There's been a lot of talk about lowering cholesterol for many years. There are a lot of misconceptions about cholesterol in general. Here is some general information about what cholesterol is and how to lower cholesterol.
Kinds of Cholesterol There are different kinds of cholesterol in your body. Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) is the bad guy in our story. One of the side affects of having too much LDL in your body is the build up of plaque on the walls of your arteries. Plaque is a thick, hard substance that can build up over time and slow, and eventually block, the flow of blood.
High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) is the good guy. This type of protein aids in the removal of the LDL (like a good sheriff keeping the town clean). The higher your HDL levels, the better. There's more "lawmen" to keep the streets clean. You can imagine if you had more lawmen than outlaws that the streets would be safe. That's true of HDL versus LDL.
There are a couple of other types of cholesterol that I should mention. Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL) is like the bad brother of LDL. Like LDL, it too is not good for your body. It's made up of mostly fat, with very little protein. The other type of cholesterol is called Triglycerides. This type of fatty protein is carried by the LDL family. Some of the factors that can lead to an increase of the "bad" cholesterol are excess calories, alcohol, and sugar - all are turned into Triglycerides (in the liver) and then stored as fat in your body. Some diabetics see an increase in Triglycerides when their blood sugar levels are elevated (I know, I'm a diabetic).
Health Risks of High Cholesterol There are many health risks associated with high cholesterol. First, let's define "high cholesterol". High cholesterol is when the body either doesn't have enough HDL to keep the peace in the streets (get rid of LDL) or there's just too much LDL for the HDL to handle.
High cholesterol can lead to heart disease and stroke. Remember the plaque I talked about earlier? This is what can cause heart disease. The increased build up of plaque reduces the amount of blood flow to the heart. This build up (known as Atherosclerosis - hardening of the arteries) can lead to heart attack and stroke. This happens because the arteries can't carry enough oxygen-rich blood to the heart. Early signs of this can be Angina (a heart attack like feeling caused by the reduction of blood flow to the heart). When the coronary arteries (the big ones around your heart) are completely blocked, this is when heart attacks can occur. The sudden closure of an artery (from a clot stuck on top of the plaque) causes the heart to strain for more blood.
Causes of High Cholesterol So now you know what cholesterol is and what an unhealthy amount of LDL (or too low amount of HDL) can do. You may be wondering "what causes high cholesterol?" A major factor that causes unhealthy levels of cholesterol is diet. When a diet is high in foods that convert to LDL, this leads to higher levels of LDL. Sometimes just adjusting your diet to a happinesslifetime.com low cholesterol diet can do the trick. In others, a doctor may prescribe medication to help your body reduce it's LDL or Triglyceride levels. The trick is to get your body to get rid of the LDL faster than it produces it (this is where a higher HDL level comes into play).
Your genetics can play a role in your body's control of cholesterol levels. There is a specific form of high cholesterol that is inherited called Familial Hypercholesterolemia. This affects 1 in 500 people. This type of high cholesterol can lead to early heart disease.
There are other factors, other than diet and our genes that increase our risk of high cholesterol. Age and gender play a big factor as well. As we get older, cholesterol levels get higher. Women will often have lower LDL levels than men. When they reach menopause, their levels can rise (until about age 60 to 65). Often women age 50 will have higher cholesterol levels than men age 50.
Now you know a) what cholesterol is, b) what "high cholesterol" can do to your body, and c) what factors can cause the rise in the overall levels. You should consider you daily habits and adjust them to reduce the risk of high cholesterol. Of course, you should ALWAYS consult your doctor or medical practitioner for specific treatments. This article was only to give you more information and make you aware of some of the risks and some of the solutions.
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