Facts You Should Know About Cholesterol

You probably have heard time and time again that cholesterol is bad for you. That is true, however a low, healthy level is perfectly acceptable and needed in your body in order to form membranes. It is a soft, waxy type of substance that is found in the lipids, or fat part of your bloodstream. Maintaining a healthy level is extremely important. High levels can lead to coronary heart disease, heart attacks and stroke. 

The liver is one of the largest producers of this waxy substance. A healthy level usually produces around 1,000 milligrams a day. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and grains do not contain this substance, and is therefore perfectly healthy and encouraging to eat. Foods from animals like meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products and shellfish all contain this substance. Eating a small amount of these foods, in moderation will not raise your levels too drastically; however, eating these types of food on a daily basis without any sense of monitoring will find your levels increased and putting you at risk of many types of heart disease.

There are two different levels that you should concentrate on concerning this membrane builder. An LDL level (low density lipoprotein) is the level you should monitor the closest. If a level is too high, it will slowly build up along the walls of the arteries which supply blood to your brain and heart. An HDL level (high density lipoprotein) is the "healthier" version of the membrane builder and is found to actually protect your body from having a heart attack as it carries the waxy substance away from the arteries and back down to the liver where it passes from the body. When an LDL becomes too out of control, it makes it difficult, if not impossible for the HDL to do its job and protect the arteries. That is why it is so crucial to maintain healthy and manageable levels in your body.

Keeping up with a healthy lifestyle is the only way that you will maintain healthy levels. This does not only include your diet. You must be mindful of the amount of alcohol you drink, whether of not you smoke as well as what types of foods you are eating. Alcohol has been known to raise HDL levels. Drinking in moderation is acceptable, just don't overdo it. Smoking is a definite no-no when trying to lower your cholesterol level. Smoking is one of the 6 major risk factors of heart disease. It also runs your risk of a blood clot by lowering the HDL levels in your body. Moderate exercise is recommended for anybody. Your regime does not have to be rigorous, but enough to break a sweat and increase your heart rate a bit, breaking up the waxy build-up in your arteries. All of these things, accompanied with a healthy diet limited of saturated and trans fats will keep your levels maintainable.

Matt D Murren owns and operates cholesterol-advice.com cholesterol-advice.com

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