What is cholesterol and is it all bad? The differences between high cholesterol, healthy cholesterol levels and the steps for naturally lowering cholesterol can get confusing.
For example, high cholesterol puts you at risk for heart disease and a heart attack. But there's both "good" and "bad" cholesterol and a high cholesterol level could also be a positive sign.
Understand cholesterol and knowing how to naturally manage it is very important.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy material found in the cells and bloodstream along with lipids (fats).
The confusion begins with the fact that cholesterol performs many vital and important functions in a healthy body. This includes making cell membranes and manufacturing essential hormones. However, too much of a "good" thing can turn out to be a "bad" thing.
Fat and blood, like oil and water, don't mix. Consequently, to prevent clogging arteries and keep essential fats moving through the blood to the cells, tiny protein covered fat globules called lipoproteins are formed. For stability, these lipoproteins contain a small amount of cholesterol.
Of the several different kinds of lipoproteins, here are the most important to understand:
o Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) is "bad" cholesterol. It's name means that LDL contains more fat than protein and is less dense.
o High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is "good" cholesterol. HDL has less fat and more protein and is a heavier, denser molecule.
If you have too much LDL flowing through your blood, you have a greater risk of atherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. Clogging of the arteries leading to the heart can cause a heart attack. And clogging of the arteries that lead to the brain can cause a stroke.
So a greater amount of LDL in the blood means a greater risk of both heart attack and stroke.
How Does Cholesterol Work?
HDL works like a roto-rooter. It scrubs cholesterol off artery walls and moves it out through the liver. High levels of HDL in the blood means better protection against heart attack and stroke.
And since too little HDL can increase your risk of heart disease, it's also best to have LDL/HDL ratios of 3 to 1 or less. An HDL count lower than 40 mg/dl is considered to be a risk factor. This is particularly true for women, since women normally have higher HDL counts than men.
An HDL count over 60 mg/dl is known to be protective against heart disease.
Triglycerides are also a very important part of your blood lipid profile. Even though triglycerides are the most common fats found in the bloodstream, a high triglyceride count over 150 mg/dl is considered to be another risk factor for heart disease .
Self administered tests, available from pharmacies and on the internet, can give you some indication of your total cholesterol count, but they're neither complete nor always accurate. They don't, for example, show a breakdown of the LDL/HDL ratio or a triglyceride count.
Lifestyle and Diet for Lowering Cholesterol
Naturally lowering high cholesterol is not difficult for most people. Begin by gradually and persistently making the following basic lifestyle and dietary changes:
o Exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Exercise works better than any drug available, without side effects. It lowers overall cholesterol, increases HDL and reduces LDL.
o Eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Colorful antioxidant rich fruits and vegetables have been shown to help lower cholesterol and protect against heart disease.
o Greatly increase your high fiber foods. Besides fruits and vegetables, increase your intake of other fiber food, such as whole grains and beans.
o Eat more good fat and reduce bad fats. Saturated animal fat, such as full fat dairy and red meat, raise cholesterol. Stick with olive oil and omega 3 fish for your main sources of fats.
o Include heart healthy supplements. Omega 3 fish oil can not only improve cholesterol, it also helps to lower blood pressure and reduce your overall risk of heart disease and stroke.
Good quality omega 3 omega-3.us/fish-oil/fish-oil-supplements fish oil capsules have been shown to be more effective than statin drugs (without the side effects) in naturally preventing and even reversing heart disease. To learn more about the best, most effective omega-3.us omega 3 supplements, go to the omega-3.us fish oil web site.
Moss Greene is the editor for Bella Online Nutrition and a widely published and highly respected journalist focusing on optimum health and natural prevention of degenerative diseases.
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