“High cholesterol” is actually a misnomer for the improper balance between HDL cholesterol (most commonly referred to as “good” cholesterol) and LDL cholesterol (the “bad” cholesterol because it is the major cause of blockages in blood vessels, leading to heart attack and stroke). When the LDL cholesterol level is extremely elevated in relation to the HDL cholesterol level, your doctor may prescribe statin drugs such as Lipitor or Crestor, and recommend you to try a lower cholesterol diet, to bring these cholesterol numbers back into a more proper and safer range.

Cholesterol from food is hard to get away from, even though you may be watching your diet. All foods of animal origin contain cholesterol, especially including eggs, red meat, and shrimp. Generally, foods that are high in saturated fats or trans fats should also be limited. These include foods you may not even think of, such as: grilled cheese sandwiches, margarine, potato with butter, and even chicken pot pie. Fortunately, a national campaign has recently eliminated trans fats from being used by the many fast food restaurants. This will surely reduce some of the high cholesterol numbers across the nation over the long run.

Lowering cholesterol through your diet is a good start to “lower cholesterol,” but other things can be done to affect your goal. You can lower cholesterol through more exercise. But exercise alone will not reduce cholesterol, lower cholesterol must be attacked from within the body. It has been discovered that several herbs and vitamins can be used in combination with your diet to lower cholesterol.

Guggul, cayenne, policosanol, garlic, vitamin C and niacin are just a few of the herbs and vitamins that have been clinically proven to bring cholesterol levels back into a proper and safe range. Lowering cholesterol naturally with these herbs and vitamins, in conjunction with diet and exercise, have been shown in medical studies to reduce high LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol levels within 30-60 days. Studies have also documented that use of these herbs and vitamins while taking statin drugs, resulted in a more rapid correction to proper cholesterol levels than taking statin drugs alone. You can get more cholesterol information that will help you lower cholesterol at my website, www.GreatNewsHealth.com. We can all benefit from lower cholesterol, which will lead to a longer, more enjoyable, and productive life for everyone.

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In this article, I’ll explain what happens when your cholesterol levels aren’t normal, as well as some of the ways to manage them, so that you can be better educated and proactive where your health is concerned, and maybe even extend your life.

First of all, cholesterol is a waxy substance found in cells in all parts of the body. And no, it is not all bad. In fact, cholesterol is necessary for building and regenerating cells. It also insulates nerves and produces hormones in the body. The key is maintaining normal levels.

Where does cholesterol come from? About 75% of the cholesterol in our bodies is manufactured in the liver, and the other 25% comes from food, mostly meat and dairy products. If your liver produces too much cholesterol, that is when the levels become abnormal or unhealthy, and a method for bringing them back in balance becomes a necessity in order to preserve cardiovascular health.

This is especially important in people with diabetes, or metabolic syndrome (sometimes referred to as pre-diabetes.) Unhealthy cholesterol levels, when combined with weight gain and increased blood pressure, can lead to all kinds of health challenges.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW YOUR NUMBERS

Notice the plural, because it is not only total cholesterol or just the bad cholesterol number that is important. Complete cholesterol care implies being aware of all the numbers.

So what are the numbers you should know that make up the complete cholesterol picture?

First is the LDL or bad cholesterol. This is the component that when it becomes elevated, causes buildup on the walls of the arteries. As this buildup hardens, it becomes plaque, which increases your risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Science is proving that this buildup starts to develop in late teens and early twenties, and continues progressively as we age.

Of course as this buildup continues, it starts to narrow the opening in the arteries, restricting blood flow and raising blood pressure. Left unchecked, it can continue until it ruptures which causes a clot to form, totally cutting off the flow of blood.

If this clot is in the area leading to the heart, it is a heart attack. If it is in the arteries leading to the brain, that is a stroke. Both are considered cardiovascular disease.

LDL levels of greater than 190 are considered dangerous. 160 to 189 is considered poor, 130 to 159 is fair, and readings less than 129 are considered healthy. Some doctors are suggesting levels be below 100, and recent research is showing that if we can reduce our LDL to less than 70, we can actually start to reverse the plaque buildup.

The next number to be aware of is HDL, or the good cholesterol, which reduces your risk of CVD. In fact, your HDL number is becoming much more important because research has shown that for every 1% you reduce your LDL or bad cholesterol, you get about a 2% reduction in cardiovascular risk. But for every 1% you increase your HDL, you get a 3% reduction in risk. What should your HDL be? Healthy levels for men are above 40, and for women, it should be above 50.

Total Cholesterol or TC is the addition of your LDL, HDL and a component known as VLDL. Healthy levels are anything under 200. Another important number to be aware of is your cardiovascular risk ratio. This number is determined by dividing Total Cholesterol by HDL. This number should be below 5, with the optimal amount of 3.5 or lower.

Where do triglycerides come from? Fats consumed in our diet, or made in the body from carbohydrates, cause triglycerides in the blood. Some calories are converted to triglycerides and move into the fat cells for storage. So how do those numbers stack up?

Triglyceride levels of less than 150 are considered acceptable. Levels from 150 to 199 indicate moderate risk, 200 to 499 indicate high risk, and levels in excess of 500 indicate extreme high risk.

If it’s confusing to remember what’s good and what’s not, an easy way to remember the different parts of the total picture is “L” stands for “lethal” LDL, “H” stands for “healthy” HDL, and “T” stands for “treacherous” triglycerides.

METHODS FOR DEALING WITH UNHEALTHY CHOLESTEROL

There are different methods a person can use for improving one’s cholesterol levels. The most widely known is through the use of special cholesterol lowering prescription drugs called “statins”. Statins such as Lipitor, Zocor, Crestor, and others represent nationally a 25 Billion Dollar per year treatment option. They have proved themselves effective at lowering the LDL segment of the cholesterol picture, however they do very little to reduce triglycerides or raise the HDL.

Besides, statins sometime carry very significant side effects, and therefore some people can’t take them. What are some of these documented side effects?

The Statin Effects Study concluded that the top two are possible liver and muscle damage. However, there are also lesser known effects such as sudden memory loss, increase in eye cataract risk, suppresses the body’s natural immune function, increased cancer risk, kidney and nerve damage, depletes CoQ10 levels (necessary for healthy heart function), sleep disturbance, blood sugar or blood pressure changes, and sexual dysfunction.

According to the drug manufacturers, only an insignificant number of patients are affected by these side effects. But if you’re one of them, is it “insignificant” for you? What you will hear more and more from the drug companies, is that they also will admit that just lowering the LDL is not enough.

Combination therapy will become the new buzz word. It means adding additional drugs to raise the good cholesterol, or lower triglycerides or blood sugar. Of course, it’s highly likely that these additional drug additives will have their own set of additional side effects.

In fact, reports on the recent results of a clinical study by one of the leading pharmaceutical company’s combinations to try to raise the HDL led to “pulling the plug” on the whole experiment. Why, you ask? According to the report, an “unacceptable number of people died” while taking the combination therapy. Makes me wonder what number of people would be “acceptable”.

Do we see increased costs and co-pays in our futures? I believe you can bank on it. Some people feel, and I’m one of them, that even the cheapest co-pay is more than they’re willing to risk their quality of life for.

So are there other, safer alternatives for you? The answer is yes. In fact, according to the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) guidelines for healthcare providers, statin drugs should not be the first treatment option offered. According to these guidelines, Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC) should be used as a first approach.

What are some of the features of TLC? Increase of soluble fiber, regular exercise, and weight reduction are the main ones. When it comes to diet, watch your fat intake, and eat more fruits and vegetables.

In addition to soluble fiber, other methods that can control cholesterol levels are the use of plant sterols or stanols, and a natural component called policosanol, from sugar cane, which blocks the enzyme in the liver that produces cholesterol. Statins block the same enzyme; however, the difference is that the policosanol does not damage the liver. Also ancient Chinese medicine has used a particular extract from the chrysanthemum plant to help in the breakdown of cholesterol.

If you’re concerned about safety and effectiveness, choose a natural solution with solid clinical evidence, that incorporates multiple methods, and raises HDL in addition to lowering LDL.

Be proactive in your own health, be educated on your cholesterol situation, make the right lifestyle choices, and you’ll improve your chances of living longer.

Additional information on lowering cholesterol can be found in “Your Guide to Lowering Cholesterol with TLC” by the US Nat’l Institutes of Health. NIH Publication 06-5235

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Cholesterol can be found in eggs, dairy products, meat, and poultry. Egg yolks and organ meats like kidneys, liver, and sweetbreads are very high in cholesterol. Some shellfish are high in cholesterol but fish contains less cholesterol than that of other meats. Fat content of foods is not always the way to go to measure cholesterol in foods. Some times foods can be very low in fat and have high cholesterol content like liver. Foods of plant origin have no cholesterol like veggies and fruits.

To lower your high cholesterol levels you can limit your intake of fats to 25 to 35 % of the total day’s calories. Eating less than 200 mg’s of dietary cholesterol per day and getting more fiber in your diet can help to lower your cholesterol levels as well. It is still very important to get enough calories in your diet to support health.

A low cholesterol diet does not have to be hard to follow. There is such a huge variety of foods and ways to cook them that it would be hard to get bored. There are even many food companies that offer low fat and low cholesterol for people who don’t have time to put together large meals.

When shopping for food with your new diet in mind keep the following things in mind as well. Fruits and vegetables have no cholesterol in them. Lower the intake of saturated fats in your diet because these foods can raise your cholesterol levels. Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils contain a form of saturated fat called Trans fats. They raise blood cholesterol levels the same way saturated fats do. Trans fats are found in foods like margarines, shortenings, and cooking oils.

Whole grains should be used instead of foods with white flour. Eating large amounts of carbohydrates can raise cholesterol levels, especially if you have diabetes. Buying low fat or skim milk dairy products instead of whole milk products can help you lose weight along with decrease cholesterol levels. Lean meats like turkey, chicken, or fish are better for you rather than eating red meats. Instead of using ground beef using ground turkey is a healthy substitute for hamburgers or spaghetti. Olive and canola oils are lower in saturated fats which can help lower cholesterol.

Another great thing to add to a low cholesterol diet is an herbal supplement. Cholesterol Control is a product that can assist the body’s normal ability to balance cholesterol levels. Using this product with the diet and adding exercise to your daily routine can decrease bad levels of cholesterol. This product can be found at Alternative Health Supplements and is all natural and perfectly safe to use with no negative side affects.

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The terms “lipid panel”, “lipid profile”, and “lipoprotein profile” are used interchangeably to order the same set of labs. To make reading this easier, I’m going to use “lipid profile” from here on out.

“Lipid” is simply a medical term for “fat”. A lipid profile measures fatty substances in your blood. Cholesterol is one type of fat.

When you eat food containing cholesterol or when your body produces cholesterol and releases it into your bloodstream, the cholesterol will attach to a protein. This package of cholesterol plus a protein is called a lipoprotein (lipid or fat plus protein). A lipid profile measures lipoprotein levels in your blood.

Lipid profiles include five components:

LDL – “bad” cholesterol
LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol carries mostly cholesterol, some protein, and minimal triglycerides throughout your circulation. LDL should be less than 130 mg/dL, ideally less than 100 mg/dL.

VLDL – “bad” cholesterol
VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol contains minimal protein and mainly transports triglycerides. VLDL should be less than 40 mg/dL.

Triglycerides
Triglycerides are a type of fat in the blood, not a type of cholesterol. Triglycerides are frequently used to estimate VLDL (“bad”) cholesterol. Here’s the calculation: triglycerides divided by 5 equals VLDL cholesterol. Triglycerides should be less than 200 mg/dL, ideally less than 150 mg/dL.

HDL – “good” cholesterol
HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol removes cholesterol from your bloodstream and carries it back to the liver. I like to think of HDL as a vacuum cleaner, picking up cholesterol LDL leaves behind in your arteries, the more HDL the better. HDL should be greater than 40 mg/dL, ideally greater than 60 mg/dL.

Total cholesterol
Cholesterol is essential to bodily functions, such as building cells and producing hormones. However, too much cholesterol will build up on artery walls, form a plaque, and potentially “plug” the artery resulting in a heart attack or stroke. Total cholesterol is calculated from the above components (Total cholesterol = HDL + LDL + VLDL). Total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL.

Do you see how if you only know your total cholesterol, you only have one piece of the lipid profile?

Now, sometimes your results will include ratios or a risk score. Here’s an explanation of what those numbers mean.

Risk Score
A risk score is based on you lipid profile results, sex, age, family history, and various other risk factors. If you have a high risk score for heart disease, it’s best to speak with your MD to evaluate your risk score.

Cholesterol:HDL Ratio
You want a low ratio of cholesterol to HDL. A ratio lower than 4.5 is good, but 2 or 3 is best. You can calculate your cholesterol to HDL ratio by dividing total cholesterol by HDL. For example, your total cholesterol is 195 and your HDL is 55. 195 divided by 55 equals a ratio of 3.5.

It’s actually not your total cholesterol that has the greatest impact on your heart disease risk. The ratio of total cholesterol to HDL is a critical factor. If your total cholesterol is less than 200, but your ratio is 5, you are still at increased risk for developing heart disease.

LDL:HDL Ratio
This ratio compares the amount of bad (LDL) cholesterol to your good (HDL) cholesterol levels. You want a ratio less than 3.5, ideally less than 2.5. To calculate your ratio, divide LDL by HDL. For example, your HDL is 55 and LDL is 100. 100 divided by 55 equals a ratio of 1.8.

Triglyceride:HDL Ratio
A low ratio of triglycerides to HDL is best, ideally less than 2. To calculate your triglyceride to HDL ratio, divide your triglycerides by your HDL. For example, your triglyceride level is 200 and your HDL is 55. 200 divided by 55 equals a ratio of 3.6.

Lipid profiles are commonly ordered to assess your heart disease risk. Your doctor or dietitian will use the results to determine the best treatment to reduce your risk.

A lipid profile is beneficial, because you know your “good” cholesterol level and “bad” cholesterol levels. The interventions that work best to raise HDL and lower LDL differ, so knowing all your numbers helps you make the most effective changes.

You’re probably wondering why a lipid profile isn’t always ordered versus simply checking your total cholesterol (and possibly HDL). Cost and time always play a part and if your risk for heart disease is low, then a quick and less expensive screening makes sense. If you are at increased risk, a more complete assessment (lipid profile) may be more appropriate. Everyone’s situation is unique, so it’s best to discuss what’s right for you with your MD.

Author: Lisa Nelson
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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First, cholesterol is a lipid which is naturally produced by the body to maintain cell membranes. The body actually makes all the cholesterol it needs for its functions. Our cholesterol level becomes high when either our bodies overproduce cholesterol or we take in too much cholesterol through the foods we eat.

High levels of cholesterol are bad for you because this excess cholesterol can build up in your arteries, causing heart disease and heart attack. High cholesterol is also responsible for strokes. All three of these conditions can be debilitating and in some cases, deadly.

How do you know if your cholesterol level is high? Your doctor can perform a blood test to determine what the level of cholesterol is in your blood. Sometimes your doctor may want you to take a fasting blood test, which means he will test the cholesterol level in your blood after you have gone without eating for a specified number of hours.

A high cholesterol level is medically defined as more than 240 mg/DL total. Your doctor may also divide your cholesterol level into “good” cholesterol or HDL cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol or LDL cholesterol. If your HDL cholesterol is above 40 mg/Dl this is considered ideal. Your LDL cholesterol level, however, should be less than 100 mg/DL. Any reading above this puts you at a greater risk for heart disease or heart attack. HDL cholesterol is considered good because it is this type that is carried out of the blood stream to the liver where it is broken down and expelled from the body. LDL cholesterol, however, is the kind that builds up in your blood vessels and arteries.

If your doctor deems your cholesterol level is high, there are several things you can do to lower this level. These things include eating a healthy low-fat diet and exercising regularly. Not only does the healthy diet and exercise help lower you cholesterol level, it can also help lower your weight which in turn decreases you chances of heart disease. If you are a smoker you should consider stopping. Also, limit your intake of alcohol and sugar. After trying all these things, if your cholesterol level is still not ideal, your doctor can put you on cholesterol lowering prescription medication. Remember, though, cholesterol medications can damage your liver, so they should be used only after other options have been exhausted.

As you can see, your cholesterol level has a very important impact on your total body health. It can even be life threatening if not controlled. See your doctor for a cholesterol test. If your cholesterol level is not within normal ranges, take action to lower it.

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The active ingredient is known as guggulsterone, which is a plant sterol that increases the amount of body cholesterol into bile acids by the liver. Bile acids are an essential part of our digestion system, working to emulsify the oils and fats we eat and covert them into a form suitable for transferring to the blood and use elsewhere in the body. They also help the body make use of fat soluble vitamins such as vitamins A and E.

The resin used in this Ayurvedic remedy comes from the stem of a tree called Mukul myrrh that grows throughout India. Ayurvedic medicine is said to have originated from ancient Hindu texts, but is now thought to have evolved over thousands of years. The basis of the medicine is contained in two Sanskrit texts written on palm leaves and form the basis of modern Ayurvedic training. Guggul has been used for millennia in the treatment of skin conditions, rheumatism, arthritis, cardiovascular problems and high cholesterol.

Being an oily fat, cholesterol is not soluble in blood plasma and hence cannot be carried around the body without a carrier. These carriers are known as low density lipoproteins and high density lipoproteins. The LDL carries cholesterol to where it is needed by the body, and is a sticky substance that can also deposit cholesterol in the arteries that are carrying it. This can form a hard coating on the inside of the arteries called plaque, and effectively narrow them and harden them up.

This atherosclerosis, as it is called, is a dangerous condition, and if a blood clot encounters the narrow part of an artery so affected it can be blocked. If in the heart, then this can cause a heart attack, and if in the brain it can give rise to a stroke, both potentially fatal conditions.

HDL, on the other hand, carries excess cholesterol back to the liver for destruction or conversion to bile, and is a free flowing liquid material known as ‘good cholesterol’. Cholesterol is needed by the body and so cannot be eliminated completely. That would be even more dangerous. One of the major functions of cholesterol in the liver is in the production of bile that is used by your digestive process to emulsify fats. Any compound that could also carry out this vital function would mean that liver would have less cholesterol to manufacture.

Your body receives a dietary supply of cholesterol from fatty animal sources such as meat, fats, eggs and dairy products such as cheese and butter. There is no cholesterol in purely vegetable foods. However, that does not mean that vegans have no cholesterol, since as stated earlier, it is an essential substance in the body’s metabolism. In fact, the liver is able to generate all the cholesterol you need, and that which is taken in your diet is superfluous.

The liver can manufacture cholesterol from the trans and saturated fats in your diet, and there are several sources of these. Included among them are popcorn, vegetable shortening such as found in cookies and donuts and other manufactured bakery products made from hydrogenated margarines and oils widely used in the bakery industry. Also from rapeseed and palm oils and coconuts. Saturated fats are also contained in French fries and similar fried foods using certain vegetable oils, and also potato chips. Even vegetarians and vegans can suffer from high cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol is manufactured in the liver and taken up by LDL for distribution by the blood. However, a large proportion of that cholesterol is used by the liver to manufacture bile, essential for digestion of fats. This bile is stored in the gall bladder, and released into the upper intestine on the ingestion of fatty food. The bile acids and fats pass down the intestine, where the fats are emulsified into a form suitable for absorption by the body.

The bile acids are then absorbed in the final part of the ileum by proteins that carry them back to the liver where they are recirculated into the bile. Once the level of bile acids in the body reaches a certain level, a chemical known as the Farnesoid X Receptor (FXR) stops the liver from converting cholesterol into bile. Although only 5% of the bile is excreted from the body and needs replaced, this still accounts for 50% of the body’s usage of cholesterol.

The production of bile from cholesterol operates on a closed loop system, with a feedback that maintains a constant level of bile acids. The feedback is controlled by FXR that detects the current level of bile acids and represses the enzyme (CYP7A1) that stimulates bile manufacture until a minimum level has been reached when the CYP7A1 is re-activated.

By blocking the action of FXR, the guggulsterone in guggul continues the conversion of cholesterol to bile acids by the liver without interruption. The liver has to use more LDL cholesterol for this and so reduces the overall amount of cholesterol in the body, specifically the LDL type.

A double blind study in India showed a total cholesterol reduction of 11.7%, including a 12.7% reduction in LDL and a 12% reduction in blood fat (triglyceride) levels, and other studies have indicated a total cholesterol reduction of up to 27% and triglycerides of up to 30%. The Indians believe guggul to be so effective that is has been approved as a treatment for high cholesterol by the Indian government. The connection with FXR has been confirmed by testing with mice with and without FXR.

Another factor in high cholesterol levels is that an under-active thyroid can interfere with the liver’s ability to process cholesterol. Guggul stimulates then production of thyroid hormones, and so can help to reduce excessive LDL cholesterol in the blood cause through a low level of thyroid hormone production.

Overall, then, this Ayurvedic remedy for many ills can help anyone who needs to reduce the level of cholesterol and triglycerides in their blood. Recommended dosages are about 1500 mg twice daily, though if you are also taking statins or are under treatment for cancer you should first consult your doctor, as you should with all natural remedies that are new to you.

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The Home Cholesterol Test Kit

Medical science has been constantly developing tests that can be administered at home to keep track of progress, including some types of cholesterol monitor. Cholesterol levels can vary on a daily basis. For those within the normal range, this isn’t a trouble.

When your cholesterol levels are typically at the borderline levels that can be dangerous, it can be important for you to monitor changes so that you can see what is working and what isn’t.

The home cholesterol monitor has been delivering trustworthy results by using a few drops of blood. The test takes just a few minutes at home and many of those devices will keep track of the time and date of the test and stores the results as well. Such a tool could be helpful when one is trying a new regimen.

Improvements can be seen as an increased exercise regimen is implemented. As results become better, a patient may find encouragement between doctor’s visits and keep up the good work. This can be very important since beginning a diet and exercise program is demanding and high cholesterol can cause depression.

You can find the home cholesterol test kit in any drug store, the kit consist of the tools required in order to conduct an accurate cholesterol test and only with couple drops of blood and 10 minutes later you will be able to tell the levels of cholesterol present in your body.

Several types of cholesterol monitor are miniature computers. This allows different kinds of information to be available. A device may be able to assess current readings in with other risk factors such as smoking take into consideration. The cholesterol test kit which FDA approved is 97% accurate and easy to use.

Who Needs a Cholesterol Test Kit?

The need for such tests can be determined by doctors on a case by case basis. If nothing else, they help a patient play a part more fully in controlling the situation.

Everyone who wants to keep a close monitor on his or her cholesterol without having to go through a doctor’s appointment can use the handy cholesterol test kit. I personally suggest it to those who have high levels of cholesterol and need to know where they stand frequently.

Be in Control of Your Cholesterol at all Times With the Cholesterol Test Kit

Cholesterol can be life treating if the levels get too high, and coronary heart disease is a terribly common occurrence in people with high levels of bad cholesterol and the only way to keep these levels in control is to monitor it as often as required. The right level of cholesterol you should have in your body is of 200mg/dl of LDL or less and a minimum of 40mg/dL of HDL or more.

Is the Home Cholesterol Test Good at Giving Accurate Results?

Today you can get all home kits for any type of test. Some kits are very accurate while some may not. The fault may not lie with the kit itself, but in the way it is applied or being used. The home cholesterol test is one such test, which is capable of usually giving perfectly accurate results however it seldom does so due to human error.

Most of the time a home cholesterol test will be accurate, however, doctors do not like to rely on the home cholesterol test and they would insist in taking another test from the lab if you go for treatment. Only when the lab tests results come, they would proceed with the treatment. This is not because the home cholesterol test is not accurate, but because it might be administered wrong for which the readings would come out wrong.

It would be a disaster to prescribe a treatment for cholesterol, when actually it turns out that the person is perfectly fine. This is the reason why doctors usually do not take into consideration the results of any home kit when it comes to serious afflictions such as high cholesterol, diabetes, etc.

The home cholesterol test will be useful only when you can get your home physician to administer it for you; this is meaningful because even after the test is done, you would need a doctor to explain the results. This is why it is smarter if you took a lab test rather than a home cholesterol test. The latter would be useful only when there is a doctor close by who can guide in administering it, as well as reading the results correctly.

It is also important to mention here that any home test should actually be repeated in the lab for double confirmation. Such a way that if your home test results are wrong, you will know before you have to undergo any treatment.

If you follow the instruction exactly as given on the packet, the reading should be accurate. However, before you take any action regarding your health, ensure that you have the test repeated to confirm the findings.

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Cholesterol reducing diets does not mean liquid diets. You can be assured that there are actually numerous choices of food to eat for high cholesterol. But it is helpful to remember that a daily consumption of cholesterol is usually recommended at or below 100 milligrams per day.

Quite obviously, it is a cumbersome task to keep track of the amount of cholesterol consumed per day, so, here is a handy tip – cholesterol is found in products of animal origin. Knowing this, you can roughly gauge the type of foods that lower your cholesterol (Nutritionists recommend writing down and keeping track of your daily intake of calories, cholesterol, etc.).

Foods to lower cholesterol – Meat, Rice, Vegetables and Potatoes

As alluded to earlier, going on a cholesterol reducing diet does not mean starving yourself of the good stuff. Take meat for example. Though cholesterol is found in products of animal origin, this does not mean you have to become a vegetarian. You can reduce cholesterol levels simply by removing the fats from meat, throwing in a couple of vegetables and stir-fry them.

“But, isn’t oil bad for my cholesterol,” you ask? Not vegetable oils like, canola, safflower and olive oils. But, a better alternative would be cooking sprays. You can save on fats and calories with such sprays. It would be a good idea to use cooking sprays instead of oils and they do come in a variety of flavors as well.

Rice and potatoes go great with that meat and vegetable dish but why don’t you substitute white rice for brown rice? Brown rice contains more nutrients. And try yams or sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes for better nutritional value as well. While you are at it, keep an eye out on your portion size. If you really want your food to help lower cholesterol, then monitor your intake of food per serving. You can be guilty of eating too much of the right foods.

Keep consumption of red meat like beef, to about once a week. Make it a habit to eat more fish, or even shellfish. You would have probably heard that shellfish is high in cholesterol but in fact, shellfish are far less rich in cholesterol and contains less fat than red meat. Chicken makes for a good addition to foods that reduce cholesterol too (just remove the skin and fats).

When you are removing saturated fat from your diet, you are not just lowering your bad cholesterol, but you are also reducing your risk of getting diabetes, digestive disorders and even certain kinds of cancer.

Foods to lower cholesterol – Soup

So many folks underestimate the power of soup when it comes to health. Soup should really be added to the list of foods that help to lower cholesterol. It is a great example of moderating your food portions as soup is usually taken with a spoon (unless you are from certain parts of Asia where drinking soup from a bowl is a sign of respect). Minestrone soup is a good way to go. Be creative with what you add to it. You can make soup a main meal by taking it with wholegrain bread.

And when it comes to vegetables, there is no shortage of variety. Nutritionists usually recommend eating vegetables of a different variety as often as possible to extract the best possible nutritional value from them. So, look up on all the different kinds of vegetables available and add them to your list of foods. If you are ever stuck on what kind of food to eat to lower cholesterol, you will never go wrong with vegetables.

Foods to lower cholesterol – Sandwiches and Salads

Who can resist a tuna or chicken sandwich? Almost everybody loves a good sandwich and it is another fantastic addition to – food to eat for high cholesterol. What will make a good sandwich even better for health is to lay that tuna or chicken in whole grain bread. Replace regular mayonnaise with low-fat mayonnaise. Sandwiches are ideal for a low-fat meal and it is so quick and easy to make. Do not overlook its simplicity. You can create a great-tasting cholesterol reducing sandwich in as little as five minutes for all the nutritional value you can get for a day.

Salads are another fantastic addition to your diet, but you should keep in mind that regular dressing and croutons are high in fat and calories. Go for the low-fat options to reap the benefits of a salad dish. Again, add a variety of vegetables with chicken or fish. Like soups, salads can be made into a main dish.

Food to eat for high cholesterol – Fibrous Food

Here is something else to think about – recent studies have shown that we need to consume at least 35 grams of fiber a day to reduce the risk of suffering from heart disease. This proves you need to consume fiber found in certain types of foods – to reduce bad cholesterol. There are so many benefits you reap from a fiber-rich diet that it is impossible to list all of them here. But, know that grabbing an apple instead of a bag of chips is a very wise choice for someone trying to eat to lower cholesterol!

How you can get more fiber into your day

• Start your day off with whole-grain cereal topped with bananas, raisins and berries.
• Fit more vegetables into your main meals as mentioned earlier. But to gain more fiber out of vegetables, try eating them raw, microwave or steaming vegetables instead of frying them.
• Instead of juicing fruits, eat them as they are with the skin on where possible. You are extracting every bit of fiber from fruits this way. Snack on fruits instead of the usual chemically laden products. This is a great way to curb your appetite and lose weight at the same time because fiber-rich foods, such as fruits are more filling than other types of food.
• Throw in beans where you can – like into soups, salads and stews.

A powerful natural source to reduce cholesterol – Garlic

Such a common spice but yet one of the most powerful natural medicines for lowering cholesterol could already be lying about in your kitchen. Studies have been proven to show that garlic has the properties to ease the damaging effects of cholesterol on your artery walls, lower cholesterol and blood pressure, stop the growth of cancer cells, fight infections and prevent heart attacks. Add to that, garlic has been proven to stop the heart from aging.

Garlic is such a powerful source of medication for lowering cholesterol and maintaining a healthy heart that it would be silly not to include this common yet wonderful spice to your daily diet. Work garlic into soups, pastas, stews whole-wheat French bread, vegetables, etc. Sometimes the most common types of food are the best types of cure.

Author: Rafael Todorini
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Wordpress plugin Guest Blogger

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Cholesterol

Cholesterol is also found in the blood circulation of humans. CholesterolDr Trisha MacnairCholesterol is fondamental for our bodies to run properly, so why are there so many health warnings about high cholesterol levels. Cholesterol information: high cholesterol, lowering cholesterol levels, and cholesterol treatment guidelines on MedicineNet.

Hdl

HDL are the smallest of the lipoproteins. HDL takes along cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver.

Ldl

LDL cholesterol is called “bad” cholesterol, because big levels of LDL cholesterol are accompanied by an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

Diet

Dietary cholesterol comes especially from meat, poultry, fish, and dairy farm products. Dietary cure stays here the first line of treatment, with drug therapy reserved for use in patients at high risk for CHD or patients who do not respond to nonpharmacologic therapy.

Lipoprotein

Lipoproteins are classified as high density, low density, or very low density, depending on how much protein there is in relation to fat.

Weight

Weight surplus leans to iaccrue blood cholesterol levels. Weight loss also betters insulin sensitivity and serum glucose uptake, reducing the risk of diabetes.

Exercise

Periodic physical activity may not only lower LDL cholesterol, but it may increase levels of desirable HDL. Exercise at least 2 to 4 times a week for 20 to 40 minutes per exercise session.

Foods

Foods of vegetable source (vegetables, fruits, grains, cereals, nuts, and seeds) contain no cholesterol. Foods with added plant sterols or stanols should be eaten as part of a balanced diet.

Saturated

Saturated fats are derived primarily from meat and creamery product and can raise blood cholesterol levels. Saturated and trans-unsaturated fatty acids should be avoided.

Cholesterol is claimed to construct and conserve cell membranes; it normalises membrane circulation over a wide varieties of temperatures. Cholesterol is essential for the constitution and function of invaginated caveolae and clathrin-coated pits, including the caveolae-dependent endocytosis and clathrin-dependent endocytosis. Cholesterol is claimed 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.

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Basically, there are two types of cholesterol: the Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and the High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL). The former refers to the bad type of cholesterol that is known to clog the person’s blood vessels, thus, increasing the risk for a heart attack or a heart disease. Studies show that a diet that is high in saturated fat is a main dietary cause of a raised LDL cholesterol level. The latter, on the other hand, is the good type of cholesterol that helps clear LDL cholesterol out of the blood stream, thus, reducing the risk for any heart illness. Researches have shown that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables along with average levels of omega-3 from fish oil greatly helps raise HDL cholesterol levels.

Although diet is the major reason for having high cholesterol levels, experts agree that factors such as genetics, lack of exercise or regular physical activity, obesity, unhealthy lifestyle such as excessive drinking and smoking, hormones, and varying high and low cholesterol levels can trigger the sudden increase of cholesterol levels in the body.

GETTING STARTED

Indeed, cholesterol is a growing problem in the health of many people in the world. Experts say that people over 20 years of age should be more concerned about their cholesterol levels; thus, they should start doing everything they can to lower LDL cholesterol. Although it is quite hard to stick to the needed requirements and regiments to combat the growing problem, experts say that it can be controlled with the proper diet to lower cholesterol.

Studies show that a good diet to lower cholesterol can reduce a person’s risk for heart diseases while getting rid of bad fats because this diet to emphasizes on eating heart-healthy foods. But, aside from using the proper and proven low cholesterol diets available today, the most important thing is that knowing and taking in the right foods and effective cholesterol formulas to assist in lowering cholesterol levels.

Experts say that a diet to lower cholesterol includes good foods like grains-especially whole grain products and cereals-fish rich in omega3 such as salmon and tune, a variety of fruits and leafy vegetables, nuts, juices, and the like. Here are other effective means of lowering cholesterol level through diet:

1. Make sure that you visit your attending physician first before trying out any low cholesterol diets so he/she could administer the proper examinations and access your general health status.

2. You can lower your cholesterol levels by replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat in meat, chicken, and whole milk products.

3. Refrain from eating refined carbohydrates contained by bakery products, pastas, and sugary or sugar-added foods.

4. When eating out, makes sure that you ask the waiter to make serving substitutions like steamed or boiled food preparations. If possible, also pick lean meat, fish, or skinless chicken that is broiled, baked, grilled, steamed, or poached instead of being fried and ask for lots of vegetable side dishes and fresh fruit desserts.

5. Cutting down on eggs, margarine, or butter out of your daily diet.

6. Use natural-based oils such as vegetable, corn, and olive oils when cooking instead of the usual cooking oil.

7. Load up on a lot of garlic when you’re preparing dishes because it contains substances that help lower HDL cholesterol.

8. Take in high quality daily vitamin mineral supplements like Vitamin E to improve blood circulation, and Vitamin C and vitamin B3 to lower your high cholesterol levels.

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