How to Calculate Your Serum Cholesterol Level / Nutrition / Fats Looking to lose weight? Try our FREE Calorie Counter ?  |  Log In Articles All Articles Nutrition Fitness CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT LOG IN WHAT IS FITDAY? FITDAY PC PREMIUM DIETITIAN SERVICE ArticlesFitnessNutrition HomeNutritionFatsHow to Calculate Your Serum Cholesterol Level How to Calculate Your Serum Cholesterol Level Knowing your serum/blood cholesterol level is a must if you want to find out if you're at risk for heart disease and stroke. It also helps you determine whether or not you need to make lifestyle changes or take cholesterol-lowering medications. The American Heart Association suggests all adults ages 20 and older get their blood cholesterol tested about every four years. If you have high cholesterol, ask your doctor how often you should be checked.

Determining Serum Cholesterol

There's no magic formula for calculating your blood cholesterol level. The most accurate way to find out your cholesterol profile is to have your doctor to perform a blood test. This test determines values for your total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol -- which is your good HDL cholesterol -- low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, also known as bad LDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. While home cholesterol testing kits are widely available, the accuracy of these devices is controversial and the kits may not provide you with a complete cholesterol profile.

Total Cholesterol

Your total serum blood cholesterol level is a combination of your HDL, LDL and percentage of your triglyceride value. Calculate your total cholesterol by adding HDL to LDL and 20 percent of your triglyceride value, suggests the American Heart Association, or AHA. The AHA notes that an optimal total cholesterol score is less than 180 milligrams per deciliter.

HDL Cholesterol

Because your HDL cholesterol helps protect you from heart disease, the higher your HDL level is the better. MedlinePlus notes that HDL values should be at least 40 milligrams per deciliter, but levels at 60 mg/dL or higher will significantly reduce your heart-disease risks. If your HDL value is less than 40 mg/dL, try exercising most days of the week, stop smoking if you're a smoker, and achieve or maintain a healthy body weight to increase HDL cholesterol.

LDL Cholesterol

To keep your chronic disease risks low, aim to maintain an LDL cholesterol value below 100 mg/dL, suggests MedlinePlus. If your LDL is higher than it should be, exercise regularly, achieve or maintain a healthy body weight, and reduce the amount of saturated and trans fat you eat. Saturated fat is abundant in cheese, whole milk, ice cream, cream, butter, whole-milk yogurt and high-fat meats. Trans fats are often found in shortening, margarine, fried foods and commercial baked goods.

Triglyceride Levels

Healthy triglyceride values that help decrease your risk for stroke and heart attack are under 150 mg/dL, according to Cleveland Clinic. If your triglycerides are above 200 mg/dL, try regular exercise, weight loss if you're overweight, and a lower intake of dietary saturated fat, added sugar, alcoholic beverages and refined carbohydrates (such as white bread, regular pasta and white rice). Taking fish oil supplements often helps reduce high triglyceride levels by up to 30 percent, according to New York University's Langone Medical Center. However, when taking fish oil supplements to treat high triglyceride levels, talk with your doctor to determine which dosage you should take.

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An experienced health, nutrition and fitness writer, Erin Coleman is a registered and licensed dietitian and holds a dietetics degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She also has worked as a clinical dietitian and health educator in outpatient settings. Erin's work is published on popular health websites, such as TheNest.com and JillianMichaels.com.

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Lower Cholesterol With Diet Changes: Simple Steps / Nutrition / Fats Looking to lose weight? Try our FREE Calorie Counter ?  |  Log In Articles All Articles Nutrition Fitness CREATE A FREE ACCOUNT LOG IN WHAT IS FITDAY? FITDAY PC PREMIUM DIETITIAN SERVICE ArticlesFitnessNutrition HomeNutritionFatsLower Cholesterol With Diet Changes: Simple Steps Lower Cholesterol With Diet Changes: Simple Steps High blood cholesterol is a serious condition that increases the risk for heart disease, which is the number one killer of Americans in both men and women. While there are some risk factors that we unfortunately cannot change, such as heredity and age, diet is one factor that we can exert some control over. By making some healthy changes in diet, you can help shift your cholesterol in the right direction and help lower your risk of heart disease.

Reduce Saturated and Trans Fat

Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature and is found in the greatest amounts in animal products such as meat, whole-milk dairy products and lard. Studies show that too much saturated fat can lead to higher LDL levels. Trans fat, found mainly in processed food products such as margarine or shortenings, baked goods and packaged meals, tends to raise blood cholesterol similarly to saturated fat. The American Heart Association recommends a diet that contains less than 7 percent of its calories from saturated fat and minimal calories from trans fat. Try selecting lean cuts of meat with minimal visible fat or poultry and chicken as red meat alternatives. Also try swapping whole-fat dairy products for their low-fat counterparts to reduce your overall saturated and trans fat intake.

Increase Soluble Fiber Content in Your Diet

Fiber, which comes from plants, is not well digested by your body but is vital for good health. Soluble fiber dissolves into a gel-like substance after ingestion and binds cholesterol, preventing it from being reabsorbed into the bloodstream. Research shows that increasing soluble fiber intake by 5-10 grams each day can result in about a 5 percent drop in LDL cholesterol. In order to bolster your intake, look for hot or cold cereals that contain 3-4 grams of fiber per serving and eat the whole fruit instead of their juiced alternatives. Beans and lentils are also a great source of soluble fiber to add into your daily diet.

Swap to Whole Grains

Whole grains such as whole wheat, whole oats, oatmeal, brown rice and popcorn provide health benefits that are not found amongst refined grains. Eating a diet full of simple carbohydrates such as those found in processed grains and sugar can increase fat and cholesterol levels. Replacing these with three or more daily servings of whole grain foods, as recommended by the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, may reduce the risk of heart disease by 20-30 percent. Eating whole grain pastas, breads and cereals can give your body the energy it needs and also significantly reduce cholesterol levels.

Snack on Nuts

Nuts are packed with protein, fiber, healthy fats, vitamins and antioxidants. Many studies are showing that nuts may have powerful cholesterol-lowering effects when consumed in moderation. Unsalted peanuts and certain tree nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans and pistachios are just a few in the nutritional spotlight. Walnuts in particular are high in omega-3s, which can help lower triglyceride levels, improving cholesterol. Almonds have the added bonus of vitamin E, an antioxidant which decreases LDL oxidation. Overall, eating a diet that includes one ounce of nuts daily can help reduce your risk of heart disease and improve your cholesterol levels.

Increase Fruit and Vegetable Intake

The old saying is true -- an apple a day may actually help keep the doctor away. Fruits and vegetables are full of fiber and antioxidants, which both work to lower and improve your cholesterol. They also have the added bonus of being low in saturated fat, which helps explain their inverse effect on LDL cholesterol. Aim for at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day and when cooking, try seasoning with things such as herbs, spices, garlic, lemon juice or vinegar instead of butter or other high-fat items.

While dietary changes may not be able to knock out the cholesterol battle completely, making some of these simple swaps can greatly impact your health and well being. Whether it is enhancing the effects of cholesterol drugs or eliminating them completely, using the diet as a natural way to improve high cholesterol can help you to live a happy, healthier life.


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Sarah Dreifke is a freelance writer based in DeKalb, IL with a passion for nutrition education and the prevention of chronic disease. She holds a Bachelor of Science in both Dietetics and Life Sciences Communication from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, she is working towards a combined Master's Degree in Nutrition and Dietetics as well as a dietetic internship at Northern Illinois University.

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