Cholesterol is an essential nutrient for human health that saves lives. It helps to protect against infectious disease and repairs damaged tissue. Cholesterol is naturally present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in the body, including the brain, nerves, muscles, skin, liver, intestines, and heart. Cholesterol is required in the membrane of mammalian cells for normal cellular function, and is either synthesized in the endoplasmic reticulum, or derived from the diet, in which case it is delivered by the bloodstream in low-density lipoproteins. Cholesterol can also be converted to vitamin D in our body and used for the calcification of bones and teeth.
The precise causes of a high level of blood cholesterol are very complex, with many genetic factors playing important roles. The causes which are now seen as contributing to higher-than-normal cholesterol levels are: hereditary factors, which are the most important; then high blood pressure; followed by stress, smoking, obesity and dietary cholesterol. Unfortunately, some individuals have very high cholesterol levels, and the cause is hereditary; about 25 people in 10,000 carry this trait. Some drugs that are known to increase cholesterol levels include anabolic steroids, beta blockers, epinephrine, oral contraceptives, and vitamin D.
Some studies have shown that fish oil supplementation may increase the level of LDL-cholesterol (the "bad" kind), but that the ratio of HDL-cholesterol (the "good" kind) to LDL remains unchanged. Another study found an average reduction of 38% in triglyceride levels and an increase of HDL levels of 24% in both men and women consuming fish on a daily basis. Healthy lifestyle changes such as losing excess weight and exercising regularly can help lower triglyceride levels.
Physical fitness is to the human body what fine tuning is to an engine. Physical fitness is the capacity of the heart, blood vessels, lungs, and muscles to function at optimum efficiency. In previous years, fitness was defined as the capacity to carry out the day's activities without undue fatigue. Physical fitness is now defined as the body's ability to function efficiently and effectively in work and leisure activities, to be healthy, to resist hypokinetic diseases, and to meet emergency situations. Whether exercise is aerobic or anaerobic, exercise, health, and physical fitness go together for life. Aerobic fitness reduces brain tissue loss in aging humans.
The decision to carry out a physical fitness program cannot be taken lightly. Unless you are convinced of the benefits of fitness and the risks of unfitness, you will not succeed. As you undertake your fitness program, it's important to remember that fitness is an individual quality that varies from person to person. Your goals, your present fitness level, age, health, skills, interest and convenience are among the factors you should consider. Exercise that doesn't raise your heart rate to a certain level and keep it there for 20 minutes won't contribute significantly to cardiovascular fitness. The best-laid plans of many a fitness program have been ruined by too much enthusiasm on the first day andsore muscles on the second.
An aerobic exercise program can burn fat and increase the metabolic rate. Popular aerobic conditioning activities include brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, rope-jumping, rowing, cross-country skiing, and some continuous action games like racquetball and handball. It is generally recommended that aerobic exercises be done three to five days per week, from twenty to sixty minutes of continuous activity at a time, such that the heart rate increases from 50 to 90 percent, depending on the intensity of the workout. Heart rate is widely accepted as a good method for measuring intensity during running, swimming, cycling and other aerobic activities.
In a nation of couch potatoes, suggesting that people find whatever kind of exercise works for them is sound health advice. Weight training exercise is essential for enhancing muscular strength and endurance, helping to prevent the decline of muscle mass (and metabolic rate) that accompanies aging, and promoting bone health.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Cholesterol Levels and Fitness
Gemfibrozil Lopid - Things You Should Know. Posted By : Chris Campell
Gemfibrozil Lopid - when taken at the same time with a special diet - is helpful in treating extremely high serum triglycerides levels that may lead to inflammation of the pancreas (a condition known as pancreatitis). Serum triglycerides are fatty elements found in your blood. If your body does not react to a simple strict diet, then you may require Gemfibrozil Lopid.
Gemfibrozil Lopid is moreover used to reduce coronary heart disease risk in patients who need to lose weight but do not respond to exercise, diet, or any cholesterol- or triglyceride-lowering medicine.
Can I take Gemfibrozil Lopid?
Your doctor can decide this for you. As a common rule, although, Gemfibrozil Lopid is only given to people whose bodies do not respond to exercise and other and weight loss systems (including a strict diet). Gemfibrozil Lopid is not a cure - it is simply a supplement to traditional weight loss measures. If you are serious about getting all the gains of the medication, you have to stick to the exercise and diet program that your doctor will also recommend. Gemfibrozil Lopid can help in keeping your cholesterol at common levels and in lowering your heart disease risk - but only if you do your part, too.
What's the exact dosage?
Gemfibrozil Lopid should be taken about half an hour (30 minutes) earlier than your breakfast and evening meal, closely as your doctor prescribed. If you accidentally miss a dose, don't worry - just take Gemfibrozil Lopid once more as soon as you realize that you've missed a dose. In no way take two Gemfibrozil Lopid doses in unison.
Does it have any side effects?
Yes. Like any other drug, Gemfibrozil Lopid may possibly set off side effects that are hard to anticipate, such as abdominal pain, constipation, acute appendicitis, diarrhea, fatigue, eczema, headache, indigestion, vomiting, vertigo, and rash. If these side effects carry on, notify your physician as soon as possible. Only your physician will be able to determine whether you should maintain taking Gemfibrozil Lopid or not.
In some unusual cases, Gemfibrozil Lopid sets of malignancy, abdominal pain (at times causing appendectomy), gallbladder disease, or other grave and perhaps fatal disorders in the abdomen.
Notice
The next drugs may initiate muscle-wasting if used at the same time with Gemfibrozil Lopid.
1. Lipitor (Atorvastatin)
2. Mevacor (Lovastatin)
3. Lescol (Fluvastatin)
4. Zocor (Simvastatin)
5. Pravachol (Pravastatin)
These drugs lower cholesterol.
Gemfibrozil Lopid should in addition not be taken by patients whose cholesterol levels are only a little elevated, since its benefits hardly outweigh the risks of severe side effects.
Cholesterol is not a Deadly Poison
Home | Health And Wellness | Cholesterol
Cholesterol is not a Deadly PoisonBy: P. Rodgers
More and more studies are coming out showing just how unhealthy lowering cholesterol might be, particularly by the use of statin drugs. In particular, statin drugs have been shown to be harmful to muscles causing considerable damage. A common symptom of this damage is muscular aches and pains that many patients experience on cholesterol-lowering drugs, however most do not realize that these drugs are to blame. One reason that statin drugs have these various serious side effects is that they work by inhibiting a vital enzyme that manufactures cholesterol in the liver.
« Cholesterol and heart disease has been almost synonymous for the last half-century. Cholesterol has been portrayed as the Darth Vader to our arteries and our heart. The latest recommendation given by a so-called panel of "experts" recommends that a person's cholesterol be as low as possible, in fact to a level so low they say it cannot be achieved by diet, exercise, or any known lifestyle modification. Therefore, they say cholesterol-lowering drugs; particularly the so-called "statins" need to be given to anyone at high risk of heart disease. Since heart disease is the number one killer in this country that would include most adults and even many children. The fact that this might add to the $26 billion in sales of statin drugs last year I'm sure played no role in their recommendations. » Ron Rosedale, MD
Cholesterol is not a deadly poison, but a substance vital to the cells of all mammals. Cholesterol is a sterol (a combination steroid and alcohol) and a lipid found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. Cholesterol is required to build and maintain cell membranes; it regulates membrane fluidity over a wide range of temperatures. Cholesterol is present in higher concentrations in tissues which either produce more or have more densely-packed membranes, for example, the liver, spinal cord and brain, and also in atheromata.
Many studies have found that low cholesterol is in certain respects worse than high cholesterol. High cholesterol is defined differently for people of different ages. Researchers at the University San Diego School of Medicine UCSD point out that highcholesterol in those over 75 years of age is protective, rather than harmful and that low cholesterol is a risk factor for heart arrhythmias (leadingcause of death if heart attack occurs). However, because the level of HDL cholesterol is so important, many doctors look at the ratio of the total cholesterol level to HDL cholesterol level to assess the risk of heart disease. With anticholesterol drugs now being sold without prescription at the pharmacy, the decision about how far to control cholesterol is being pushed into the consumer's hands.
Before we can begin to talk about the real cause and effective treatment for heart and blood vessel disease, we must first look at what is known, or I should say what we think we know. A combined analysis showed that treatment with omega-3 fatty acids (fish and flaxseed oils) reduced overall risk of death by 23 per cent as compared to placebo. When apple pectin was added to the treatment triacylglycerol and VLDL cholesterol levels were both lowered by 38 per cent, but in addition total cholesterol levels decreased by 13 per cent and LDL cholesterol by 7 per cent. The researchers conclude that a combination of fish oil supplementation and increased fiber intake (up to 40 grams/day total) may be a beneficial addition to the conventional treatment of high cholesterol levels in NIDDM patients.
Common sense would indicate that we should avoid the oxidation (rancidity) of cholesterol and fatty acids and not get rid of important life-giving molecules. However, many good fats are easily oxidized such as omega-3 fatty acids, but it does not mean that you should avoid it at all costs. The trials of n-3 fatty acids used different dietary and supplement sources; nevertheless, the authors conclude that this study adds to the positive evidence for n-3 fatty acids. Regarding n-3 fatty acids, they speculate that the reduction in mortality risk does not occur through a reduction in cholesterol but by other means, possibly antiarrhythmic, antithrombotic or anti-inflammatory effects. These results support recommendations that people eat more fish, the authors write, particularly oily fish with their high levels of omega-3 fatty acids.
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This is your body we are talking about. Most people spend hundreds of dollars every month on new shoes, clothes, food, etc. How much do you spend on keeping yourself healthy Paul Rodgers specializes in marketing natural health and beauty products
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Cholesterol May Act As An Antioxidant - By : P. Rodgers
Lp(a) Blood Test - By : Alien
Lower Cholesterol Levels Drugs - By : Alien
Lower Cholesterol With The Heart Smart Diet - By : Ahmed Fouad
Not All Cholesterol Lowering Medications are Created Equal - By : Doug Bremner
Guggul - Uses and Side Effects - By : Alien
For a Healthy Heart... - By : P. Rodgers
Lower Cholesterol Naturally Without Drugs - By : P. Rodgers
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A Diet To Lower Cholesterol Is Essential To Your Health Posted By : Delynda Lardone
When considering a diet to lower cholesterol, many doctors have drawn attention to how significant it is to accompany the diet with a proper fitness routine and some exercise. If you are considering going on this diet or were instructed to by your doctor, you should learn about the levels of cholesterol and what makes them high so you can avoid those factors.
The first step you should take is to have your doctor test your current cholesterol level by conducting a blood chemistry analysis test. You can often await the results when you visit your doctor if the laboratory is close by and delivers the results quickly. However, you may need to come back as some doctors call you back in for a consultation after the laboratory has delivered the results of your blood chemistry test.
The Value Of A Diet To Lower Cholesterol
If you maintain a high level of cholesterol over a period of time, it can lead to major health problems and diseases. One of these health problems is that it can stop the function of many of your organs. Another problem, which is far more serious, is that it can lead to your death. This is why many doctors stress that people with high cholesterol need to go on a diet to lower cholesterol and accompany that with a exercise routine.
The Ground Rules Required To Lower Cholesterol.
When you start on your diet to lower cholesterol, you need to be aware of some food items that you need to eliminate from your daily meals. The three main items that you need to take out are salt, unnecessary carbohydrates, and fatty foods. There are several other food items to get rid of, but those three are the main ones you need to concentrate on when you are just starting out.
On the flip side, there are some items which you need to implement into your daily meals in order to have a successful diet to lower cholesterol. These foods are those high in fiber and complex carbohydrates which include wholegrain foods, beans, brown rice, fruits and vegetables. By having more of these good cholesterol foods in your daily diet, they will help your body get rid of the bad cholesterol.
To help your body have a continual stabilized balance, you will need to eat more foods that are high in good cholesterol and cease from eating foods that are high in bad cholesterol. By doing so, you will be providing your body the energy it needs to expel the bad cholesterol from your body.
When you start on your diet to lower cholesterol, do not expect immediate results as it will take a few weeks before you see any results. By lowering your cholesterol today, you will avoid any complications that can arise such as heart disease and death. Just remember to increase your consumption of foods high in fiber and decrease fatty foods and salt.
Cholesterol May Act As An Antioxidant
Home | Health And Wellness | Cholesterol
Cholesterol May Act As An AntioxidantBy: P. Rodgers
Cholesterol is not a life-threatening toxin, but a medium-sized molecule that is really a building block for important parts of the body. Cholesterol is also the forerunner of important hormones such as the female sex hormone, oestradiol, and the male sex hormone, testosterone, and of vitamin D, which we need in order to utilize calcium and form bone. Cholesterol is carried in the blood as part of particles called lipoproteins. In fact, cholesterol is being transported to tissues as part of an inflammatory response that is there to repair damage.
Cholesterol isn't part of the problem, it's part of the solution - to a different problem. Cholesterol is actually saving the lives of people, because cholesterol is a bandage, a waterproof bandage that the body has designed. Cholesterol is actually an interim lifesaver, giving the body time to recover from its problems. For people under the age of 50, high blood cholesterol may be indicative of a problem, but if you recall its role as an antioxidant, and a substance used in repair of the body, you may wonder if this highered level is an attempt to protect the body from such things as damage to the arterial walls.
If you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, a lot can collect in the blood vessel walls, causing these "pipes" to become narrower. Avoid foods that are high in cholesterol, saturated fat, and trans fat, all of which increase cholesterol levels and your risk of developing heart disease. Before you start chomping on those cheese fries or that greasy burger, you might want to take a closer look at whether you're getting too much cholesterol. Actually, your body produces enough cholesterol so that if you never touched another cheese fry, you'd be OK. Although most teens won't need to take medication to lower their cholesterol, it's still important to keep cholesterol in check.
The natural antioxidants in Oat Bran can significantly reduce blood cholesterol levels by suppressing the adhesive molecules which make blood cells stick to artery walls, researchers reported. When, instead, you consume lots of 'naked' oils stripped from seeds, your cellular membranes become increasingly unsaturated and less protected by antioxidants. Eating a variety of antioxidant-rich foods, on a daily basis, is your best strategy for harnessing the disease-fighting antioxidant potential of the mighty plant kingdom.
A high cholesterol is not dangerous by itself, but may reflect an unhealthy condition, or it may be totally innocent. Importantly, while many cardiologists insist that lowering cholesterol is correlated with a reduction in the risk of heart attacks; few can say that there is a reduction in the risk of mortality (death). However, the bottom line is that a high level of plasma cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease and strokes.
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Cholesterol is actually an interim lifesaver, giving the body time to recover from its problems. Find out more about naturalcholesterolcare.com/cholesterol_as_an_antioxidant.html">Cholesterol May Act As An AntioxidantPaul Rodgers specializes in marketing natural health and beauty products>
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function producexml(id){ var a= document.article.baseurl.value; prompt ('Copy the RSS Feeder Link',a);}Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Cholesterol Articles Via RSS!Additional Articles From - Home | Health And Wellness | Cholesterol Eating Healthy for your Heart - By : cdupCholesterol Levels and Fitness - By : P. Rodgers
Cholesterol is not a Deadly Poison - By : P. Rodgers
Lp(a) Blood Test - By : Alien
Lower Cholesterol Levels Drugs - By : Alien
Lower Cholesterol With The Heart Smart Diet - By : Ahmed Fouad
Not All Cholesterol Lowering Medications are Created Equal - By : Doug Bremner
Guggul - Uses and Side Effects - By : Alien
For a Healthy Heart... - By : P. Rodgers
Lower Cholesterol Naturally Without Drugs - By : P. Rodgers
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Thursday, July 3, 2008
Eating Healthy for your Heart
Eating Healthy for your Heart
Your heart is one of the most important organs in the body, and the foods you put into your mouth effect how your heart operates. If you want your heart to be strong and able to pump blood as well as possible all over your body, it is important for you to eat a healthy diet. Heart-healthy foods are readily available in the supermarket, so choose some that work for your personal likes and you should be able to help prevent heart disease in your own body.
Cholesterol is the most important thing when it comes to eating heart-healthy foods. There are both good cholesterols and bad cholesterols. Good cholesterols are called HDL, and their job in the body is to take excess bad cholesterol (LDL) to the liver, where it can be broken down and then will leave the body. LDL is actually not needed by your body at all from foods. Our bodies make enough of this kind of cholesterol on its own. It is the LDL cholesterol that hurts our hearts, not the HDL cholesterol, which actually helps our hearts be reducing the amount of LDL cholesterol in the body.
LDL stands for low-density lipoproteins. Because this substance has a low density, it does not flow through the blood stream as readily as it should. The red blood cells easily release the LDL cholesterol and it sticks to the walls of your blood vessels, especially in the arteries leading to your heart. This is bad for a number of reasons.
First, when the LDL cholesterol builds up on your arteries, it reduces the amount of blood that can fit through at a time, since the artery becomes smaller. That means your heart has to pump harder and faster in order to allow the same amount of blood to flow through your body. Over time, this makes your heart tired and not as strong. In the worst-case scenario, the blood vessel becomes so built up with LDL cholesterol that your artery could close completely. When this happens, your heart essentially panics because it is not getting the blood it needs and it starts beating rapidly to try to pump the blood. This causes a heart attack.
You can also have a heart attack from LDL cholesterol build up if a piece of the build-up, called plaque, breaks off and floats down the blood stream. When it reaches a smaller part of the blood vessel, it will get stuck and block the blood, which again causes a heart attack. If the piece of plaque travels to the brain instead of the heart, it will cause a blockage in this area of the body, which in turn causes a stroke. Therefore, it is simply important to cut out of your diet the foods high in cholesterol so that you can prevent heart disease and other problems in the body.
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Diet To Lower Cholesterol: An Explanation On What Is Cholesterol Posted By : Delynda Lardone
When we go to the doctor and he gives us our cholesterol reading, many do not understand just exactly what he is talking about. Many people know that cholesterol is either good for you or bad, but many do not understand what is cholesterol. Cholesterol is simply a waxy matter that the liver creates which handles a number of duties in our body.
Cholesterol has a vital function in our body because it produces vitamin D, creates bile salts to help in the digestion of unused fat, and it aids in building call walls. So, if cholesterol does all these wonderful things, why would we need to worry about having too much in our body? The answer is simply because anything in excess is bad for our bodies. If we can learn what is cholesterol, then we can avoid having too much in our system.
The Bad And Good Cholesterol.
An easy way to watch whether we eat good or bad cholesterol is understand which foods produce the cholesterol. Bad cholesterol is found in foods that have animal fats such as meats and dairy. However foods such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits have no cholesterol.
When we eat foods that have too much bad cholesterol it can cause some major damage such as the hardening of our arteries. This occurs when too much bad cholesterol is in our system because it builds up plaque which blocks the arteries and prevents blood flow.
Good cholesterol behaves very differently than bad cholesterol because its main goal to keep our bodies healthy. What the good cholesterol does is carry the surplus of cholesterol we have in our bodies to the liver so it can create bile salt and expel it from our system.
What Can Cause Us To Get High Cholesterol?
Many of us who go to the doctor are usually worried about having a high cholesterol level. There are several reasons that we acquire a high cholesterol level and the main reason is our age. As we age our cholesterol level goes up and we are thus more able to get high cholesterol.
There are many explanations as to why we get high cholesterol. One explanation is that we inherit high cholesterol from our parents. If this is the case, then you should be tested to determine if you have inherited this from your parents. Another explanation is physical activity. When we exert ourselves with physical activity, this raises the amount of good cholesterol within our body and thus promotes better health.
When we are determining what is cholesterol, and examining the causes and treatments, we often find that there is a direct link to our cholesterol levels and the food we eat on a daily basis. By eating foods rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables, fish and beans we can help keep the cholesterol in our body low and thus have a healthier life. By trying to avoid eating foods like meat and dairy that make our cholesterol levels high, we can also have a healthier life.
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Diet To Lower Cholesterol: An Explanation On What Is Cholesterol Posted By : Delynda Lardone
When we go to the doctor and he gives us our cholesterol reading, many do not understand just exactly what he is talking about. Many people know that cholesterol is either good for you or bad, but many do not understand what is cholesterol. Cholesterol is simply a waxy matter that the liver creates which handles a number of duties in our body.
Cholesterol has a vital function in our body because it produces vitamin D, creates bile salts to help in the digestion of unused fat, and it aids in building call walls. So, if cholesterol does all these wonderful things, why would we need to worry about having too much in our body? The answer is simply because anything in excess is bad for our bodies. If we can learn what is cholesterol, then we can avoid having too much in our system.
The Bad And Good Cholesterol.
An easy way to watch whether we eat good or bad cholesterol is understand which foods produce the cholesterol. Bad cholesterol is found in foods that have animal fats such as meats and dairy. However foods such as whole grains, vegetables, and fruits have no cholesterol.
When we eat foods that have too much bad cholesterol it can cause some major damage such as the hardening of our arteries. This occurs when too much bad cholesterol is in our system because it builds up plaque which blocks the arteries and prevents blood flow.
Good cholesterol behaves very differently than bad cholesterol because its main goal to keep our bodies healthy. What the good cholesterol does is carry the surplus of cholesterol we have in our bodies to the liver so it can create bile salt and expel it from our system.
What Can Cause Us To Get High Cholesterol?
Many of us who go to the doctor are usually worried about having a high cholesterol level. There are several reasons that we acquire a high cholesterol level and the main reason is our age. As we age our cholesterol level goes up and we are thus more able to get high cholesterol.
There are many explanations as to why we get high cholesterol. One explanation is that we inherit high cholesterol from our parents. If this is the case, then you should be tested to determine if you have inherited this from your parents. Another explanation is physical activity. When we exert ourselves with physical activity, this raises the amount of good cholesterol within our body and thus promotes better health.
When we are determining what is cholesterol, and examining the causes and treatments, we often find that there is a direct link to our cholesterol levels and the food we eat on a daily basis. By eating foods rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables, fish and beans we can help keep the cholesterol in our body low and thus have a healthier life. By trying to avoid eating foods like meat and dairy that make our cholesterol levels high, we can also have a healthier life.