Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCholesterol ProblemsHealthy Eating GuidelinesCholesterol and DiabetesFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Cholesterol Problems
Healthy Eating Guidelines
Cholesterol and Diabetes
Frequently Asked Questions
Type 2 diabetesoften goes hand-in-hand with unhealthy cholesterol levels. Even someone with diabetes who has good control of their blood glucose is at a higher than average risk of having cholesterol problems that increase the risk ofatherosclerosisand other cardiovascular problems.
If you have diabetes, you’ve already made changes to your diet and lifestyle that are targeted to keeping yourblood glucose(blood sugar) levels steady. But given the increased risk of heart problems associated with diabetes, you may want to also take steps to keep your cholesterol levels steady as well.
Verywell / Brooke Pelczynski
There are two types of cholesterol:
In addition to cholesterol, the levels oftriglycerides(fats) in the blood are important to heart health and are considered a key aspect of a person’s overallblood lipid profile. High triglyceride levels, common in people with type 2 diabetes, are also a risk factor for cardiovascular disease.
Should You Worry About Having High Cholesterol?
Managing both diabetes and cholesterol levels is a matter of being careful about the amounts of carbohydrates, cholesterol, and saturated fats in your diet, as well as making sure you’re getting enough of the nutrients that can help improve your blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Total Carbohydrates
There are several types of carbs: Of particular importance are complex carbs (a.k.a. starches), found in foods like legumes, whole grains, starchy vegetables, pasta, and bread. Simple carbs are, simply, sugars. Especially for people with diabetes, avoiding simple carbs in favor of complex carbs is particularly important.
For most people with diabetes, especially those who take insulin and are monitoring their blood sugar levels before and after meals, there’s no hard-and-fastnumber of ideal carbs per day: That will depend on the results of each meter reading.
However, according to the 2015–2020 Dietary Guideline for Americans, the recommended carbohydrate intake for most people is between 45% and 65% of total calories from carbohydrates, except those who are physically inactive or on low-calorie diets.
For someone following a 1,800-calorie diet, that would mean getting 202.5 grams of carbs each day, based on the fact that there are four calories per one gram of carbohydrate.
Added Sugar
Sugar crops up in the diet in two ways: It’s a natural component of fresh fruit, for example. But it also shows up as an additive, often surreptitiously, in items like fruit drinks and even condiments such as ketchup and barbecue sauce.
Saturated Fat
Saturated fats, found in foods such as animal protein and processed meats, certain plant oils, dairy products, and pre-packaged snacks, are known to raise the levels of LDL cholesterol in the body.
The Dietary Guidelines for America advise getting fewer than 10 percent of total daily calories from saturated fat, while the American Heart Association (AHA), recommends that less than 5% to 6% of daily calories consist of saturated fat. For someone following a 2,000-calorie diet, that would come to no more than 120 calories worth of saturated fat, or around 13 grams.
Trans Fat
This is an especially bad type of saturated fat that results from the heating of liquid vegetable oils (hydrogenation), a process done to unnaturally give foods a longer shelf life. It’s used in margarine, processed snack foods and baked goods, and for frying.
4:56How to Make Herbed Turkey Meat Loaf with Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
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How to Make Herbed Turkey Meat Loaf with Balsamic Brussels Sprouts
Managing Cholesterol and Diabetes
In addition to following the dietary guidelines set out for general health and also monitoring your glucose to determine how certain foods, especially carbs, affect your blood levels, there are other effective ways to manage diabetes and maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Eat More Fiber
Fiber is the part of plants that can’t be digested. Although it’s very filling, it won’t add calories because the body can’t absorb it, making it useful for weight loss. What’s more, soluble fiber, found in foods like beans, apples, and oatmeal, helps lowerLDL cholesterolandkeep blood glucose levels steady.
A good rule of thumb for getting ample fiber at each meal is to fill half your plate withnon-starchy vegetables—anything from artichokes and asparagus to turnips and zucchini. These are rich in fiber (as well as phytonutrients that can further help protect your overall health).
Aim to increase the amount of fiber you eat every day gradually, to at least 25 grams per day if you’re a woman and 38 grams per day if you’re a man.
Starchy Vegetables: Which to Eat and Avoid
Choose Good Fats Over Bad Fats
Why Eating the Right Fat Keeps Your Healthy
Lose Weight
One of the best ways to begin a safe and effective weight loss plan tailored to you is to keep a record of what you eat, how much you eat, and around what time you eat for three days, ideally two weekdays and one weekend. You can then have a registered dietitian analyze it (or use an online program) to determine the average number of calories you are eating and how many vegetables you’re eating (or not eating), and the main kinds of fat in your diet.
Armed with this information, you’ll be able to see how many fewer calories you should eat in order to lose weight at a slow and steady rate, and what foods you should cut back on or steer clear of in order to eat less added sugar and saturated fats.
Crafting a Meal Plan for People With Type 2 Diabetes
Get On Your Feet
Physical activity burns calories, which is why exercise is always recommended as part of a weight-loss plan—particularly for someone with diabetes.
Exercise also has been found to help lower total cholesterol levels. What kind? In studies, a combination of aerobic exercise and strength-training has been found ideal.
If that sounds like a lot to start, don’t be discouraged: Any physical activity is better than nothing, even if it’s just taking the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking around the block. And if you find it hard to exercise for long periods at a time, divide it up into shorter sessions—10 or 15 minutes—throughout the day.
A Guide to Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes
Kick the Butt Habit
If yousmoke, quitting will impact both your HDL and LDL cholesterol levels for the good. Cigarette smoking is linked to higher cholesterol levels, as well as the formation of a damaging form of LDL calledoxidized LDL, which contributes to atherosclerosis.
In fact, as soon as you stop smoking, your cholesterol levels will begin to decrease, research shows.With each month after quitting, LDL levels continue to drop, even partially reversing the effects of smoking on cholesterol after just 90 days.
Frequently Asked QuestionsDiabetes can contribute to high cholesterol, a condition called diabetic dyslipidemia. It can cause HDL, or “good,” cholesterol to decrease and LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol to increase.Common risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes include obesity, age over 45, a family history of diabetes, leading a sedentary lifestyle, and a history of gestational diabetes. People who are of certain races are also more likely to develop diabetes, including Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native people.Aside from having diabetes, other risk factors for developing high cholesterol include obesity, a family history of high cholesterol, eating a diet high in saturated fat, leading a sedentary lifestyle, age over 55, and smoking.
Diabetes can contribute to high cholesterol, a condition called diabetic dyslipidemia. It can cause HDL, or “good,” cholesterol to decrease and LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol to increase.
Common risk factors for developing type 2 diabetes include obesity, age over 45, a family history of diabetes, leading a sedentary lifestyle, and a history of gestational diabetes. People who are of certain races are also more likely to develop diabetes, including Black, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native people.
Aside from having diabetes, other risk factors for developing high cholesterol include obesity, a family history of high cholesterol, eating a diet high in saturated fat, leading a sedentary lifestyle, age over 55, and smoking.
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13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Cholesterol: High cholesterol diseases.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Cholesterol from you.Health.gov.Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020, eighth edition.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture.2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.American Heart Association.Saturated fat.American Heart Association.Get to know grains: Why you need them, and what to look for.Brown J, Buscemi J, Milsom V, Malcom R, et. al.Effects on cardiovascular risk factors of weight losses limited to 5–10 %.Transl Behav Med.2016 Sep; 6(3): 339–346. doi: 10.1007/s13142-015-0353-9Ho SS, Dhaliwal SS, Hills AP, Pal S.The effect of 12 weeks of aerobic, resistance or combination exercise training on cardiovascular risk factors in the overweight and obese in a randomized trial.BMC Public Health. 2012;12:704. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-704American Heart Association.American heart association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.Zhang Y, Chen LF Wu WL, et al. ASSA14-13-01Cigarette smoking-induced LDL dysfunction is partially reversible after smoking cessation.Heart.2015;101:A40-A41. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-307109.107American Heart Association.Cholesterol and diabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes risk factors.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk factors for high cholesterol.Additional ReadingNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).Diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Cholesterol: High cholesterol diseases.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Cholesterol from you.Health.gov.Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020, eighth edition.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture.2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.American Heart Association.Saturated fat.American Heart Association.Get to know grains: Why you need them, and what to look for.Brown J, Buscemi J, Milsom V, Malcom R, et. al.Effects on cardiovascular risk factors of weight losses limited to 5–10 %.Transl Behav Med.2016 Sep; 6(3): 339–346. doi: 10.1007/s13142-015-0353-9Ho SS, Dhaliwal SS, Hills AP, Pal S.The effect of 12 weeks of aerobic, resistance or combination exercise training on cardiovascular risk factors in the overweight and obese in a randomized trial.BMC Public Health. 2012;12:704. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-704American Heart Association.American heart association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.Zhang Y, Chen LF Wu WL, et al. ASSA14-13-01Cigarette smoking-induced LDL dysfunction is partially reversible after smoking cessation.Heart.2015;101:A40-A41. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-307109.107American Heart Association.Cholesterol and diabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes risk factors.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk factors for high cholesterol.Additional ReadingNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).Diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Cleveland Clinic.Cholesterol: High cholesterol diseases.U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Cholesterol from you.Health.gov.Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020, eighth edition.U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture.2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.American Heart Association.Saturated fat.American Heart Association.Get to know grains: Why you need them, and what to look for.Brown J, Buscemi J, Milsom V, Malcom R, et. al.Effects on cardiovascular risk factors of weight losses limited to 5–10 %.Transl Behav Med.2016 Sep; 6(3): 339–346. doi: 10.1007/s13142-015-0353-9Ho SS, Dhaliwal SS, Hills AP, Pal S.The effect of 12 weeks of aerobic, resistance or combination exercise training on cardiovascular risk factors in the overweight and obese in a randomized trial.BMC Public Health. 2012;12:704. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-704American Heart Association.American heart association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.Zhang Y, Chen LF Wu WL, et al. ASSA14-13-01Cigarette smoking-induced LDL dysfunction is partially reversible after smoking cessation.Heart.2015;101:A40-A41. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-307109.107American Heart Association.Cholesterol and diabetes.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes risk factors.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk factors for high cholesterol.
Cleveland Clinic.Cholesterol: High cholesterol diseases.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Cholesterol from you.
Health.gov.Dietary guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020, eighth edition.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture.2020 – 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
American Heart Association.Saturated fat.
American Heart Association.Get to know grains: Why you need them, and what to look for.
Brown J, Buscemi J, Milsom V, Malcom R, et. al.Effects on cardiovascular risk factors of weight losses limited to 5–10 %.Transl Behav Med.2016 Sep; 6(3): 339–346. doi: 10.1007/s13142-015-0353-9
Ho SS, Dhaliwal SS, Hills AP, Pal S.The effect of 12 weeks of aerobic, resistance or combination exercise training on cardiovascular risk factors in the overweight and obese in a randomized trial.BMC Public Health. 2012;12:704. doi:10.1186/1471-2458-12-704
American Heart Association.American heart association recommendations for physical activity in adults and kids.
Zhang Y, Chen LF Wu WL, et al. ASSA14-13-01Cigarette smoking-induced LDL dysfunction is partially reversible after smoking cessation.Heart.2015;101:A40-A41. doi:10.1136/heartjnl-2014-307109.107
American Heart Association.Cholesterol and diabetes.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Diabetes risk factors.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Risk factors for high cholesterol.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).Diabetes, heart disease, and stroke.
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