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bodies, cholesterol has suffered a beating. It is even one of
the main figures in the development of hypertension, that
contribute much to coronary heart disease. Often seen as the
culprit in "fattening" America, cholesterol has become a food
taboo, something that must be avoided at all costs.
What people do not know though is that there are two kinds of
cholesterol and one kind is actually beneficial to the body. In
fact, it is one of the essential substances that our bodies need
to maintain balance.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a substance that can be found in fats or in
lipids. Lipids are important because it is used to form cell
membrane, used to balance hormones and help in other bodily
functions. Too much cholesterol though tends to clog the
bloodstream, eventually leading to heart disease. And because
cholesterol cannot easily dissolved, only transported, the risk
of build-up is great. As mentioned earlier, there two kinds of
cholesterol, the LDL and the HDL cholesterol.
The bad cholesterol
The LDL cholesterol is frequently referred to as the "bad
cholesterol" because too much of these can accumulate in the
High Cholesterol
High Cholesterol is a very common diagnosis by doctors nowadays when dealing with patients. Cholesterol has been identified as to increase the risk of heart diseases. But what is Cholesterol at all?
Cholesterol is a substance produced by the human liver. The body produces Cholesterol to build up acids that help with the digestion of fat that we eat with our meals. Cholesterol is also supposed to build and repair cell. It is also part of the process to produce estrogens and the testosterone hormone. Most people affected by high Cholesterol have never heard of what Cholesterol is and what it ..
walls of the arteries and clog the blood stream that leads to
the heart and the brain. This build up, called atherosclerosis,
which can eventually lead to a heart attack or a stroke (brain
attack) depending on where the arteries are leading to.
High LDL increases the risk for heart disease so it important
that it is kept at normal range, which is below 100 mg/dL.
The good cholesterol
The HDL cholesterol on the other hand is referred to as the good
cholesterol as high levels seem to protect a person from heart
disease and hear attacks. According to some experts, instead of
staying at the arteries like the LDL, HDL leaves the arteries
and instead goes to the liver. In contrast with LDL levels, a
low HDL increases the risk for heart attack. Levels of HDL
should not be below 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women.
Regular exercise has been found to increase the levels of HDL.
Cholesterol in food
Foods that come from animals contain cholesterol levels. Just
how much depends on the kind of animal food. vegetables however
do not contain any cholesterol.
Understanding Cholesterol Levels and Decrease the Risk of Heart Attacks and Stokes
Fact:
* heart disease claims about ½ million lives in America per year
* high cholesterol levels play a ignificant role in heart disease
* studies show if you lower cholesterol levels, the risk of heart disease is reduced by up-to 40%
What is Cholesterol?
Before we go into how to reduce your cholesterol, let s take a look at what exactly cholesterol is.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is produced by the liver and its job is to:-
* produce bile acids to help with the digestion of fat
* build and repair cells and
* produce estrogen and testosterone hormones
Therefore cholesterol ..
In addition to the cholesterol that we get from food, the body
is also capable of producing its own cholesterol. This creates a
problem in overproduction since we also take in cholesterol
through the foods that we eat. Average individuals or those who
do not have any heart problems should only take in about 300
milligrams. For people who are already at risk for coronary
heart disease and heart attack, physicians recommend the
reduction in the intake of cholesterol. They should only take in
less than 200 milligrams. Everyone is also advised to keep their
consumption of saturated fats to a minimum, as these can
significantly help in lowering the risk for heart disease.
People, who have severe high blood pressure, are however advised
to take in no more than six ounces of lean meat and fish daily.
They should also choose the products thatv they buy and ensure
that they are fat free or low-fat.
About the author:
Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino,
California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines
and provides cholesterol resources on
href="http://www.your-cholesterol-resource.info">http://www.your-cholest
erol-resource.info.
Robert ThatcherThe Good, The Bad And The Truth About Cholesterol
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