How does Food Impact Your Cholesterol Levels?

[Updated 1/6/09]

People are now more conscious about what they eat these days for various reasons. Some are concerned of their weight and keep track of the calories of every meal. Others avoid sugar-rich food due to the concern of diabetes. But, how does the food affect your total cholesterol value and eventually your heart health? Or, does it at all?

The term "total cholesterol value" (TC) is calculated using the following formula:

TC = LDL + HDL + (Triglycerides/5)

where:

• LDL refers to Low density lipoprotein or "bad" cholesterol, because it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain.
• HDL refers to High density lipoprotein or "good" cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack.
• Triglycerides is a form of fat. People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including high LDL (bad) cholesterol and low HDL (good) cholesterol levels.
  

At clinics, the doctor typically looks at the following chart regarding TC:

• Desirable: Under 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL)
• Borderline high: 200 to 239 mg/dL
• High risk: 240 mg/dL and higher

I used to struggle with my cholesterol level 10 years ago. My annual checkup consistently showed my cholesterol level beyond the borderline range and sometimes even rose up to 270. It was particularly frustrating, after I was prescribed to the statin drugs over a long period of time. In fact, my doctor had continuously raised the dosage of my statin medicine year after year; from 10 mg to 20 mg and then again to 40 mg. The high dosage of the statin medicine that helped many others somehow did not seem to be effective to my body.

The experiment with the "extreme diet"

Curious to resolve the myth, my doctor suggested that I experimented with my diet. He suggested that I limited my diet only to fish and vegetables for a month without the statin medicine. For a person who had enjoyed all kinds of foods, the suggested restriction on diet was no less than a harsh punishment. I agreed to give it a try at the end due to my frustration with the disappointing outcomes of my blood tests year after year.

For the following month, I limited my diet to one single dish - spaghetti. I carefully chose the spaghetti sauce that contained neither meats nor saturated fat. I added to various vegetables (mostly spinach) as well as a piece of Orange Roughy fillet or baked salmon. It probably sounds like a horrible meal to many of you. Yet, I was determined to find out what would happen and managed to stay disciplined through the entire month.

I took another blood test at the end of the month and showed up at my doctor's office a week later to learn the results. I could feel my heart beating like crazy and blood vessels exploding, while waiting for my doctor to make the disclosure. Guess what my total cholesterol value was? 160! That number coming out of my doctor's mouth simply blew me away with tears in my eyes. I never forgot that moment of excitement in my life. The outcome of my one-month experiment with my diet had since then changed my whole life.

Where would I go from here?

That night, I decided to continue this experiment and seek a balanced diet that would kept my heart healthy without any medication. After all, I didn't think I or anyone in the world would settle to eating only spaghetti for the rest of our lives. Over the course of the last 10 years, I have learned a lot about foods and diet. It has been a lifestyle change. That's what I want to share with you at the Fishtarian blog. Stay tuned.