Healthy Lifestyle For All

Cholesterol by the Numbers

Elevated cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of heart disease. So, what is a healthy cholesterol level and what can you do to improve it? The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines can help. The goal of these guidelines is decreasing total and LDL cholesterol levels while maintaining or increasing your HDL cholesterol level.

Table 1: Cholesterol Classification (mg/dL)

If your total and LDL cholesterol levels are too high, smart food choices can help. These include:

• Consume a variety of fruits, vegetables, and whole grain, high-fiber foods.
• Minimize your intake of sugary foods and beverages.
• Prepare and choose foods with little salt.
• Eat legumes, lean meats, and poultry without the skin.
• Replace some animal products with soy protein.
• Eat fatty fish, such as salmon or tuna, at least twice a week.
• Choose fat-free or low-fat dairy products.
• Limit saturated fat and trans-fat intake.

In a healthy, low-cholesterol diet, most of your dietary fat should come from monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These types of fats are found in nuts, seeds, fish, and vegetable oils. In addition, most people should limit cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg a day. If your LDL level is more than 100 mg/dL or if you have heart disease, limit your cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg a day. Then, follow the “Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes” (TLC) Diet created by the NCEP. Table 2 outlines the key components of the TLC Diet.

Table 2: TLC Diet

*LDL-raising nutrients
**Therapeutic options for LDL-lowering

Certain supplements and foods may also help lower your cholesterol when added to a healthy diet. These include isolated garlic compounds, oats, flaxseed, fish oils, calcium, and magnesium. Remember, by learning to make smart choices you can enjoy flavorful foods and manage your cholesterol at the same time!

Micheline Vargas, DrPH, RCEP
Nutrilite Health Institute
Research Scientist, Nutrition Investigations