Does High Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease?

Cholesterol is a fluffy wax like substance that is essential for body function with sufficient amounts being produced by the liver. But sometimes too much of a good thing can produce deadly consequences. In this article we will explore does high cholesterol cause heart disease, talk a little about the different types of cholesterol, and conclude with general diet guidelines for maintaining just the right amount of cholesterol.

Does high cholesterol cause heart disease

Tobacco smoke, age, heredity, gender, high blood pressure, inactivity, being overweight, diabetes, stress, alcoholism, and high cholesterol are all considered risk factors for heart disease. Some we can change, and some we cannot. Cholesterol is one that most people can change by simply implementing a healthy dose of willpower and has become the central focus in most heart health programs.

Does high cholesterol cause heart disease - Why is cholesterol so dangerous?

When a person has a heart attack it caused by blood flow being cut off from the heart. Cholesterol is central to forming the deposits within the arteries responsible for producing the blockage. These cholesterol deposits are known as plaque and are made up of cholesterol, dead cells, and calcium. Over the course of many years a gradual buildup of these cholesterol deposits slowly reduced circulation, all the while causing the arteries to become less pliable. The combination can be a deadly, leading to many different health concerns with the most troublesome being that of heart attack or stroke.

Does high cholesterol cause heart disease - What are the two main types of cholesterol?

The two primary types of cholesterol are HDL (high density lipoproteins) and LDL (low density lipoproteins). HDL is considered to be good because of its ability to remove unneeded cholesterol from the body. On the other hand LDL is considered bad due to it propensity to clog arteries. Most research suggests that if you have 2.5 times more LDL than HDL or less the two will offset themselves and very little, if any, arterial blockage will occur.

Does diet matter?

Controlling what you eat is one of the most valuable weapons you have against cholesterol driven heart disease or stroke. Most of the cholesterol we consume comes from fats found in meat, fried foods, fatty snacks, tempting desserts, and high fat dairy.

While total fat consumed is important and should be held under 30 percent of total calories the real culprit in the world of fats is saturated fat. Saturated fat will raise your cholesterol levels faster than any other type of fat and should be kept at under 10 percent of total calories consumed.

The best way to accomplish this is to first become an expert label reader, second keep meat portions small, and lastly eat more fruits and vegetables especially those high in soluble fiber such as apples.

What else? Now that we have answered the question as to how and why does high cholesterol cause heart disease is there something else that might prove helpful in our battle to keep our arteries clear of arterial plaque? For some this additional help has been found in the form of a lowered-cholesterol.com natural cholesterol reduction supplement. Supplements to reduce cholesterol have been found to be an effective tool for lowering blood cholesterol levels especially when combined with a low fat diet and moderate exercise.

Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of safe and effective high quality alternitive health products and natural living, with over 10 years experience in the field. Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at purchaseremedies.com Purchase Remedies.com