Cholesterol. You see it on practically every food package you buy but do you even know what it does, what exactly is it and how much of it is safe? First, let us take a look at what exactly cholesterol is. Cholesterol is a sterol contrary to what every one calls it - fat. Cholesterol contains no calories meaning the body does not benefit from it because no energy comes from eating it. So what does cholesterol do anyway? It forms an essential part of the cell membranes in the body. It is a vital component of the myelin sheath which provides insulation to the nerves in the brain.
Cholesterol is vital in the structure of cells in the central nervous system and the brain. Aside from that, cholesterol is used by the body to create bile acids. Bile acids are needed for proper digestion.
Cholesterol is also found in the cell membranes of animals but this is not found in plants. Plant cell membranes are mainly composed of fiber so if you see a food package of vegetable oil stating "no cholesterol" that is total bull since there is no cholesterol in plants to begin with. Knowing that cholesterol is essential to our lives and it doesn't necessarily mean you have to eat a lot of foods containing it since our bodies create just the right amount of cholesterol we need.
Now how come there is what we call "bad cholesterol"? To give you a detailed explanation you must read on. First off, cholesterol enters our bodies through saturated fats found in animal sources like poultry, liver, meat, egg yolks, butter, and cheese. Once inside the body, it travels to the liver where the body makes cholesterol. From the liver, it is transported to the body's cells by LDL (low density lipoproteins). Now if a cell has enough cholesterol it would of course refuse more thus the excess LDL stays in the blood. Cholesterol is thus deposited in the walls of arteries which causes atherosclerotic plaque. Plaque that builds up causes the arteries to become narrower and leads to reduced blood supply to vital organs that are in your body. That explains "bad cholesterol."
How about the "good cholesterol"? These are called the HDL's or high density lipoproteins. They act as a vacuum cleaner in the bloodstream that picks up the excess cholesterol in the bloodstream and sucking along cholesterol with it. After acting as a vacuum cleaner, the HDL's bring the excess cholesterol back to the liver. The liver in hand converts this to bile which is then excreted into the intestines. The way your liver handles the cholesterol in your body is determined mainly by genetics. That's when diet comes into play. It may be a complicated process but this helps us understand two important things:
Any diet that increases LDL and cholesterol while lowering HDL is bad.
While diet that decreases cholesterol and yet increases HDL is good.
So allow me to give you ways to control your cholesterol intake for a healthy body because every 1% reduction in the total blood cholesterol equals to a 2% reduction risk of heart attack.
Consume less fat. Your total daily fat intake should be below 20% of your daily calories. If you consume about 2,250 calories in a day then consume no more that 450 calories of fat. That would make your total daily cholesterol intake to be less than 300 milligrams.
Consume the right fats. Food low in saturated fats and high in essential fatty acids are what you should include in your diet. A source such as plant and seafood is a good example. Animal sources are high in saturated fats so keep the intake of such to less than 10% or 7% which is better. Always make it a habit to check the package label for the grams of saturated fat per serving. Eat more seafood such as fish which contains omega 3 fatty acids which are essential in lowering blood fat levels plus reduces the risk of blood clots.
Stay away from cholesterol containing products. As mentioned above, too much cholesterol increases the bad cholesterol. Eat more of plant products. Cut back on animal food sources or better yet turn vegetarian. Studies have shown that vegetarians have reduced fat intake by 26% thus reducing blood cholesterol level in just 6 weeks.
Consume happinesslifetime.com foods that lower cholesterol. Plant foods mainly lower blood cholesterol and follows is a list of these plant products:
Soy Protein. Studies have shown that soy protein lowers blood cholesterol at an average of 32 milligrams, LDL cholesterol at 22 milligrams and total fat concentrations at 10%. It increases HDL, the good cholesterol as well. A plus for soy protein is that it contains "isoflavones" which is proven to reduce the risk of some cancers.
Soluble Fiber. Fiber acts as an intestinal broom that sweeps cholesterol out plus slows absorption of cholesterol from animal food as well.
Nuts. Nuts, especially walnuts have been proven to lower cholesterol by 12%. This is due to the combination of fiber, vitamin E and vitamin B content of walnuts. But still, nuts are high in fat so make sure you don't eat too many.
Garlic. A clove of garlic a day may help lower cholesterol but do avoid powdered supplements of garlic.
Alcohol. Now don't just gulp down a bottle! A healthy dose of alcohol is only 1 to 2 drinks in a day which raises HDL cholesterol.
Get fit. Getting rid of the excess body fat you have can increase the levels of HDL. Exercise would also aid in increasing the levels of HDL and reducing the levels of LDL in the body.
Relax. Yes, you read that right. Being in stress stimulates the release of stress hormones like adrenaline that in turn increases blood cholesterol levels. So in short, relax. Relaxing will lower your blood cholesterol level.
Do not smoke.
If you've got kids then make sure they grow up with seafood and a plant based diet. They'll grow up with healthier hearts and lower cholesterol levels.
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