Cholesterol & the Plant-Based Diet

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Cholesterol is a necessary molecule

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is naturally produced in the liver.  It is vital for human life and is found in all of your cells.  Your body uses this cholesterol to build the membrane that surrounds each cell, as well as producing hormones, vitamin D and bile to help digest your food.  Your body produces cholesterol, but it is also ingested through the consumption of animal food products.

"Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs."


The "good" & the "bad" of cholesterol



There are two types of cholesterol: LDL & HDL.  Both of these are lipoproteins that are composed of a fat + protein. The cholesterol is part of these molecules, and these molecules are then responsible for carrying the cholesterol through the body in the blood.  The two types of cholesterol are more commonly known as:

  • Bad Cholesterol = LDL (low-density lipoprotein)
  • Good Cholesterol - HDL (high-density lipoprotein)






Like I tell my students (I teach Earth Science to high school freshmen), "too much of a good thing is still too much".  LDL is considered "bad" because too much of it can lead to atherosclerosis, otherwise known as "hardening of the arteries".  Basically this is a buildup of fatty deposits, called "plaque", on the inside walls of the arteries.  This condition can restrict oxygen-rich blood from reaching the body's tissues, and can lead to blood clots, causing heart attack or stroke.  

HDL helps keep your cardiovascular system healthy, by removal of the LDL from the arteries.  It carries it to the liver, where it is broken down and removed from the body.  In terms of long-term health, it has been shown to lower the risk of stroke and heart attack.  (Some studies have shown that too much HDL can increase risk, but this is a good topic for another article).  Uncontrollable factors such as heredity, age and race may play a role in controlling your cholesterol levels.  However, so does diet, smoking, weight and exercise.  

"Eating foods that are low in cholesterol and saturated fats, getting regular exercise, and managing your weight are all associated with lower cholesterol levels and lower risks of cardiovascular disease."


A plant-based diet can help to lower cholesterol

One way to lower cholesterol is by changing to an increasingly plant-based diet (I focus on this factor, since this is a plant-based blog).  Foods high in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol raise the body's cholesterol and can even trigger the body to produce even more cholesterol.  Plants do the opposite.  They are lower in saturated fat and free of cholesterol.  Plants are also rich in soluble fiber, which helps to lower cholesterol, by reducing the amount that the liver produces.

The plant-based HDL paradox

For vegans and vegetarians, there is a real paradox regarding HDL.  According to Dr. Ira J. Goldberg of the College of Physicians & Surgeons at Columbia University, populations around the world that stick to a vegetarian diet have lower "good" HDL cholesterol levels than those that consume meat and butterfat.  In fact, switching to a heart-healthy diet can lead to both lower "bad" LDL levels and "good" HDL levels.  Dr. Goldberg tries to reassure his patients that lower HDL levels are less important, when coupled with lower LDL levels.  Dr. Goldberg cites a study done by deGoma, et al., which demonstrated that HDL levels in patients, who also had low LDL, was a much less potent risk modifier for a cardiovascular event.  

 "Lowering LDL cholesterol appears to be prudent in patients with low HDL cholesterol levels."

 The National Institutes of Health confirms this conclusion. They state that a low-fat, plant-based diet paradoxically lowers both cardiovascular risk factors as well as HDL levels. This conclusion calls into question the value of using HDL as a predictor of cardiovascular risk in populations that do not consume a typical western diet.

My conclusion

I am the type of person who frets over numbers, data, details, etc.  I can't help it. It's the way my brain is wired.  Even though I tend to get a lot of positive affirmations from my primary physician, I see test results come in, and what do I do?  I compare them to the "norm" or "ideal" ranges.  I think most people would do that, but I obsess. Worry even.  But after researching this article, I find that I fit the pattern discovered in previous studies.  My HDL vs. LDL are, indeed, paradoxical.  At my last physical (Jan. 21, 2020), my LDL was in the "ideal" range (105 mg/dL), yet my HDL was below the range (39 mg/dL).  

"Intention, Not Perfection"

So I think it's time to stop worrying.  My numbers may not be perfect when compared to the "norm", but I definitely always intend to eat "right" (a well balanced, plant-based diet), and I maintain an active, exercise-filled and smoke-free lifestyle.  So I will keep on eye on the numbers, trying to keep the LDL low and HDL high, but for now, I think I'm good!  :-)

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Location: North Park, San Diego, CA, USA
Learn more about my life by following me on Instagram: my.plant.based.adventures & tennistodd

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