Cholesterol Treatment – Simple and Useful Home Remedies for Cholesterol
Cholesterol is the fat-like substance, which is an important ingredient for life. The human body contains about 100 g of cholesterol. The human body itself manufactures its required cholesterol, and any cholesterol that comes from diet is extra — and it’s harmful.
Benefits of body cholesterol -
Most of the cholesterol in the body is included in the membranes from which cells formation takes place. It is also the starting ingredient for the synthesis of the steroid hormones such as progesterone, estrogen, testosterone, cortisol and mineralocorticoids.
Cholesterol is also the originator from which the body synthesizes Vitamin D.
Cholesterol helps in the synthesis of bile acids in the liver. This is required for the absorption of fat from the contents of the intestine. The liver synthesizes about 1500 – 2000 mg of new cholesterol each day, from the products of fat metabolism.
What is high blood cholesterol? Is it risky?
High blood cholesterol termed as hypercholesterolemia is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease and some types of stroke. Too much cholesterol in the blood leads to development of fatty deposits in the blood vessels that supply the heart and other parts of the body. These deposits make it difficult for enough blood to flow through the arteries, and the heart may not get as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, which increases the chances of a heart attack
(atherosclerosis). Decreased blood flow to the brain can also cause a cerebral stroke.
Healthy levels of cholesterol -
A person’s total blood cholesterol will fall into any one of these categories:
1) Desirable — Less than 200 mg/dL
2) Borderline high risk — 200-239 mg/dL
3) High risk — 240 mg/dL and over – risk of developing coronary heart disease.
What is HDL and LDL?
Cholesterol is transported through the blood attached to proteins, known as lipoprotein. The two main types of lipoproteins are:
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) – “bad” cholesterol that builds up in the walls of the arteries, making them hard and narrow.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) – “good” cholesterol that picks up excess cholesterol and takes it back to the liver.
Total cholesterol is the sum of HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and 20% of the triglyceride value.
It is important to be aware of the fact that -
1 high LDL values are bad – higher the chance of getting a heart disease
2 high HDL values are good – lower the chance of getting a heart disease.
Thus, cardiac risk ratio for an individual = total cholesterol divided by HDL cholesterol
A cardiac risk ratio greater than 7 is a danger sign.
What factors cause a high LDL and low HDL level in the body?
1) Unhealthy lifestyle habits of an individual such as lack of physical activity, being overweight.
2) Faulty eating habits. High intake of saturated fats, animal protein, butter, cheese, fried foods all lead to high cholesterol.
3) Other factors that play a role in high cholesterol include genetic composition which restricts cells from removing LDL cholesterol from the blood efficiently or cause the liver to produce too much cholesterol. This is regardless of a person’s saturated fat and cholesterol dietary intake.
4) Smoking, alcoholism, tobacco – as it damages the walls of the blood vessels, making them prone to accumulate fatty deposits.
5) High blood pressure as increased pressure on the artery walls damages arteries, leading to speedy accumulation of fatty deposits.
6) Diabetes contributes to high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol. High blood sugar also damages the lining of the arteries.
Cholesterol Treatment and prevention -
1) Lifestyle changes help improve the cholesterol level. Eat a healthy diet, do regular physical activity and avoid smoking/drinking.
2) Lose excess weight. Plan a daily exercise regime such as swimming, walks, or any other sport.
3) Eat heart friendly foods
4) Choose healthier fats such as monounsaturated fats. Almonds, olive, peanut and walnuts are good sources of healthy fat.
5) Limit cholesterol intake – no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day — or less than 200 mg if you have heart disease.
6) Eat whole grains, whole wheat flour.
7) Consume lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, as they are rich in dietary fibre, which help lower cholesterol. Consume less of animal protein, and more of fish which is rich in omega – 3 fatty acids
7) Quit smoking and drinking
In spite of the above, if LDL remains high, the doctor may prescribe some medication or combination of medication depending on various factors, such as age, current health, risk factors, and possible side effects.
Home Remedies for Cholesterol:
* Coriander seeds are beneficial in lowering blood cholesterol. In 1 glass of water, add 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds and boil. Drink this mixture two times in a day. This is a good Home Remedy for Cholesterol
* Onion juice reduces cholesterol and works as a tonic for nervous system. It cleans blood, and regulates the heart action & helps in lowering cholesterol.
* Sunflower seeds contain a substantial amount of linoelic acid, which is helpful in reducing cholesterol deposits on the walls of the arteries. This is also useful Home Remedy for Cholesterol
* Substituting oil of sunflower seeds for some of the solid fats like butter & cream will lower cholesterol.
* Ginger reduces cholesterol, and thins the blood and thus improves the circulation. This remedy is very effective Home Remedy for Cholesterol
* Take 2-3 cloves of garlic daily to reduce high cholesterol levels.
* Turmeric helps by lowering serum cholesterol and by preventing the formation of the internal blood clots.
* Mix a teaspoon of powdered fenugreek seeds in a glass of water and take in the morning on an empty stomach for a month. This is an effective and useful Home Remedy for Cholesterol
* Prepare a mixture in a glass of water with 1-2 grams of powdered cinnamon. Strain this mixture & add a spoon of honey to it. Drink this solution once a day for 15-25 days. This helps control cholesterol.
Author is an Ayurvedic doctor having years of experience in the field of Ayurveda and Alternative medicine. Find out more Home Remedies for Cholesterol at http://www.natural-homeremedies.org/
He has an exclusive website on Home Remedies for various diseases. You can also contribute to the Home remedies by visiting the website
How to Reduce Cholesterol the Natural Way
Having a high cholesterol level has become a very serious problem for many people today. This has been credited to a majority of the population getting accustomed to a diet rich in fats, bad habits such as smoking and leading a sedentary lifestyle. And because of high cholesterol levels, more and more people are finding themselves at an increased risk of developing coronary heart disease as well as stroke and heart attack.
Heart disease is the number one cause of death for most people in the developed countries around the world. Having a high level of blood cholesterol has been linked to the increase of the incidence of heart disease and has become a grave cause of concern.
The only good news to this fact is that developing heart disease is highly preventable. All it takes is for one to be able to follow a healthier lifestyle. The path to such a lifestyle is trying to lower one’s cholesterol level. Although there are already several drugs available that will help an individual reduce body cholesterol levels, this is usually reserved for more high risk patients in need of drastic decreases in their cholesterol levels. There are also natural ways readily available for anyone looking forward to lowering their own cholesterol to normal and healthy levels.
One of the natural ways of lowering cholesterol levels is through diet. Following a low cholesterol diet day in and day out can be very effective in trying to control and maintain a normal cholesterol level. This would mean eating low cholesterol foods such as soy products, vegetables and fruits.
High fiber foods are also known to help in the fight to lower cholesterol. Regular exercise is also a good habit to develop if you are really intent in trying to lower your cholesterol levels. Exercise helps in increasing HDL or “good” cholesterol in the body as well as strengthens your heart muscle, helps keep your blood pressure at normal and even helps you in shedding of those excess pounds.
There are also several natural supplements that will be able to help you lower your cholesterol levels. Taking B-complex vitamins, specifically Niacin, has been known to help lower blood cholesterol in the body. supplements fortified with Lecithin can also help in lowering your cholesterol as it enables excess fat and cholesterol to be dispersed in the water instead of building up in the arteries.
There are other natural ways of lowering cholesterol levels available today. All it will take is some research and talking to your doctor about how to effectively follow a lifestyle that will enable you to lower cholesterol the natural way.
Learn about what is cholesterol and how to reduce cholesterol at the Cholesterol Guidelines site.
There is a Drugfree Way to Lower Cholesterol
There has been a substantial increase in people having high cholesterol levels. It has been proven in many studies that an unhealthy increase in blood cholesterol levels can lead or be associated with the development of heart disease. High cholesterol levels can also increase the risk of strokes and heart attacks. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death among people living in industrialized societies such as the US. The increasing incidence of high cholesterol levels in people living in this part of the world can often be contributed to a high saturated fat diet, smoking and leading a sedentary lifestyle.
There are several dugs now available that is being used to treat unhealthy cholesterol levels in people. Most popular of these is the HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitor or what is more simply known as Statins. This group of cholesterol lowering drugs come in different name drugs and is increasingly being used in order to help high risk patients drastically lower their cholesterol levels. Statins can also increase the levels of HDL or “good” cholesterol.
Although statins and other known drugs being used to lower cholesterol levels have been proven to be very effective, there are also other ways available for people to lower their cholesterol levels without the use of such drugs. One of these is trying to lead a more active lifestyle. Physical activity and exercise is an important part of several low cholesterol therapies that aim to reduce bad cholesterol levels. Regular exercise can also help in reducing blood pressure, excess weight as well as decrease the diabetes risk.
Following a low cholesterol diet can also help a lot in trying to decrease high cholesterol levels. Scientists have found that a low cholesterol diet can help decrease cholesterol levels by as much as 29 percent in one month. This suggests that a combination diet can also be as effective as drugs like statins used to treat people with high cholesterol levels. It has also been established that eating low cholesterol and high fiber foods can cut individual cholesterol level by seven percent.
A recommended diet that can help people avoid developing coronary heart disease include consuming non-hydrogenated or unprocessed fats, eating a rich diet of soy protein, nuts and fiber rich foods such as oats and barley. Increased consumption of Omega-3 fats from fish and other plant sources can also have a positive effect in any low cholesterol diet as well as a healthy amount of fruits and vegetables.
Information on cholesterol ratio can be found at Cholesterol Guidelines.
Correct Peace of Information About the the Hdl Cholesterol (the Right One) and the Ldl Cholesterol (the Wrong One)
Cholesterol is insoluble in the vasculary system, however is transported in the circulatory system is subordinated to one of the kinds of lipoprotein, spherical particles which have an exterior constituted mainly of water-soluble proteins.
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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Does A Best Diet For High Cholesterol Exist And How You Diet To Control High Cholesterol, Revealed!
Many cholesterol-conscious individuals tend to worry about that one best diet for high cholesterol. The questions that keep surfacing most often in health forums about cholesterol are, “Is there a best diet for high cholesterol?” or, “What is the best diet for maintaining low cholesterol?” The answer to those questions is a straightforward, “No!” There simply is just no one best diet to lower and control high cholesterol. Yes, figuring out how to lower cholesterol through diet is important, but – I believe that is going about it the wrong way. What they should be asking themselves instead is – if there is a diet to control high cholesterol that is best for them! And I’m here to tell you how to do just that.
Your choices in diet to help lower high cholesterol are one of the most important and safest ways to control high cholesterol. In fact, planning what to eat to lower your cholesterol should be one of your first priorities even before considering consuming any kind of cholesterol-lowering medication.
Doctors usually recommend aiming to lower your level of LDL cholesterol to less than 160mg/dl. Those with coronary heart disease should target a LDL cholesterol level of less than 130 mg/dl. That is – total cholesterol of 240mg/dl and 200 mg/dl respectively.
Diets to reduce high cholesterol revolve around low fat and high fiber
There is really only one vital key in any diet for lowering cholesterol … and that every diet plan you follow includes – low fat and high fiber. It really is as simple as that. Keeping your diet low in fat and high in fiber means:
- Reducing your sugar intake: Everything you have probably heard about sugar is true. Cutting your intake of sugar is crucial to lowering cholesterol and triglycerides. An elevated triglyceride level significantly increases your risk of heart disease and studies have also shown that elevated triglyceride levels can portend the development of diabetes.
- Keep your eye out for harmful trans-fats: Trans-fats are found in margarine, sauces, salad dressing and sugary snack foods.
- Reduce your intake of animal fats, fried foods and chemically induced foods
And what about that fiber that you body so badly needs? You definitely cannot go wrong with fresh fruits and vegetables where fiber is concerned. Oats, rye, dried peas, yams, beans yogurt, and cultured foods are all great additions to your diet.
Here is a tip – if possible, consume soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is found – as already mentioned – in fruits and vegetables. But, another product soluble fiber is found in, is in one of the most effective grains that should be added to your diet to control high cholesterol …
Barley – a powerful choice in any cholesterol reducing diets
Barley has been used in traditional medicine by people thousands of years back. But, it is only recently that barley had been discovered to be highly effective in lowering cholesterol. As mentioned above, fibers are usually classified as either soluble or insoluble. And it is these water-soluble fibers like barley that have shown to reduce the risk of a cardiovascular event.
Like in oats, beta-glucan (a complex sugar) is also found in barley. Studies have shown that those who include a high intake of beta-glucan in their diets, are more successful in lowering their LDL cholesterol.
So, here is a short list of water-soluble fiber that should become part of your natural remedy for lowering cholesterol:
- Apples
- Grapes
- Oranges
- Peaches
- Squash
- Corn
- Carrots
- Nuts and seeds (psyllium seeds are best)
- Peanuts
- Lentils
- Peas
- Beans
- Oats
- And of course, barley.
Maintaining low cholesterol includes starches
‘Complex carbohydrates’ or natural starches are needed by your body to burn fat. It is wise to include starches in your diet to control high cholesterol. Natural starches are found in breads, potatoes, pasta and cereal. Being naturally low in fat and high in fiber (everything that a diet to lower high cholesterol needs), these foods should be added to your dietary list.
Bear in mind, it is what you pile on to these foods that adds to the fat. A rising cholesterol level is due to the consumption of fat. Don’t get me wrong. Fat is a great source of energy for your body. It also helps absorb certain types of vitamin and nutrients.
But for those who are using diets to lower cholesterol, they should attempt to keep their fat consumption between 25 and 35 percent of their calories. That is the secret to maintaining a perfect dietary plan – eat less fat than your body burns everyday.
Keep in mind that just as important as the amount of fat you consume, is the type. Stay away from saturated and trans fats. These are the types of fat that are true enemies of good cholesterol. Cut that saturated fat from your diet and you lower your cholesterol.
If you’re wondering about good fats, then these are monounsaturated fats, and omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. Fish contain polyunsaturated fats, which are the best kind. Little wonder that so many dieticians recommend fish in many dietary plans.
So, if you are serious about lowering and maintaining low cholesterol and fighting heart disease, pay attention to your diet. Make this your first step towards combating bad cholesterol.
To sum up, your diet to control high cholesterol should and preferably incorporate these foods:
- A diet rich in natural starches, fiber and protein.
- Keep your diet low in bad fats as well. Preferably, stay off bad fats completely. This combination gives you a diet rich in nutrients such as potassium, calcium and magnesium, which, aid in the lowering of blood pressure and can add years to your life. Think, more vegetables fruits and whole-grain foods such as oats, brown rice (instead of white rice) and whole-grain bread (instead of white bread). This combination also keeps your diet low in calories – which means – no extra pounds. Besides keeping you in good shape, this combination prevents any build-up of toxins in your intestines. You can get the necessary proteins from beans, eggs and fish. Protein aids in rebuilding your muscle cells and tissues. A diet involving this combination will not only form a natural source to reduce cholesterol, but will also improve your cardio-vascular system and prevent arthritis.
- And remember, keep off deep-fried foods like French fries and if possible, keep off baked potatoes too. Replace white potatoes with yams and sweet potatoes.
Maybe, there is a best diet for high cholesterol after all!
Author: Rafael Todorini
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
Provided by: Guest blogger
How High Should Your Cholesterol Levels Be?
A 2007 report from the Women’s Health Study showed that high levels of cholesterol, even in healthy women, was a risk factor that increased a woman’s chances of having a stroke. Other studies have shown a link between high levels of cholesterol and Alzheimer’s disease. And the media has been warning us for years to cut down our intake of cholesterol because high cholesterol leads to hardening of the arteries. But what is cholesterol and why is it even it our bodies?
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy, fat-like substance that is made by the body. It is in all of your cells and can be found in all parts of the body including your skin, blood vessels, muscles, and so on. Since your body actively creates cholesterol, we can assume that having cholesterol in your body is not necessarily bad. In fact, you couldn’t eliminate all the cholesterol in your body if you tried.
Cholesterol is important for the body. The cells use cholesterol as a building block in creating its protective membrane. Studies have indicated that “good” HDL cholesterol protects against heart disease and stroke even if “bad” LDL cholesterol levels are high. Good cholesterol helps to prevent dangerous breakaway blood clots – which can be caused by sitting in a cramped position for too long. Cholesterol also helps to manufacture vitamin D in the body from the sun. And there is much more good that cholesterol does for the body.
There is also a second source of cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol comes form the foods that we eat. It can be only be found in animal foods and eating it raises the bad cholesterol level in your own body. There have been many studies over the years that correlate a high intake of dietary cholesterol to coronary heart disease. In other words, the more high cholesterol foods we eat, the greater our chance of developing heart disease or a stroke.
High density lipoprotein (HDL), the good cholesterol, is a form of cholesterol that circulates in the bloodstream. One of its jobs is to remove excess cholesterol from the body’s tissues and transport it to the liver where it will be excreted from the body. This process of “taking out the garbage” or cleansing the bloodstream is why HDL is a called good cholesterol and also why it’s good for your body to have a relatively high HDL level. Some researchers say that an HDL of 60 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) or greater is good and will protect you against hardening of the arteries and lower your risk of getting heart disease.
Conversely, a low level of HDL, such as less then 40 mg/dl, has a negative effect. Many studies indicate that a low level of HDL combined with a high level of LDL seems to be a precursor of heart disease
You can control your cholesterol. The total amount of cholesterol in your body at any point in time is a function of how fast your HDL and liver can cleanse your system of it’s existing cholesterol combined with the amount of dietary cholesterol that you’ve eaten during recent hours.
Controlling the amount of cholesterol that you allow into your body is a huge part of your lifestyle that you can modify to decrease your chances of heart disease or stroke. According to the American Heart Association, if you eat less then 300 milligrams of cholesterol a day, you can significantly reduce your cholesterol levels. By paying greater attention to the foods you eat, you can help to assure yourself of a long and healthy life.
Melissa Chow is a freelance writer who writes articles relating to diet for living with diabetes and high blood pressure and other health issues Visit her site at www.highbloodpressurearticles.com .
Cholesterol and Heart Diseases – Exposed
You must have heard of the term blood lipids? Which is a medical name given to all the fatty substance in the blood, including cholesterol? Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like, waxy substance found in the bloodstream and in all body cells. It is produced by the body, and is important for the body to function properly. In fact, the body makes about 80 per cent, the rest 20 per cent comes from dietary sources. Without cholesterol, our bodies would be unable to function properly. About half of American adults have high level of cholesterol and about 1 in 5 has a high-risk zone level.
Cholesterol is particularly important in the formation of brain cells, nerve tissue, and the spinal cord. It helps to produce bile that metabolizes fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. But too much cholesterol in the blood is a major risk for coronary heart disease and stroke.
As we all know, fat deposits in the arterial wall is the major cause of Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). The deposits of fats in the arteries make the wall narrower and so reduce blood flow to the heart muscles (myocardium). The arteries can become clogged and narrow, and blood flow reduced. If this plaque ruptures, a blood clot may form here or a piece may break off and travel in the bloodstream. If a blood clot blocks the blood flow to your heart, it causes a heart attack. If a blood clot blocks an artery leading to the brain, a stroke results. This whole process is more likely to happen to a person with a high level of bad blood cholesterol in the blood.
But Cholesterol is difficult to measure because the level in the blood includes several different types, and put simply, there are good and bad cholesterol in our body. There is enough evidence to show that the risk of Coronary heart disease rises as total cholesterol level increases.
First get to know the different types of cholesterol to determine which one is actually a threat to our health. Blood cholesterol is referred to as total cholesterol (TC) and there are two types:
High Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) often called the good cholesterol helps to protect against heart diseases. This type of cholesterol transfers the fatty deposits away from the arteries and they are usually low in hyperinsulinism which is dangerous to the heart.
Low-density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) is a bad form of cholesterol which deposits blood fats in the arteries and therefore is associated with increased risk of heart attack. Triglycerides are another common type of fat in the body. They’re a good energy source that our body also makes mostly. High levels of blood triglycerides are often found in people who are overweight, have high cholesterol levels, heart problems, and diabetes.
So, we no know that a measure of cholesterol by itself does not count since if the cholesterol level is high, it may be due to high HDL-C (good one) or high LDL-C (bad one). So a breakdown of the type of cholesterol has to be measured.
There is enough evidence to show that the risk of heart disease rises as total cholesterol (TC) and LDL-C levels increases. And because HDL-C is the good cholesterol, it is expected that high level of it will help lower the risk of coronary heart disease. So high level of HDL-C appears to neutralize the potential adverse effect of raised total cholesterol level in our blood.
Blood cholesterol level are measured by blood test and the ideal total is less than 5.0mmol/L. for instance, in the Framingham Heart study, people with a total cholesterol level of about 6.5mmol/L had a heart attack risk two or three times higher than people with level less than 5mmol/L.
Your genetic makeup is partly responsible for determining your blood cholesterol level. Some families carry genes for raised level of various kinds of blood fats. But in all, diet plays the most important role in determining cholesterol levels in the body.
Animal and dairy fats like beef, pork, eggs, cheese, some vegetable oil raises blood cholesterol, do the first step of preventing heart diseases significantly in both men and women is to reduce the amount of saturated or animal fats contents in meals. But rather, replace animal and dairy fats with vegetable fats which are low-saturated and may lower
blood cholesterol. Eat more of fruits, wholegrain meal, and fresh vegetables. Do physical activities at least 30 minutes on most or all days of the week.
Many people who have angina or a heart attack have high lipid level which are partly as a result of diet and partly genetic. By good and careful dieting plan, you can reduce blood cholesterol levels by 10-20 per cent. For greater lowering of cholesterol, drugs are usually necessary. Drugs like Statins, Resins and Fibrates are very useful. See your doctor for effective treatment plan.
To learn more about cholesterol and heart diseases visit http://www.heartcares.blogspot.com
Knowledge is power, so Learn and Live!
Miracle is an expert researcher on health and fitness matters especially heart health, women and men’s health, dieting, environmental health issues, a motivational speaker and a teacher. For more information, visit http://www.heartcares.blogspot.com http://www.dietcares.blogspot.com
How Does Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease? What Can Be Done to Help Yourself Avoid It
Many of those who have suffered from heart attacks, probably realize the importance of eating healthy in order to avoid repeating this very scary experience. What happens to your heart prior to the heart attack? Eating an unhealthy diet has the tendency to increase the LDL level in your blood and elevated LDL cholesterol is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. LDL deposits on the artery walls, causing the formation of a hard, thick substance called cholesterol plaque.
Through years of keeping the same eating habits (including fast food dining, junk food etc.), the cholesterol plaque will cause thickening of the artery walls and narrowing of the arteries, a process called arteriosclerosis. Scary word, isn’t? The arteries that zigzag in the walls of your heart and supply blood and oxygen to the heart muscles are called coronary arteries. When coronary arteries are narrowed, they are incapable of supplying enough blood and oxygen to the heart muscle during exertion. Lack of oxygen to the heart muscle causes chest pain. The formation of a blood clot in the artery can cause a complete blockage of the artery and lead to the death of the heart muscle (heart attack). Arteriosclerotic disease of coronary arteries (coronary heart disease) is the most common cause of death in the United States, accounting for about 600,000 deaths annually. What a morbid statistic! Are you sometimes wondering if you are next in line? Well, a health club facility isn’t as far fetched as you think, so I guess you know what to do and get your butt, or legs, on the treadmill.
We all know now what LDL does to your body. Well, if there is a “bad”, then a “good” can’t be too far away. When I say “good”, I’m talking about HDL. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is called the “good cholesterol” because HDL cholesterol particles prevent arteriosclerosis by extracting cholesterol from the artery walls and disposing of them through the liver. It also interferes with the accumulation of cholesterol in the artery walls through the LDL cholesterol particles.
The risk of arteriosclerosis and heart attacks in both men and women is strongly related to HDL cholesterol levels. Low levels of HDL cholesterol are linked to a higher risk, whereas high HDL cholesterol levels are associated with a lower risk.
Very low and very high HDL cholesterol levels can run in families. Families with low HDL cholesterol levels have a higher incidence of heart attacks than the general population, while families with high HDL cholesterol levels tend to live longer with a lower frequency of heart attacks.
Like LDL cholesterol, life style factors and other conditions influence HDL cholesterol levels. HDL cholesterol levels are lower in persons who smoke cigarettes, eat a lot of sweets, are overweight and inactive, and in patients with type II diabetes. HDL cholesterol is higher in people who are lean, exercise regularly, and do not smoke cigarettes. Estrogen increases a person’s HDL cholesterol, which explains why pre-menopausal women generally have higher HDL levels than men do.
For individuals with low HDL cholesterol levels, a high total or LDL cholesterol blood level further increases the incidence of heart attacks.
Therefore, the combination of high levels of LDL cholesterol with low levels of HDL cholesterol is undesirable whereas the combination of low levels of LDL cholesterol and high levels of HDL cholesterol is favorable. Remember to always check your cholesterol blood test for the ratio of LDL to HDL. The total cholesterol is not a good indicator of your health. You will need to obtain the split between the HDL and LDL. Thus, the total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio (total/HDL) is a number that is helpful in predicting arteriosclerosis. The number is obtained by dividing total cholesterol by HDL cholesterol. (High ratios indicate higher risks of heart attacks, low ratios indicate lower risk). An average ratio would be about 4.5. Ideally, we want to be better than average. Thus, the best ratio would be 2 or 3 or less than 4.
All of this is getting pretty complicated, although I have tried my best to make it as user-friendly as possible. We all have many questions to ask our doctors, nutrition specialists, or even our dieticians. Moreover, you should pay attention to the following: Are they being clear in their explanations? This depends again on the specialist. You will need to get outside information to complement what is said between you and the medical professional. To a certain extent, books can be very helpful as well, they will allow you to know what questions to ask your doctor. For those who suffer a mild to dangerous heart attack, the first step after leaving the hospital is to get more information about the subject. Fear and ignorance can make you avoid reality. However, all the medical books available can still be difficult to comprehend when authors use medical terminology that only doctors can understand. Are there hidden secrets that they (the doctors) don’t want to share with us? They write books as if we are supposed to understand all their concepts, terminologies, and theories. Depending on how the author approaches the subject at hand, you will need to use a medical dictionary to understand the wording used in the book. It greatly confuses the reader who doesn’t know where else to turn. Although I haven’t had any heart attacks, I was curious and wanted to understand how the body works and how I can avoid such a terrible experience. A proactive approach will increase my chances of going through life without experiencing any of these ordeals. The power of information will enable me to go on and be more assertive when it comes to my health.
I am now sharing my knowledge with you and hopefully can help you understand how we can reduce the risk of becoming statistics by year’s end. Healthy eating and exercising are primary factors that will, in many cases, assure great health and reduce the LDL levels in your blood.
I’ve already mentioned some of the other factors that determine the LDL level in your blood. Some people are genetically predisposed to high LDL levels in the blood and do not voluntarily contribute (by eating at fast food restaurants) to elevated LDL levels. Others are aware of what they eat (fast food and sweets) but still go through life wondering what they did to deserve having a heart attack. Both heredity and diet have a significant influence on a patient’s LDL, HDL, and total cholesterol levels. For example, familial hyper-cholesterolemia (FH) is a common inherited disorder whose victims have a diminished number or no LDL receptors on the surface of their liver cells. The resulting decreased activity of the LDL receptors limits the liver’s ability to remove LDL cholesterol from the blood. Thus, affected family members have abnormally high LDL cholesterol levels in their blood. They also tend to develop arteriosclerosis and heart attacks during early adulthood. In order to lower LDL cholesterol, the activity level of the LDL receptors must be increased. LDL receptor activity can be increased through diets that are low in cholesterol and saturated fats and through prescription drugs.
Lowering LDL cholesterol involves losing excess weight, exercising regularly, and following a diet that is low in saturated fat. Drugs are prescribed when diet and exercise cannot reduce the LDL cholesterol to acceptable levels. Some of my acquaintances have used medication to resolve that problem. When all your options are exhausted, the use of prescription drugs can be the only alternative.
Author: Daniel A Amzallag
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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What You Need To Know About Cholesterol Drugs And Medications
It is extremely important to educate ourselves before using any kinds of drugs or medications for any kind of illness or medical problems, especially if it something as serious as high cholesterol. This is because it can turn out to be fatal if neglected. That is why we should learn more about drugs and medications used to treat high cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat like substance which is found in our cells and blood stream. Cholesterol is important for our body because it produces hormones and cell membranes. Our body needs some cholesterol to function. However, too much cholesterol will clog our arteries and cause coronary heart disease. This can in turn lead to a heart attack.
Although our body produces the cholesterol it needs, we also accumulate it through our intake of food products which contains it such as: egg yolks, poultry, butter, cheese and whole milk. There are two types of cholesterol which are: the LDL or low-density lipoprotein, which is the bad cholesterol and HDL or high-density cholesterol, which is the good cholesterol. When our bad cholesterol level is high, we must do everything we can to lower it, including the use of drugs and medications.
Choosing The Right Cholesterol Drug
Many cholesterol drugs are now available on the market. Although some of these drugs can be obtained over the counter, you need to consult your doctor before you purchase and start taking any cholesterol medication.
Some cholesterol drugs may have serious side effects which may do you more harm than good. Your doctor is the only person who can advise you which cholesterol drug is best for you since he is the only one who knows your medical history, your state of health and which cholesterol medicine is suitable for you.
One of the types of drugs your doctor prescribe for cholesterol medication could be the statin drug. This drug is known be effective in reducing cholesterol levels. Your doctor may also prescribe an enzyme supplement with the statin drugs because your body will need more of a certain type of enzyme when taking statin drugs.
Another type of drug your doctor may prescribe is a bile acid sequestrate. It will help control bile acids that are secreted in the liver and gall bladder. It will travel through the intestine and softens fatty material in food, helping it become absorbed in a better way through your system.
Non Medical Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol
Besides taking cholesterol medications, you can try other non medical ways to lower your cholesterol. You can lower your cholesterol levels by modifying your diet and start taking only low or no cholesterol foods. Avoid trans and saturated fats from your diet as they are the main causes that raise your bad cholesterol level.
Besides modifying your diet, you should also increase your physical activities. Remember to exercise regularly, as it will not only help you lose weight, but lower your cholesterol level too.
Taking The Right Cholesterol Medication
If your doctor has confirmed that you suffer from high cholesterol levels after a series of tests, he may prescribe a cholesterol medication to help you lower your cholesterol levels and achieve a normal and healthier cholesterol level. Your doctor may also suggest that you make some lifestyle changes, altering the way you live your life and modifying the food you eat to help you achieve normal cholesterol levels quickly. If you take the right medication and make the right lifestyle changes as your doctor advises you, you should be able to achieve a healthy cholesterol level within a short period of time.
You should also be aware that cholesterol medication can be quite expensive. Remember that it can have many side effects that may cause problems for you. That is why you should always consult a doctor before you take any kind of cholesterol medications.
Stop taking any cholesterol medication if you are concerned about a side effect that occurs after taking it. Always consult your doctor should this occur and inform him of the side effects so that he can advise you if you have to discontinue the medication. Also remember that it is important to follow all the instructions on the medication because improperly taking any medication can cause serious problems for you.
Cindy Heller is a professional writer. Visit Cholesterol Lowering Food to learn more about low cholesterol food and other high cholesterol diet.
The Cholesterol Myth
Cholesterol. What images come to mind when you see this word? Is it positive or negative? Is it health, or is it heart disease?
If what came to mind was negative, as something to avoid, and heart disease, then the pharmaceutical companies food industries have been successful in getting you to believe a fabricated myth!
According to George V. Mann, M.D., professor of Medicine and Biochemistry at Vanderbilt University, “Saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet are not the cause of coronary heart disease. That myth is the greatest scientific deception of this century, perhaps of any century.”
Russell L. Smith, Ph.D. is the author of the book, The Cholesterol Conspiracy. Dr. Smith states that “Both the public and clinical physicians have simultaneously been swamped by an ever-growing tidal wave of exaggerations, distortions and even fabrications of the facts.”
Here’s the truth. Cholesterol is good! It is a necessary part of every cell in your body and is essential in virtually all aspects of metabolism. Without it, we would die. That’s not the impression you got from the advertisers, is it!
Cholesterol is necessary for the brain, nervous system, hormones, digestion, liver function, heart muscle contraction, calcium metabolism and bone structure and skin. Cholesterol forms 50 percent of the nervous system and serves as the conductor of nerve impulses. It is so important that your body produces four to seven times as much as you ingest and reduces its production to accommodate cholesterol intake from the food you eat.
A deficiency of Cholesterol results in obesity, emotional disturbances, fatigue, impotency, and many more imbalances.
How the Scam Begun
In the early 1900’s, experiments were done in which rabbits were given extremely high amounts of dietary cholesterol. Their blood cholesterol rose twenty fold and a soft plaque like disease formed on the coronary arteries. But the cholesterol levels returned to normal and the plaque disappeared when the feeding was stopped. This formed the basis of the theory that cholesterol caused coronary heart disease in humans.
Here are the flaws. The rabbits were given a synthetic form of cholesterol that easily oxidized when exposed to air (which made it toxic). Rabbits also do not metabolize cholesterol as do humans. Humans and other animals like dogs and rats do not develop atherosclerosis-like disease as do rabbits when given dietary cholesterol. And finally, humans do not develop soft plaque as did the rabbits; humans develop hard plaque which does not reverse, and it is not caused by dietary cholesterol.
Eggs and Cholesterol
One of the many foods we are warned about is eggs. In one study, seventy men were divided into three groups which ate either 3, 7, or 14 eggs a week for five months. They all had similar cholesterol levels in the beginning. The total cholesterol, LDL and HDL cholesterol and triglycerides did not change during the study for any of the groups.
An 88 year old man consumed 20-30 eggs a DAY for more than 15 years, yet maintained normal blood cholesterol levels of 150 to 200.
Cholesterol occurs only in animal foods. Yet the consumption of animal fat since 1909 actually decreased by 10 percent, whereas vegetable fat increased by over 200 percent. The increase of heart attacks has paralleled the increased use of margarine, homogenized milk and processed foods such as sugar.
According to Judith DeCava, in her book, Cholesterol, Facts and Fantasies, in one study, almost half of the patients had total cholesterol levels under 200, which is supposed to be safe. Yet half of this group had coronary heart disease. Of the almost 1200 who did have heart disease, one third had cholesterol levels under 200. Dr. Michael DeBakey, the famous heart surgeon, reports that 30 percent of patients who have a coronary bypass have “normal” cholesterol levels.”
The Real Culprit
Here’s what IS clearly linked to heart disease: sugar. Judith DeCava, in her excellent book, Cholesterol, Facts and Fantasies states,
“John Yukin analyzed the refined sugar consumed by men with atherosclerosis. The men who had heart attacks ate almost twice as much sugar as those who not having heart attacks. In fact, in persons with coronary heart disease, the degree of atherosclerosis was proportional to the amount of refined sugar consumed.” (The Lancet 1964); 2 (7349):6-8.
As further evidence of this is the fact that the consumption of fat in the Caribbean countries is very low, but the use of sugar is very high. Cuba has one of the highest levels of sugar use, and has a higher death rate from heart attacks in men between ages 55 and 64 than the U.S.!
The Fox Guarding the Hen House
So what’s perpetuating this campaign of misinformation? It’s the money from the drug companies who want you to buy their cholesterol reducing drugs (that have serious side affects) and from the food industries that benefit from this scam.
Here are some examples. The American Medical Association’s Executive Vice-President, Dr. James Sammons, promised physicians in 1988 of their financial rewards by stating, “the AMA’s campaign against cholesterol will bring both old and new patients to you for necessary testing, counseling and care.”
One researcher who later became a director of the National Institutes of Health bought stock in a pharmaceutical company just before announcing the results of a study favorable to the drug’s effects. The editor of the AMA’s publication, Circulation, also received stock options on the same drug company.
Jane Heimlich began doing extensive research on this cholesterol issue in 1989. In her book, What Your Doctor Won’t Tell You, she concludes,
“There is no question that the cholesterol program…benefits three powerful groups in our society to the tune of billions of dollars. These three are the medical profession, the pharmaceutical industry, and the food companies.”
Author: Lori Wilton
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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