Cholesterol is a fatty substance in blood which is designed for building and repairing cells. They are produced in a large-scale by the liver and other organs and consumed via animal fat. In the human body, large amounts of it are found in brain and nerve tissue.
Liver produces this cholesterol. It produces about 800-1500 mg. of cholesterol per day. The liver can also produce cholesterol from carbohydrates, proteins or fat. Only animal foods contain cholesterol. Excess cholesterol harms the body when it forms plaque deposits on artery walls, leading to atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Their presence in high quantity in the body will increase the risk of thickening of the artery walls. This may lead to other cardiovascular problems and in particular heart attack. Generally, as this is the leading cause for the death of people, lowering cholesterol has gained importance in the humanity. Thus people, as prevention, give importance for eating foods with less cholesterol and taking on regular exercises including walking.
Fats are also known as lipids. They are divided into three general categories:
1. Triglycerides
2. Phospholipids
3. Sterols
Triglycerides form the main part of fat. They provide us with energy and help our bodies to use carbohydrates and proteins, with more efficiency.
Like cholesterol, Triglycerides are a form of fat. Triglycerides are chains of high-energy fatty acids and provide much of the energy needed for cells to function. Recent research has shown that high levels of triglycerides in the bloodstream may indicate a higher risk for heart disease.
amphiphilic lipids, in general, and Phosphatidyl Serine ethanolamine, in particular, are major constituents of cell membranes. These molecules form phospholipids.
Healthy cholesterol level is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). After knowing this, one need to go further and find out what is his HDL level (or "good" cholesterol level ) and the result ratio will guide you the risk factor, whether your level is healthy and what is the advisable course of action to achieve optimum levels.
Less than 200 mg/dL - means that your cholesterol level is in the desirable category and your heart attack risk is relatively low, unless you have other risk factors.
If your cholesterol levels are high, a diet control for lowering them can help you avoid the risk of heart disease. Even though most of the cholesterol in your body is produced by your liver from saturated fat in your diet, some comes from foods such as eggs, meats and dairy products. Instead of taking food which contains a lot of saturated fats, replace them to ones containing unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
High cholesterol is one of the main risk factors for coronary heart disease which is under your control. In your body, there are no warning signs for this. When symptoms finally do occur, they usually take the form of angina or a heart attack in response to the buildup of plaque in the arteries. This condition only necessitates you for testing cholesterol. Testing cholesterol will prevent the dangerous, life-threatening symptoms before they occur.
Some fats are essential to our health. The reason that fats have a bad name is because; saturated fats are a major cause of coronary heart disease along with cholesterol. But this does not mean that all are bad.
Lipoproteins are arranged into six categories according to size and density. They can be further defined by, whether they carry cholesterol (the two smaller lipoproteins) or triglycerides (the three largest lipoproteins).
Also known as LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, it binds to the walls of arteries and veins. When the circulation of LDL cholesterol exceeds in the blood, it will slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries, which feed the heart and brain. A small abnormal patch, on or inside the body, can form a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, it leads to heart disease, heart attack or stroke and thus has harmful actions.
Known as HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, it is having beneficial actions. Researchers have shown that enough HDL levels have a protective effect on people's cardiovascular diseases. Research, in a consistent manner, shown that sufficient HDL (or "good cholesterol levels") has a protective effect on people's heart health. High HDL cholesterol levels are good because HDL has been shown to reverse some of the harmful effects of LDL or "bad cholesterol".
A study in the year 2001 (in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society) showed that the centenarians of both sexes, who have High levels of good HDL cholesterol, seem to live longer.
Niacin supplements are also prescribed, when a person has low levels of HDL cholesterol, but in most cases, a person can get their daily requirement of niacin, by eating a balanced diet, that includes fresh fruit and vegetables.
Simple blood test will reveal your cholesterol level. The following are steps to lower cholesterol without much change in your lifestyle. A simple walking for at least 30 minutes, as an exercise, is sufficient for a start. Any form of exercise has been shown to reduce cholesterol.
Next concentration is on your eating habits. This applies, mostly to eatables that can bring animal fats into the body. That is dairy and meat foods.
Full fat milk is to be avoided and try a low fat alternative or even soy milk. Low fat milk now, comes in all sorts of varieties that claim to keep all the minerals and vitamins in, but take the fat out. They are advisable.
Red meat and pork are also fatty foods. Avoid this type of meat and chose foods like chicken, duck or fish. Remove chicken or duck skin, before cooking.
Avoid deep fried foods and oily food like French fries. Any ready made products that were deep fried should be skipped. To reduce cholesterol, select broiled, grilled, steamed or baked meats. Try fresh foods like salads, fruit or steamed vegetables instead.
Have periodic blood pressure check. If you have anything over the average range, you should seriously consider seeing a doctor to have your cholesterol readings checked. Your doctor is the right person to help you with some literature on the most popular types of low cholesterol diet.
Friday, October 19, 2007
The Right Amount Of Cholesterol is Fundamental For Good Health
Decreasing a high level of cholesterol
Generally patients find out about the fact that they have a high level of cholesterol in the blood during the regular blood tests they take. Before prescribing them a treatment based on pills most doctors prefer to try other methods first. They recommend the patient to lose some weigh and to keep a diet for a while. Loosing weight is important in the process of reducing the level of cholesterol and so exercising and other weight loss resources should be considered. Also, the patients should be careful what they eat, especially what amount of fat they digest.
Specialists recommend the patients to make sure the diet contains less that 30% fats. It is important to be careful what type of fats patients eat. There are three types of fats: saturate, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Those foods that contain saturate fats are dangerous for the patient because they increase the level of cholesterol in the blood and so they should be eaten in small amounts and even avoided. These dangerous aliments are: fatty meats, butter, cheese, cream, and processed foods.
The pre-processed foods and takeaway ones are harmful because they get "bad" during their processing. These foods do not contain a label where it is written the substances they contain but you can pay attention to the ingredients producers used. If you see hydrogenated fat or oil you can be sure that they are unhealthy and should reduce consuming them as much as possible.
The monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are good for the organism as they reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood. These precious aliments are: vegetable oils, soya oil, margarines, seeds, olive oil, avocado and nuts. The most important thing is to avoid frying the food but if this is necessary try to do that in olive oil and not in butter.
Besides concentrating about eliminating fats from your diet, you should make sure you eat oats, barley, pulses and fruits because they contain soluble fiber which is useful in lowering the cholesterol level and are low in fat too.
Try to eat daily at least 25 grams of soya protein because it has been proven to be healthy. It seems that it lowers efficiently the level of cholesterol by lowering both the low density lipoproteins and the total cholesterol. You can get 25 grams of soya by drinking three glasses of soya milk, but try to avoid those varieties which contain sweet. Of course, soya can also be found in other products like special yoghurt, creams and soya deserts but you must pay attention to the calories these products contain.
Taking the wrong calcium, like Coral Calcium, may cause problems
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Soy Genistein: Your Smart Choice For A Healthy Heart
By adding soy to your diet, you can simply and effectively protect your heart. Soy foods, which are low in saturated fat, provide protein, and are completely cholesterol-free. About 3 million Americans take prescription drugs to lower cholesterol. Although these drugs can be effective, they come along with many significant side effects. Additionally, many of us are unaware that we have high cholesterol levels. Recent studies suggest that over thirty-five million Americans have a cholesterol level which puts them at risk for heart disease. Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1995 stated that the consumption of soy protein rather than animal protein significantly decreased LDL (bad) cholesterol levels without affecting HDL (good) cholesterol levels. It is important to remember that when cholesterol is artificially lowered, not only do the bad cholesterol levels drop, but so do the good cholesterol levels. However, soy protein only lowers LDL cholesterol and does not affect HDL levels. Also, when adding soy to your diet, you can also reduce the amount of bad cholesterol that is oxidized, which is what causes damage to the artery walls.
It is very important to read labels on soy foods because soy products without isoflavones will not give the cardiovascular benefits proven in clinical studies. Scientists have recently determined that the cholesterol-lowering effect depends on the amount of isoflavones that are present. The higher the amount, the more beneficial the effect will be. But keep in find that isolated isoflavones will not have the same effect, as resent research has shown that those isoflavones extracted from soy do not have cholesterol-lowering effects. Although most scientific studies have been on genistein, a study in progress at Wake Forest University is looking into daidzein, which may have even greater cardiovascular value. This new study explores the role of genistein and daidzein, rather than just genistein.
Studies have shown that soy protein, when it is consumed at a level of twenty-five grams and combined with diet and exercise, significantly lowers bad cholesterol. It is the protein component found in soy that contains isoflavones which are thought to be responsible for this effect. By getting more knowledgeable about soy and looking for the protein content of soy foods, you can lower your overall fat and animal protein intake along with lowering your bad cholesterol levels. Health experts recommend adding two servings of soy-based foods to your daily diet.
Since the FDA has recently finalized the Soy Protein Health Claim, which states that soy protein is associated with reducing coronary heart disease, any company producing food or food substances under the FDA's jurisdiction can make a legitimate health claim that the product follows this rule. In order to meet the stipulations, the food must contain 6.25 grams of soy protein per serving, 3 grams or less of fat, 1 gram or less of saturated fat, and 20 milligrams or less of cholesterol. The food must also meet specific restrictions on the amount of sodium included. The only exceptions to this rule include products that consist or are derived from whole soybeans and contain no fat in addition to what is naturally found in soybeans.
How To Lower LDL Cholesterol Levels
High cholesterol is a big concern these days and puts people at high risk for heart attack and other serious cardiovascular problems. The diseases of the heart and circulatory system are the leading cause of death in the U.S. killing more than 1.3 million people a year.
High cholesterol is one of the primary risk indicators of heart disease and effects nearly 50% of Americans. It's a silent disease - there are no symptoms until problems have already developed. The worst thing is that many people don't know they have it until their first sign is a heart attack.
It is vital to keep your cholesterol within healthy limits. A healthy diet and regular physical activity are necessary for maintaining cardiovascular health, but supplementation may also be needed in order to manage cholesterol levels.
What exactly is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a type of fat and most of it is generated by our bodies. It is made by your liver from the fats, carbohydrates, and proteins you eat. You also get cholesterol by eating animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy products. We need cholesterol, but too much of it generates problems.
The term high cholesterol is actually a bit misleading because there are two types of cholesterol - HDL and LDL. HDL (high-density lipoprotein) is the good cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the bad cholesterol. The good cholesterol (HDL), decreases the risk of heart disease while the bad cholesterol (LDL), increases the risk. Most cholesterol is unfortunately LDL.
LDL cholesterol can build up on the inside of artery walls, contributing to artery blockages that can lead to heart attacks. Most efforts to battle arterial clogging focus on lowering LDL. HDL cholesterol is good because it helps prevent arteries from becoming clogged. It transports cholesterol to the liver where it is eliminated from the body. Higher HDL levels generally mean lower risk.
How can Policosanol help?
Policosanol is a natural supplement derived from sugar cane or beeswax that has been shown to promote cardiovascular health by raising HDL, the good cholesterol, and keeping LDL, the bad cholesterol, in check.
Policosanol works by helping the liver control its production and breakdown of cholesterol. In addition to reducing dangerous LDL, it also inhibits abnormal platelet aggregation, protects against LDL oxidation and suppresses arterial inflammatory factors.
Clinical studies have shown that Policosanol works as well as FDA-approved drugs, only free of side-effects.
People with elevated LDL cholesterol as well as people with low levels of good HDL cholesterol may benefit from taking Policosanol.
Switching To A Low Cholesterol Diet
Who doesn't crave for health? Who doesn't want to have his sandwich with an extra layer of mayonnaise without caring about the girth around the waist? And who doesn't want to stop thinking about what to eat and what not to? Surely, in addition to all that, we also want to have rippling muscles. But leave that for later because in today's hectic life it's difficult to find time and energy for a regular jog, let alone pumping iron Arnie style.
If I were to advise adopting a healthy lifestyle I am sure it would sound like an oft-suggested-never-followed kind of an advise, which it surely is. But the fact is, nothing helps better than a healthy lifestyle with some form of regular physical activity thrown in. It not only keeps one fit but also helps reduce one's risk of disease, especially heart ailments. Cholesterol is considered to be the erring element.
One of the effective ways to reduce blood cholesterol is to combine regular physical activity with low cholesterol diet. A diet with low cholesterol may include foods with high fiber and vitamin content, and must be low on fat. Now going low on fat does not mean that you shun fat altogether because fat is an important requirement for the healthy functioning of the body. They help the body in digestion and excretion.
As indicated earlier, a low fat diet alone will not be sufficient to substantially reduce your chances of a heart stroke. For that you must exercise a bit. This is not to say that you join the fancy neighborhood gym. Exercise may just comprise of half an hour of brisk walking or light jogging in the morning or in the evening. Mornings are better because at that time the air has more oxygen which is healthy for every single cell in your body. That's the reason why nothing matches a morning of vigorous activity.
Cut down on smoking and if possible quit it. Moderate drinking may not be harmful but if you tend to get carried away and often cross the delicate boundary between light and heavy drinking, it's better that you keep clear of alcohol altogether.
For those who have a family history of cholesterol related problems it is important to be extra cautious, as they are more likely to have cholesterol accumulation.
Switching to a low cholesterol diet helps one reduce one's chances of a stroke and pumps more life in every second of life. What more could one ask for?
Cholesterol Types
Cholesterol is a blood fat needed by the body in moderate amounts. However, high cholesterol levels can lead to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). Angina is chest pain caused by the restriction of blood flow to the heart (cardiac ischemia). Nitrates may be used to relieve angina.
Most people will have cholesterol blood tests regularly, including triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and total cholesterol. Methods for increasing good cholesterol or lowering cholesterol levels may include cholesterol reducing drugs, such as statins, fibrates, niacin (nicotinic acid) and bile acid resins. However, these drugs do not reverse calcification. A heart attack occurs when the coronary arteries become blocked. Cholesterol has many types. The two big components are called LDL (low-density lipoprotein) and HDL (high-density lipoprotein). And simplistically, we talk about the LDL being the bad cholesterol and the HDL being the good cholesterol.
That means that the bad cholesterol tends to accumulate in the arteries, tends to form plaques, tends to be the precursor to what eventually might end up being a heart attack.
The good cholesterol actually acts in part in reversing the cholesterol transport, takes cholesterol out of the plaque in the artery and may return it to the circulation, to the liver, to be excreted. So these are the two major categories, but within each one there are different particles, different cholesterols, different lipoproteins that carry the cholesterol, and they are differentially difficult players.
Some of the LDL cholesterol, i.e., the bad cholesterol, is worse than others. And it tends to be the small particle size that is very dense. You can think of the cholesterol particles as marbles, maybe, the small dense ones, and the larger, lighter ones might be ping-pong balls. And so the small marble ones are more dangerous.
On the other side, HDL the good cholesterol, posseses some components that are better than the others. So cholesterol is quite a complicated subject, and we're developing more and more therapies that aim not just at the total cholesterol, but in altering the good and the bad.
The Article is Originally Published Here:Cholesterol Types
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