{"id":70249,"date":"2022-12-16T17:35:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-16T17:35:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/veganuary.com\/blog\/cholesterol\/"},"modified":"2024-11-04T21:00:44","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T21:00:44","slug":"cholesterol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/veganuary.com\/en-us\/cholesterol\/","title":{"rendered":"High Cholesterol"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Does a plant-based diet lead to lower cholesterol levels? We explain below.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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High cholesterol levels are a risk factor for cardiovascular disease which is the leading cause of death worldwide. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there is much we can do to protect ourselves, and studies show that cholesterol levels tend to be lower in vegans than in the rest of the population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cA 10% decrease in total blood cholesterol levels can reduce the incidence of heart disease by as much as 30%.<\/em>“<\/p>\nCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Our bodies need a small amount of cholesterol to build the structure of membranes and to make hormones and produce vitamin D, but our bodies can make all the cholesterol that we need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cholesterol is only found in animal products, and consuming saturated fats can raise cholesterol levels. The modern Western diet contains far too much of these, and that\u2019s where problems begin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHOLESTEROL FROM FOOD<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Only animal products \u2013 meat, dairy, and eggs \u2013 contain cholesterol, and most saturated fat also comes from animal products, too. Butter, meat, cheese, and processed foods like pastries, cakes, and ice creams contain significant amounts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is some saturated fat in vegan foods, too, including coconut oil, palm oil, and processed foods, but there is generally much less saturated fat in vegan diets, which is one reason they can be so healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n

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GOOD AND BAD CHOLESTEROL<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cholesterol needs proteins to help it travel through the blood. When it is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL), it has come to be known as \u2018good cholesterol\u2019. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is \u2018good\u2019 because it absorbs cholesterol and carries it back to the liver, which then flushes it from the body. High levels of HDL cholesterol can lower our risk of heart disease and stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there is another type: low-density lipoprotein (LDL), known as \u2018bad cholesterol\u2019. Most of the body\u2019s cholesterol falls into this category, and high levels of it raise the risk of heart disease and stroke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, we need to avoid meat, dairy, cheese, and those other saturated fats, and instead load up on the foods that support good cholesterol. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n