How important is eliminating sugar when trying to reduce ldl through dietary changes?

Not at all: Ldl cholesterol is related to the amount of saturated and trans fats in a person's diet. Most saturated fat is found in meat and full-fat dairy and trans fats are in processed foods and bakery products. The amount of sugar a person eats doesn't affect the levels of cholesterol, although it does affect triglyceride levels, which is another kind of fat in the body.

Sugar and chol.: It's really not about eliminating sugar per se, although a prudent diet mandates that we keep simple sugar intake to a minimum. It's more about increasing your fiber intake, which helps control blood sugar excursions and also works to lower the cholesterol. We need 50 (women) to 70 (men) grams of fiber daily.