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and the quantity of your HDL particles are important to cardiovascular risk, because the bigger particles are better at grabbing harmful cholesterol and dumping it into the liver for disposal. Myth #4: Eggs clog up your arteries. Fact: Because cholesterol has been so demonized by both the medical establishment and the media, many people view foods that contain this nutrient as practically poisonous. We've been bombarded with warnings that consuming foods that are high in cholesterol, such as hamburgers, steak, lobster, and liver, boost risk for atherosclerosis and heart attacks. Eggs have been particularly demonized as "a heart attack in a shell," because the yolk contains upwards of 200 mg of cholesterol, more than two-thirds of the American Heart Association's recommended daily limit of 300 mg per day. e "lipid hypothesis" – the theory that there's a direct relationship between eating foods that are high in cholesterol, such as eggs, lobster, steak, and liver, and developing cardiovascular disease – has long been contro- versial, however. Recent research suggests that dietary cholesterol isn't nearly as dangerous as most people believe. One study found that when people ate three or more eggs per day, their level of LDL rose, as expected – but the surprise was that HDL also went up. An even more interesting finding was that when people ate three or more eggs per day, their bodies produced larger LDL and HDL particles than when they ate no eggs. at's important for two reasons: Bigger LDL particles are less likely to invade the arterial wall and clump into plaque, while bigger, more robust HDL particles are better at ridding the bloodstream of harmful cholesterol. e researchers concluded that most people's bodies handle dietary cholesterol from eggs in a manner that's unlikely to harm the heart or blood vessels. e biggest factor influencing cholesterol levels is actually heredity, not diet. erefore, people who are watching their cholesterol can safely eat eggs in moderation. e biggest threat to our heart health is that most of us consume too much fattening food of all types and exercise too little, leading to expanding waistlines and increased risk for insulin resistance. Myth #5: ere are no visible symptoms of high cholesterol. Fact: Some people with high cholesterol develop yellowish bumps called xanthomas that can occur on their eyelids, joints, hands, and feet, or other parts of the body. e bumps can be tiny or as large as three inches in diameter. People with diabetes, certain cancers, or familial hypercholesterolemia (an inherited condition in which the liver is unable to remove cholesterol from the bloodstream, resulting in very high cholesterol levels) are more likely to have xanthomas, which are also more common in elderly people with high cholesterol. Research also shows that high cholesterol increases risk for kidney disease, Alzheimer's disease, and erectile dysfunction. Most people with high cholesterol don't have any outward warning signs and feel fine. e only way to find out if your lipids are too high is to have them checked with a blood test at least every two years – or more oen, if advised by your healthcare provider. It's also extremely important to have your Lp(a) levels checked at least once. Myth #6: You're protected against stroke if your cholesterol is low. Fact: HDL levels are a strong independent predictor of ischemic stroke risk, even people with low LDL, research shows. In fact, one major study found no link between stroke rates and either LDL or total cholesterol levels. Higher levels of good cholesterol are so beneficial for your brain that HDL can be called "brain food." And raising HDL even slightly is a surprisingly effective way to ward off strokes. Researchers reported in a recent study that for each one mg/dL increase in HDL, stroke risk dropped by 1.9 percent. To determine your ideal HDL number, divide your total cholesterol by three. Your HDL level should be higher than that. For example, if your total cholesterol is 210, your Abby's Magazine - March/April 2015 | Page 19