The truth about cholesterol:A quiz
The truth about cholesterol:
A quiz
A high blood cholesterol level is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. Take this quiz to test your cholesterol knowledge, because what you don’t know can hurt you.
1 True or false? Most of the cholesterol in your body comes from what you eat.
T
F
2 To protect your heart, you want:
a. high levels of high-density lipoproteins, or HDL
b. high levels of low-density lipoproteins, or LDL
c. high levels of triglycerides
d. none of the above
3 Which one of the following oils is bad for your cholesterol?
a. peanut
b. canola
c. palm
d. olive
4 True or false? The cholesterol in your food is the biggest culprit behind high cholesterol levels.
T
F
5 The government-sponsored Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) Diet recommends you get how many of your daily calories from saturated fat?
a. less than 25 percent
b. less than 12 percent
c. less than 7 percent
d. They make no recommendation.
6 True or false? If you’re not overweight, you don’t have to worry about cholesterol.
T
F
7 The American Heart Association recommends you start cholesterol testing at age:
a. 20
b. 30
c. 40
d. 50
ANSWERS
1 FALSE: Your body makes about 75 percent of the cholesterol in your blood, or about 1,000 milligrams a day. That’s all it needs to function. The other 25 percent comes from what you eat.
2 A. High levels of hdl . HD L is the good cholesterol. If your HD L is 60 mg/dL or higher, it can help protect against heart disease. HD L that’s lower than 40 mg/dL can raise your risk of heart disease. LDL brings cholesterol to your body, causing blockages in the arteries. You want your LDL to be under 130 mg/dL (below 100 mg/dL if you’re at risk for heart disease). Triglycerides are another type of blood fat that can raise your heart disease risk. Aim for less than 150 mg/dL. Total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL.
3 C. Palm. Palm oil is high in saturated fats, which raise your total cholesterol and LDL. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, found in canola, peanut, olive, sunflower, corn, soybeanand flaxseed oils, can help lower bad cholesterol and boost good cholesterol.
4 FALSE: Saturated fat is the main cause of high cholesterol. But you need to watch your cholesterol intake, too. Limit the amount of saturated fat you eat and keep your cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg a day— 200 mg if you have high LDL or are taking cholesterol medications.
5 C. Less than 7 percent. Eating foods low in saturated fats and cholesterol helps keep cholesterol levels down and may help you achieve or maintain a healthy weight. Find out more at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Web site, www.nhlbi.nih.gov.
6 FALSE: Everyone has to worry about cholesterol. If you don’t gain weight easily, you may not even realize you’re eating a lot of saturated fats or unhealthy trans fats, which raise bad cholesterol and lower good cholesterol.
7 A. 20. Start cholesterol testing at age 20 and continue to get tested every five years. You may need more frequent testing depending on your cholesterol levels, your age and other heart disease risk factors. Ask your healthcare provider about the testing schedule that’s right for you.