Understanding How Cholesterol Contributes to Increased Belly Fat
If you want to know how to lose belly fat then understanding cholesterol is key
Cholesterol belongs to the group of fats and oils called lipids. A fat is solid at room temperature and oils are liquid. Cholesterol is essential in the body and is found in every cell membrane. It is also involved in the formation of hormones and bile salts and in carrying fats around the body in the blood.
Cholesterol is made in the liver, mainly from saturated fats or is absorbed directly from the small intestine from cholesterol rich foods such as dairy products and eggs. However, the cholesterol present in food has a relatively small effect on the level of cholesterol in the blood. Linoleic acid can lower blood cholesterol and can prevent clots forming.
A small amount of fat, about 2% is needed to supply the essential fatty acids that the body cannot make. However, we tend to eat a lot more than we need. Indeed if you are on low carb diet such as The Atkins Diet then your fat intake will be higher.
Cholesterol is transported around the body as a lipoprotein which is made from cholesterol, fat and phospholipids together with a carrier protein. There are two types of lipoprotein: low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL’s are regarded as a ‘bad ‘ form of cholesterol and are linked to CHD (coronary heart disease) because they carry 70% of the blood cholesterol. If there is too high a level they can narrow arteries by forming plaques. The balance between LDL’s and HDL’s is important. HDL’s are regarded as the ‘good’ form and carry cholesterol from places where there is too much to the liver where it is removed.
There has been a lot of concern about the link between a high fat intake and cardiovascular diseases such as CHD and strokes. CHD is caused by the narrowing of the coronary arteries supplying the heart muscle with food and oxygen.
This can cause angina (chest pain). They can become narrower due to a build up of fatty deposits of plaque called atherosclerosis. If they break up a clot may develop (coronary thrombosis) then a heart attack may occur. In the brain this may result in a stroke. It has been shown that there is an increased risk of death from CHD if a person has a high level of cholesterol in the blood.
The concentration of cholesterol in the blood should be 5.2 mmol/L or less. If higher, then further tests can be taken to measure the relative amounts of HDL’s and LDL’s. Most people with high levels of total cholesterol rarely need drug treatment and can reduce it by eating a low fat and a high fibre diet and by keeping their weight under control. The following foods can be eaten to help reduce cholesterol.
Lower rates of CHD are found in European people eating a‘ Mediterranean diet’. The food tends to be low in saturated fat and high in monounsaturated fats mainly from olive oil. They also eat lots of fruit and vegetables. In America the borderline cholesterol concentration in the blood is 200 mg/dL and above 240 mg/dL is linked to health problems. The most recent research suggests that nearly 38 million have this higher level and women over the age of 45 have higher cholesterol levels than men. Less than 100 mg/dL is considered good and Asians tend to have a level under 95 mg/dl because their diet is low in fat. People over the age of 20 years are recommended to have their blood cholesterol levels checked every 5 years.
Statins are drugs which reduce cholesterol levels by reducing the amount of cholesterol made in the liver. They work by inhibiting the enzyme responsible for producing cholesterol called HMG-CoA reductase. They are used for preventing and treating atherosclerosis to reduce heart attacks, angina and strokes. As well as high cholesterol, other risk factors include increasing age and a family history of heart attacks especially at a younger age.
A new class of drug is currently being developed which treats both Type 2 diabetes and heart disease and could be more effective than statins. This new drug affects cholesterol ester transfer proteins (CETPs) and so raises the level of HDL’s which are the ‘good’ form of cholesterol. Torcetrapib is currently under trial and two more drugs called dalcetrapib and anacetrapib are being developed. When given with statins the drug dalcetrapib rose the level of HDL’s by 67%. No difference was observed when given statins alone and so this new class of drugs could have a marked effect on reducing heart disease and by stabilizing blood sugar levels reduce diabetes 2. Patients given both drugs had blood sugar levels 7% lower than when statins were used alone and resistance to insulin also improved.
