluble fibre helps manage cholesterol
• Most types of fibre help alleviate some of the symptoms of intestinal disorders like irritable bowel syndrome and Chrohn’s Disease.

Good sources of natural fibre include things like fruit and vegetables which have the added benefit of additional vitamins, minerals and valuable anti-oxidants. However if your diet already contains adequate vegetables then it might be wise to supplement with something like Herb Valley’s Psyllium Husks.

These can be mixed in water or juice or sprinkled on soft foods like cereals or soups and are a great way to increase daily fibre intake. The Psyllium husk has proven effects on cholesterol management as well as being a naturally sourced fibre supplement.

On occasions as people begin to add more fibre to their diets they experience some minor side effects like griping or increased flatulence. Generally these can be managed by slowly increasing the amount of additional fibre in the diet and by making sure that you increase the amount of water that you drink throughout the day.

So go on add a few more veggies to the diet, a spoonful of Herb Valley’s Psyllium Husks to your morning cereal and get moving towards a healthier lifestyle.

This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner.

If you've been keeping an eye on your blood pressure and cholesterol levels you should also consider monitoring your triglycerides.

Having a high level of triglycerides can increase your risk of heart disease.

The good news is that the same lifestyle choices that promote overall health can help lower your triglycerides, too.

Triglycerides are an important measure of heart health.

What are triglycerides?

Triglycerides are a type of lipid found in your blood. When you eat, your body converts any calories it doesn't need to use right away into triglycerides. The triglycerides are stored in your fat cells. Over time, hormones release triglycerides for energy between meals.

If you regularly eat more calories than you burn, particularly "easy" calories like carbohydrates and fats, you are at greater risk of having high triglycerides (hypertriglyceridemia).

This condition has been associated with atherosclerosis, even in the absence of high cholesterol levels. It can also lead to pancreatitis in excessive concentrations.

What's considered normal?

A simple blood test can reveal whether your triglycerides fall into a healthy range.

Your doctor will usually check for high triglycerides as part of a cholesterol test (sometimes called a lipid panel or lipid profile). You'll have to fast for nine to 12 hours before blood can be drawn for an accurate triglyceride measurement.

What's the difference between triglycerides and cholesterol?

Triglycerides and cholesterol are separate types of lipids that circulate in your blood. Triglycerides store unused calories and provide your body with energy, and cholesterol is used to build cells and certain hormones. Because triglycerides and cholesterol can't dissolve in blood, they circulate throughout your body with the help of proteins that transport the lipids (lipoproteins).

Why do high triglycerides matter?

Although it's unclear how, high triglycerides may contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls (atherosclerosis) — which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease.

High triglycerides are often a sign of other conditions that increase the risk of heart disease and stroke as well, including obesity and metabolic syndrome — a group of conditions that includes too much fat around the waist, high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high blood sugar and abnormal cholesterol levels.

High triglycerides may also be a sign of other health conditions like, poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, low levels of thyroid hormones (hypothyroidism), liver or kidney disease, or rare genetic conditions that affect how your body converts fat to energy.

High triglycerides could also be a side effect of taking certain medications.

What's the best way to lower triglycerides?

Healthy lifestyle choices are the key

• Lose weight
• Cut back on calories
• Avoid sugary and refined foods
• Limit the cholesterol in your diet
• Choose healthier fats
• Eliminate trans-fat
• Limit how much alcohol you drink
• Exercise regularly

What about medication?

If healthy lifestyle changes aren't enough to control high triglycerides, your doctor may recommend medications that can help further lower your triglycerides.

Omega-3 fatty acid supplements.

Omega-3 fatty acids supplements can help lower your triglycerides, slow the growth rate of atherosclerotic plaque, and lower blood pressure (slightly).

This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner.

Myth: Eating after 8 pm causes weight gain

Fact: Whilst this is unlikely to cause weight gain on its own eating  too close to bed time can, all other things being equal, increase the proportion of food that is stored rather than burned. The effects are small and are almost always overshadowed by other poor dietary habits.

Tip: If you want to have a snack before bedtime, think first about how many kilojoules you have eaten that day. And try to avoid snacking in front of the TV at night—it may be easier to overeat when you are distracted by the television.

Physical Activity Myth

Myth: Lifting weights is not good to do if you want to lose weight, because it will make you “bulk up”

Fact:  Lifting weights or doing strengthening activities like push-ups and crunches on a regular basis can actually help you maintain or lose weight. These activities can help you build muscle, and muscle burns more kilojoules than body fat. So if you have more muscle, you burn more kilojoules—even sitting still.

Tip: In addition to doing moderate-intensity physical activity on most days of the week, try to do strengthening activities 2 to 3 days a week. You can lift weights, use large rubber bands (resistance bands), do push-ups or sit-ups, or do household or garden tasks that make you lift or dig. Strength training helps keep your bones strong while building muscle, which can help burn kilojoules.

Food Myths

Myth: Nuts are fattening and you should not eat them if you want to lose weight.

Fact:  In small amounts, nuts can be part of a healthy weight-loss program. Nuts are high in kilojoules from fat and protein.. However, most nuts contain healthy fats that do not clog arteries. Nuts are also good sources of protein, dietary fibre, and minerals such as magnesium and copper.

Tip: Enjoy small portions of nuts.

Myth: Eating red meat is bad for your health and makes it harder to lose weight.

Fact:  Eating lean meat in small amounts can be part of a healthy weight-loss plan. Red meat, pork, chicken, and fish contain some cholesterol and saturated fat (the least healthy kind of fat). They also contain healthy nutrients like protein, iron, and zinc.

Tip: Choose cuts of meat that are lower in fat and trim all visible fat.

Myth: Dairy products are fattening and unhealthy.

Fact:  Low-fat and fat-free milk, yogurt, and cheese are just as nutritious as whole-milk dairy products, but they are lower in fat and kilojoules. Dairy products have many nutrients your body needs.

Tip: Consume 3 cups per day of fat-free/ low-fat milk or equivalent milk products.

If you cannot digest lactose (the sugar found in dairy products), choose low-lactose or lactose-free dairy products, or other foods and beverages that offer calcium and vitamin D.

Myth: “Going vegetarian” means you are sure to lose weight and be healthier.

Fact:  People who follow a vegetarian eating plan, on average, eat fewer kilojoules and less fat than non-vegetarians. They also tend to have lower body weights relative to their heights than non-vegetarians. Choosing a vegetarian eating plan with a low fat content may be helpful for weight loss. But vegetarians—like non-vegetarians—can make food choices that contribute to weight gain, like eating large amounts of high-fat, high-calorie foods or foods with little or no nutritional value.

Vegetarian diets should be as carefully planned as non-vegetarian diets to make sure they are balanced. Nutrients that non-vegetarians normally get from animal products, but that are not always found in a vegetarian eating plan, are iron, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, zinc, and protein.

Tip: Choose a vegetarian eating plan that is low in fat and that provides all of the nutrients your body needs.

This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner. 

Myth: Certain foods, like grapefruit, celery, or cabbage soup, can burn fat and make you lose weight

Fact:  No foods can burn fat. Some foods with caffeine may speed up your metabolism for a short time but, this is a temporary effect and doesn’t result in weight loss.

Tip: The best way to lose weight is to cut back on the number of kilojoules you eat and be more physically active.

Meal Myths

Myth: “I can lose weight while eating whatever I want”

Fact: To lose weight, you need to use more kilojoules than you eat. If you increase activity beyond your intake then yes it is possible to eat any kind of food you want and lose weight.

Tip: When trying to lose weight, you can still eat your favourite foods—as long as you pay attention to the total number of kilojoules that you eat and how much activity you are performing

Myth: Low-fat or fat-free means no kilojoules

Fact: A low-fat or fat-free food is often lower in kilojoules than the same size portion of the full-fat product. But many processed low-fat or fat-free foods have just as many kilojoules as the full-fat versions of the same foods—or even more kilojoules. They may contain added sugar, flour, or starch thickeners to improve flavour and texture after fat is removed. These ingredients add kilojoules.

Tip: Read the Nutrition Facts on a food package to find out how many kilojoules are in a serving. Check the serving size too—it may be less than you are used to eating.

Myth: Fast foods are always an unhealthy choice and you should not eat them when dieting

Fact:  Fast foods are not always unhealthy, but nearly so. Most fast foods are high in added salt, sugars and are also high in saturated fats.

Tip: Avoid fast foods as much as possible. They are often not as fast as preparing a healthy meal yourself but if you feel you have to indulge then choose the smaller sized portions. Also look for any healthier choices on the menu.

Myth: Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight

Fact: People who skip breakfast and eat fewer times during the day tend to be heavier than people who eat a healthy breakfast and eat four or five times a day. This may be because people who skip meals tend to feel hungrier later on, and eat more than they normally would, often snacking on whatever is close at hand like chips and chocolates. It may also be that eating many small meals throughout the day helps people control their appetites.

Tip: Eat small meals throughout the day that include a variety of healthy, low-fat, low-calorie foods.

This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner. 

Myth: Fad diets work for permanent weight loss

Fact:  Fad diets are not the best way to lose weight and keep it off.

Fad diets often result in quick weight loss by telling you to cut certain foods out of your diet. However diets that strictly limit kilojoules or food choices are hard to follow and most people quickly get tired of them. Weight gain usually follows as people revert to their old eating habits. These are the so called “yo-yo diets”.

Another potential problem with fad diets is that they may promote unhealthy habits because they may not provide all of the nutrients your body needs as well as, in rare circumstances, precipitating other conditions like gall stones and gout. 

Tip: Losing 1 to 4 kilograms a week by making healthy food choices, eating moderate portions, and building physical activity into your daily life is the best way to lose weight and keep it off. By adopting healthy eating and physical activity habits, you may also lower your risk for developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.

Myth: High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are a healthy way to lose weight

Fact: The long-term health effects of a high-protein/low-carbohydrate diet are unknown. But getting most of your daily kilojoules from high-protein foods like meat, eggs, and cheese is not a balanced eating plan. You may be eating:

• Too much fat and cholesterol, which may raise heart disease risk.
• Too few fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which may lead to constipation due to lack of dietary fibre.
• Too much protein which may precipitate gout in susceptible people
• Very low carbohydrate intake can lead to the formations of ketones in the blood. This can be quite a serious condition.

Be sure to discuss any changes in your diet with a health care professional, especially if you have health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, or type 2 diabetes.

Tip: High-protein/low-carbohydrate diets are often low in kilojoules because food choices are strictly limited, so they may cause short-term weight loss. But a reduced-calorie eating plan that includes recommended amounts of carbohydrate, protein and fat will also allow you to lose weight. By following a balanced eating plan, you will not have to stop eating whole classes of foods, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables—and miss the key nutrients they contain. You may also find it easier to stick with a diet or eating plan that includes a greater variety of foods.

Myth: Starches are fattening and should be limited when trying to lose weight

Fact:  Many foods high in starch, like bread, rice, pasta, cereals, beans, fruits, and some vegetables (like potatoes and yams) are low in fat and kilojoules. They become high in fat and kilojoules when eaten in large portion sizes or when covered with high-fat toppings like butter, sour cream, or mayonnaise.  Starches may even help reduce hunger feelings by helping to maintain blood glucose levels.

Tip: A healthy eating plan is one that:

• Emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products.
•  Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts.
• Is low in saturated fats, trans-fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.

This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner. 

High cholesterol increases your risk of heart disease and heart attacks.

Lifestyle changes can help you to reduce cholesterol which in addition to reducing the risks of heart disease may in turn keep you off cholesterol-lowering medications or at least enhance the effect of those medications.

Lose weight

Carrying some extra kilos, even just a few, contributes to high cholesterol. So losing as little as 2 to 5 kilograms can help reduce cholesterol levels.

Start by taking an honest look at your eating habits and daily routine and consider:

• If you eat when you're bored or frustrated then take a walk instead.
• If you pick up fast food for lunch every day, pack something healthier from home.
• If you're sitting in front of the television, try munching on carrot sticks instead of potato chips as you watch.
• Look for ways to incorporate more activity into your daily routine, such as using the stairs instead of taking the elevator, walking to the corner store etc.
• Take stock of what you currently eat and your physical activity level, and slowly adjust your food intake accordingly.

Eat heart-healthy foods

Even if you have years of unhealthy eating under your belt, making a few changes in your diet can reduce cholesterol and improve your heart health.

Choose healthier fats - Saturated fats, found in red meat and dairy products, raise your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the "bad" cholesterol. As a general rule, you should get no more than 10 percent of your daily kilojoule intake from saturated fat. Choose leaner cuts of meat, low-fat dairy and monounsaturated fats found in olive, peanut and canola oils for a healthier option.

Eliminate trans fats - Trans fat can be found in fried foods and many commercial baked products, such as biscuits, crackers and snack cakes. Don't rely on packages that are labelled "trans fat-free." Read the ingredients list carefully. Beware it if  contains partially hydrogenated oil.

Limit the cholesterol in your food - Aim for no more than 300 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol a day (less than 200 mg if you have heart disease). The most concentrated sources of cholesterol include organ meats, egg yolks and whole milk products. Use lean cuts of meat, egg substitutes and skim milk instead.

Select whole grains - Various nutrients found in whole grains promote heart health. Choose whole-grain breads, whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat flour and brown rice.

Stock up on fruits and vegetables - Fruits and vegetables are rich in dietary fibre, which can help lower cholesterol.

• Snack on seasonal fruits.
• Experiment with veggie-based casseroles, soups and stir-fries.
• If you prefer dried fruit to fresh fruit, limit yourself to no more than a handful. Dried fruit tends to have more calories than does fresh fruit.

Eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids - Omega-3 fatty acids can help lower your LDL cholesterol. Some types of fish, such as salmon, mackerel and herring, are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Other good sources of omega-3 fatty acids include walnuts, almonds and ground flaxseeds. Take a fish oil supplement if your diet is low on these food groups.

Exercise on most days of the week

Whether you're overweight or not, exercise can reduce cholesterol. Better yet, moderate physical activity can help raise high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, the "good" cholesterol.

With your doctor's OK, work up to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise a day.

Adding physical activity, even in 10-minute intervals several times a day, can help you begin to lose weight. Just be sure that you can keep up the changes you decide to make.

Consider:

• Taking a brisk daily walk during your lunch hour
• Riding your bike to work
• Swimming laps
• Playing a sport

To stay motivated, find an exercise partner or join an exercise group. Any activity is helpful so take those stairs or walk that short distance instead of driving the car.

Quit smoking

If you smoke, stop. Quitting can improve your HDL cholesterol level and the benefits don’t stop there.

• Just 20 minutes after quitting, your blood pressure decreases.
• Within 24 hours, your risk of a heart attack decreases.
• Within one year, your risk of heart disease is half that of a smoker.
• Within 15 years, your risk of heart disease is similar to someone who never smoked.

Drink alcohol only in moderation

Whilst moderate use of alcohol has been linked with higher levels of HDL cholesterol it is hardly a reason to increase consumption. If you choose to drink, do so in moderation. This means no more than one drink a day for women, and one to two drinks a day for men.

Drinking too much alcohol can lead to serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart failure and stroke.

Set goals and targets that you can achieve and maintain

Make sure the changes you choose to make are ones that you can continue, and don't be disappointed if you don't see results immediately.

If lifestyle changes aren't enough

Always take your medication as prescribed.

Sometimes healthy lifestyle changes aren't enough to lower cholesterol levels so if your doctor recommends medication to help lower your cholesterol, take it as prescribed, but continue your lifestyle changes as they will benefit in the longer term.

This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner.

How many times have you felt this way?

• Your stomach is growling.
• Your next meal is hours away.
• You could indulge yourself with a snack.
• You think it's best to grit your teeth and wait for your next meal.

Not so!

Although you may feel guilty about snacking, snacks aren't necessarily bad. Well planned healthy snacks can complement your diet.

Snacks are a great way to help keep your energy levels steady and your mind alert until your next full meal. However, it’s important to pay attention to what types of snacks you eat. Choosing healthy and nutritious snacks can be good for you.

Eating a healthy snack of a piece of fruit or some raw veggies can tame your hunger without ruining your appetite for your next meal. Well planned nutrition plans or weight loss diets should allow for snacks to help manage hunger and reduce bingeing.

The key to this is to keep moderation and balance in mind.

• Choose healthy snacks.
• Select foods that satisfy your hunger and supply your body with energy and provide important nutrients.
• According to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating, a snack for an average adult is around 600 kilojoules. However, this may be less for people who are watching their weight or much more for active children and athletes, because everyone has different energy needs. The average person shouldn’t need more than 2 snacks each day.

Choose snacks from these food groups:

• Fruits and vegetables - Eating fruits and vegetables provides a feeling of fullness with little to no fat and only a small number of calories. On top of that they are good for you providing vitamins, minerals, fibre and other nutrients.
• Whole grains - Whole grain snacks are rich in fibre and complex carbohydrates, which give you energy with staying power. Look for low fat wholegrain snacks.
• Nuts and seeds - Nuts and seeds provide protein, so you will feel fuller longer. They can be high in fat, but it's mostly monounsaturated, the healthy kind. Nuts and seeds are high in calories so don't eat them in large quantities.
• Low-fat dairy products - Cheese, yogurt and other dairy products are good sources of calcium and protein, plus many other vitamins and minerals. Choose the low-fat versions. Some yogurts have extra added sugar, so look for low-kilojoule or "light" varieties.

Snack suggestions

• Add fruit and/or yoghurt to reduced fat milk and blend them together to make smoothies.
• Fresh fruit and vegetables, dried fruit or an occasional handful of unsalted nuts make a good snack.
• Fruit bread and wholegrain bread or toast with healthy spreads such as avocado or low-fat cream cheese, makes a filling, healthy snack.
• Eat some low fat yoghurt with fresh fruit.
• Choose wholegrain breakfast cereal with reduced fat milk.
• Fruits such as oranges and grapes make delicious frozen snacks.

This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner.

Everyone has heard that they need to exercise more to enhance their health and wellbeing unfortunately when many people hear this they think that they are expected to get off of the lounge and run a marathon. It’s no wonder their motivation suffers and they stay firmly planted in the chair.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Gentle exercise is very beneficial as long as it is regular. It is recommended that about half an hour or so for or five times a week will have many of the following benefits :

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Building and maintaining healthy bone density
• Improving muscle strength and balance
• Improved joint mobility
• Promoting physiological well-being
• Reducing surgical risks
• Strengthening the immune system

Exercise also boosts your energy, mood, and brainpower

• Relieves stress and anxiety
• Alleviates depression
• Boosts mood
• Sharpens brainpower
• Improves self-esteem

When exercising, it becomes even more important to have a good diet in order to aid the body with the recovery process following strenuous exercise.

Proper rest and recovery are also important to health; otherwise the body exists in a permanently injured state and will not improve or adapt adequately to the exercise.

Exercise does not need to hurt, be boring, or take hours and hours. Even just 15 minutes a day can help. Start off with just a few minutes of exercise a day, then after a while, you’ll have the energy to add a few more minutes to your routine.

Reaping the benefits of exercise is easier than you think

Current recommendations for physical activity suggest 30-minutes of moderate exercise five times a week. If that seems intimidating, don’t despair. Take heart knowing that you don’t have to train at the gym, sweat buckets, or run a single step to reap the benefits of physical activity.

Moderate exercise means two things:

• That you breathe a little heavier than normal, but are not out of breath. For example, you should be able to chat with your walking partner, but not easily sing a song.
• That your body feels warmer as you move, but not overheated or very sweaty.

Do I need different types of exercise?

Different types of exercise benefits your health in different ways:

• Aerobic activities like running, biking and swimming strengthen your heart and increase your endurance.
• Strength training like weight lifting or resistance training builds muscle and bone mass, improves balance and prevents falls. It’s one of the best counters to frailty in old age.
• Flexibility exercises like stretching and yoga help prevent injury, enhance range of motion, reduce stiffness, and limit aches and pains.

At first, just focus on getting any kind of exercise, whatever it may be. As exercising becomes your habit, try adding variety. If you keep at it, the benefits of exercise will begin to pay off.

So get started…. NOW!

This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced naturally by the body and is found in the cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. It is an essential structural component for the function of every cell in the human body. Cholesterol is an important component for the manufacture of bile acids, steroid hormones, and several fat-soluble vitamins. About two thirds of the cholesterol in our blood is made by the liver that is why for some people diet and lifestyle modification can only go so far towards reducing cholesterol. The remainder comes from foods, especially those high in saturated fats.

Good cholesterol and bad cholesterol

BAD - Low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol – carries most of the cholesterol that is delivered to cells. It is called the ‘bad’ cholesterol when its level in the bloodstream is high because that it can contribute to plaques that clog up your arteries.

GOOD - High density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol – is called the ‘good’ cholesterol because it helps remove excess cholesterol out of the cells, including cells in the arteries.

What are triglycerides?

When we eat fats in food they form triglycerides that are absorbed into the blood and either burned for energy or deposited into the body's fat stores. High levels of triglycerides often go together with low levels of good (HDL) cholesterol or high levels of bad (LDL) cholesterols.

High triglyceride levels are usually diet related and are the easiest of the three to modify by following a healthy diet and getting plenty of exercise. Typically overeating increases the likelihood of increase triglyceride levels as does moderate levels of alcohol intake.

Why is high cholesterol a problem?

High blood cholesterol is one of the three main risk factors for heart disease. The other two risk factors are cigarette smoking and high blood pressure.

Since cholesterol is essential for all animal life, a certain amount of cholesterol is necessary for the normal functioning of your body. However, high levels in blood circulation, depending on how it is transported within lipoproteins, are strongly associated with progression of atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis (also known as arteriosclerotic vascular disease or ASVD) is the condition in which an artery wall thickens as the result of a build-up of fatty materials such as cholesterol.  It is commonly referred to as a hardening or furring of the arteries caused by the formation of multiple plaques within the arteries. If one of these plaques ruptures or a piece breaks off it can lodge in a small artery in the heart or brain leading to a heart attack or stroke.

Even if the plaque is stable eventually it might become so large that it partially blocks blood flow through one of the small arteries that feed the heart muscle leading to low oxygenation of that area of the heart. Typically this is worsened by exercise as the heart is in need of more oxygen and angina results.

Does menopause affect my cholesterol?

Yes. Blood cholesterol tends to rise after menopause.

Healthy eating to lower cholesterol

• Eating foods that are low in saturated fat is a great way to help cholesterol under control and everyone should make the effort in the first instance. However  since 70% of cholesterol in the body is manufactured by the liver from other ingredients diet can only go so far.

• Limiting intake of foods that have a high saturated fat content (such as many biscuits, cakes and fatty take-away foods) is a great way to start reducing intake as well as replacing saturated fats in the diet with mono- or poly-unsaturated fats (such as using olive oil instead of butter).

• Eating some foods with poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated fat (such as nuts, avocados and oily fish)  is useful as well as including more fruit, vegetables and wholegrain bread and cereals in your diet (for further information see fibre)

Other ways to reduce cholesterol:

• Exercise decreases total cholesterol levels, probably through weight management, but it also appears to increase HDL levels in distance athletes.
• Everyone should ideally aim for their ideal weight but even losing a few kilograms can make a big difference to your cholesterol, how you feel and to your exercise tolerance making those morning walks or runs a bit easier and more enjoyable.
• Keeping alcohol consumption to moderate levels is essential especially for triglyceride control because while your liver is busy getting rid of alcohol its capacity to clear fats from the blood is reduced and it reduces your weight loss efforts.
• Unlike alcohol  there is no safe level of smoking so seek help from your doctor or pharmacist to stop. This may also help keep your blood pressure under control. Remember high BP is one of the other key risk factors for heart disease.

Benefits of omega-3 fats

Research is ongoing, but the benefits of omega-3 fats in the diet seem to include that they:

• Lower triglyceride levels, which are important risk factors in coronary heart disease
• Improve blood vessel elasticity
• Keep the heart rhythm beating normally
• Thin the blood, which makes it less sticky and less likely to clot
• Reduce inflammation and support the immune system
• Reduce blood pressure
• May play a role in preventing and treating depression
• Contribute to the normal development of the foetal brain.

Did you know?

The name cholesterol originates from the Greek chole- (bile) and stereos (solid), and the chemical suffix -ol for an alcohol, as François Poulletier de la Salle first identified cholesterol in solid form in gallstones, in 1769. However, it was only in 1815 that chemist Eugène Chevreul named the compound "cholesterine".

This information is not intended as a substitute for qualified medical advice. Please consult a properly qualified health care practitioner.