5 Myths About High Cholesterol

High cholesterol isn’t a visible thing so it’s not always easy to understand the impact it might be having on our bodies. A number of common myths are associated with high cholesterol so it is possible we can misunderstand what it is, how it’s caused, and what can be done to prevent it.

Belle spoke to Benecol nutritionist Sarah Franciosi, about some of the most common high cholesterol myths and below Sarah shares her tips on what you can do to ensure you’re staying in control of your cholesterol levels.

MYTH 1: You don’t have to worry about cholesterol when you’re young

It can be easy to assume high cholesterol only affects older aged groups, but this isn’t always the case. Around half of the European population has elevated total cholesterol[1] and some data suggests that many middle-aged individuals with an elevated ‘bad’ cholesterol may already have signs of disease of the arteries. It can also run in your family, so if you know other family members have suffered with it then there’s even more of a reason to act on it sooner rather than later. 

MYTH 2: If you had high cholesterol, you’d be able to feel it

Many people think they’d be able to spot high cholesterol due to changes in their health, but having elevated cholesterol doesn’t usually carry any obvious symptoms, so this isn’t the case.

If you want to find out whether you have high cholesterol, you need to have a simple test – carried out by your doctor, nurse or pharmacist. Elevated cholesterol increases the risks of coronary heart disease and stroke. Globally, a third of coronary heart disease is attributable to high cholesterol¹. It’s therefore a good idea to know your own cholesterol level and follow it up with your healthcare professional to get the right advice and support to manage it over time.

MYTH 3: All cholesterol is bad for you

Despite the health risks of having too much cholesterol, it’s important to know that not all cholesterol is bad for you. In fact, some is essential for maintaining good health and it’s needed by our bodies in order to perform important jobs such as making hormones and building cells, so it’s all about finding the right balance and keeping your levels within the recommended amounts. Remember, some simple diet and lifestyle changes can help you keep healthy cholesterol levels, for example adding a Benecol yogurt with added plant stanols* to your diet each day can help to lower your LDL-cholesterol in just 2 to 3 weeks[2].

MYTH 4: If you eat a low-fat diet, you won’t get high cholesterol

Don’t be fooled – eating a low-fat diet doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t at risk of having elevated cholesterol. But looking at your diet is a good place to start, and fat is really important to understand. There are two main types of fat – saturated and unsaturated – and getting the balance right can positively impact your cholesterol levels and overall health.

Sarah says: “Saturated fat is found in high-fat dairy foods such as cream, whole milk, hard cheese and butter. Eating these foods less often can be beneficial for your cholesterol levels. Try making simple switches to your diet like replacing butter with a vegetable spread, or switching full fat milk for skimmed milk, to make a difference over time.”

Sarah added, “Unsaturated fat is better for your cholesterol, to help achieve a healthy diet and lifestyle, and is found in a wide range of tasty and versatile foods. These include oily fish – like salmon, mackerel and herring – nuts, seeds and vegetable oils & spreads made from these. This means you can help keep your heart happy with a variety of foods to choose from. While nuts and seeds make a good heart happy snack, they also contain a lot of calories so be mindful of that”.

MYTH 5: If I exercise regularly then I’m not at risk of getting high cholesterol

Sarah highlighted, “Regular exercise can help to improve your ‘good’ HDL-cholesterol level”. But relying on exercise alone isn’t guaranteed to keep your cholesterol at a healthy level and should be undertaken alongside eating a healthy diet. So don’t let that 5k run go to waste – there are a number of simple switches you can make to help reduce your risk of high cholesterol.

*Plant stanol ester has been shown to lower cholesterol. High cholesterol is a risk factor in the development of coronary heart disease. A daily intake of 1.5–3 g of plant stanols lowers cholesterol as part of healthy diet and lifestyle.

References

[2] Benecol. Strawberry Cherry yogurts. https://www.benecol.co.uk/our-products/yogurts/strawberry-cherry/ [accessed April 2020].