You have probably heard this many times, “my cholesterol is
too high”, this an all too familiar term in our modern life. People are
constantly being diagnosed with high cholesterol or being told to watch it, so
we all become scared of cholesterol. It must be some evil force stalking us,
choking our system from the inside!
To be honest with you, my knowledge of cholesterol was like
every ones else’s –close to zero! All I knew
was that it was bad and killed people! Then I heard something unbelievable,
there is good and bad cholesterol! I was stunned. No it’s got to be some scam I
thought, so I decided to do some digging around and this is the result.
This piece will give you the information you need to know
and it will help increase your knowledge of cholesterol. What it is, the good
and bad types, foods that increase and reduce them and why you should know your
blood cholesterol levels. Read this piece and I promise you will move beyond
the hype and fear to find out what you need to know about cholesterol, why you
should be concerned and whether it is as bad as they say. Knowledge is power,
read this and build some serious power!
Happy reading.
WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL?
Basically it’s a fatty wax like material that is found in
your blood. It is produced in your liver and helps your body to produce
hormones like estrogen, testosterone etc. it’s also help you process vitamin D
and also produce bile, which helps you digest fat. So it serves a purpose in
your system, there are basically two types of cholesterol, let’s call them good
and bad cholesterol.
BAD CHOLESTEROL (LDL):
This is the worst type of cholesterol, known as Low Density
lipoprotein, (LDL) for short. This has no redeeming quality hence the name bad
cholesterol. It can cause the buildup of plague which blocks and narrows the walls
of the arteries. The higher the levels of LDL in the blood , the higher your
chances of heart disease.
GOOD CHOLESTEROL (HDL):
This cholesterol is known as High Density Lipoprotein, (HDL)
for short. This is the good cholesterol Its main function is to help remove bad
cholesterol from the blood and prevent its accumulation. The higher the level
of HDL cholesterol in your blood the better. Conversely and the lower the level
of HDL, the higher your risk of heart disease.
WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF HIGH “BAD” CHOLESTEROL?
The causes are varied, but the key causes can be summarized:
1.
A diet full of saturated fat and cholesterol
i.e. the excessive consumption of fried foods and food rich in animal fat.
2.
Being overweight is a double risk for high
cholesterol and heart disease.
3.
A lack of exercise is known to be a contributing
factor.
4.
Your age; the older we get the higher our
cholesterol levels.
5.
Hereditary: if you have a family history of high
cholesterol, chances are you run the risk of suffering from it too.
6.
Gender: Men run the risk of having higher
cholesterol than women.
EFFECTS:
Like I mentioned earlier high cholesterol if not controlled
can lead to the buildup of plaque, a fatty substance in the arteries. Plaque
narrows the arteries, reducing the amount of blood and oxygen to the heart.
This in turn forces the heart to over work and can lead to heart disease and
death in the long run.
SYMPTOMS:
Unfortunately high cholesterol really has no symptoms, it
can creep up slowly for years and you would never notice. According to health
experts, the best course of action is to have yourself tested every few years.
TESTING:
A blood test is usually carried out to find out your
cholesterol level. You will be asked to fast for 12 hours before the test. HDL
levels that are below 40 mg/dL (meaning 40 milligrams in a deciliter of blood)
or LDL levels that are above 200 mg/dL mean you are at risk of having high
cholesterol.
Generally LDL levels that are between 200 and 239 mg/dL mean
you are at borderline risk of high cholesterol.
Levels that are 240 mg/dL and higher mean you definitely have
high cholesterol according to charts provided by the American Heart
Association. It is good to generally aim for a LDL level that is under
130mg/dL.
CONTROL & PREVENTION:
Control of high cholesterol involves a whole lot of
expensive drugs and stress. I personally don’t want us to ever go that route so
I would rather discuss prevention, which a wise man once said is better that
cure!
1.
Exercise more
2.
Lose excess weight
3.
Watch what you eat i.e. less fried food, have it
at the back of your mind; if you fry you die!
Now weight loss are pretty much straight forward tips and
they are interrelated, but diet changes can be tricky. So in my next piece, I will
be highlighting good foods that help lower your cholesterol and bad foods that
raise the bad cholesterol. You just might be surprised.
Do have a wonderful day!
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