Cholesterol Reduction Helps Maintain Cardiovascular Health

According to the American Heart Association, an estimated 2,600 people die each day due to cardiovascular diseases. And every year, cardiovascular diseases claim as many as 15,000 lives. The high-fat diet has been responsible for the huge number of cardiac deaths in many developed countries. Foods high in saturated fats result in increase of LDL, which is the culprit of atherosclerosis. In turn, atherosclerosis sets the stage for the development of many heart diseases and stroke. Cholesterol reduction efforts must be directed to the LDL levels. Interestingly, cholesterol reduction is achievable even without the use of medications.

In an effort to curb the huge death toll due to cardiovascular diseases, many organizations including the American Heart Association recommended natural cholesterol reduction. People with high cholesterol should make the necessary dietary changes. Unhealthy diet, such as high-fat diet has been associated with high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol. Since the body functions normally when the cholesterol levels are balanced, the tipped balance between LDL and HDL cholesterol could lead to cardiovascular diseases. LDL deposits cholesterol in the walls of the arteries, which narrows the arteries and prevents blood from flowing adequately. As a result, vital organs receive insufficient amount of blood. By following cretin guidelines in cholesterol reduction, one could live healthier.

Cholesterol Reduction By Eliminating Saturated Fat

In the body, saturated fat is converted into LDL. That is, the body has the ability to use saturated fat in producing cholesterol and thus the level of LDL rises when one eats food high in saturated fats. Lowering cholesterol must therefore start with cutting or if possible, eliminating saturated fats form the diet. Obese individuals are suggested to cut their daily saturated fat intake by as much as 30 percent. Since modern diet makes lowering? cholesterol quite impossible, it is important that one avoid this diet and seek for a healthier and heart-friendly diet.

Cholesterol Reduction By Changing the Lifestyle

vasacor.com Reducing cholesterol may be achieved successfully with dietary changes. However, it was found that improved function of the cardiovascular system could be attained with regular exercise. People tend to prefer sedentary lifestyle and fail to engage in physical activity. Lack of exercise lowers the level of HDL. In addition, smoking habit and stress also cause adverse effects on the levels of HDL. It is important to address these factors as well if one aims for successful cholesterol reduction.

A combination of dietary and lifestyle changes help lower cholesterol level in people who really commit to these changes. For people who cannot commit to these changes, they can seek for medications or other natural means of cholesterol lowering such as taking cholesterol supplements. Since lowering cholesterol naturally does not cause adverse effects, it is better than one opts for cholesterol supplements. Indeed, taking cholesterol supplements along with changes in the diet and lifestyle, one would be able to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system. To learn more about Cholesterol Reduction, visit vasacor.com vasacor.com

Myths And Facts About Cholesterol

Myth: Only heart attacks can occur when cholesterol levels are high.

In addition to a heart attack, an individual with high levels of cholesterol can suffer from a stroke as well. This is because plaque can build up not only in the coronary arteries but also in the arteries that supply blood to the brain. A stroke occurs when a blood clot is formed in these arteries and the blood supply and oxygen supply to the brain is blocked.

Myth: Drugs are the only means of lowering cholesterol.

As far as possible, especially when you are young, taking drugs to lower cholesterol should be avoided, as once you begin taking drugs it may be a lifelong process. It should only be an option in the management of cholesterol for individuals with extremely high levels. The best means of lowering cholesterol are by eating a healthy well balanced diet and maintaining a regular exercise program.

Myth: Heart disease can be prevented by using Olive oil.

Olive oil a vegetable oil is definitely healthier than using butter, but it must be remembered that even vegetable oils have a high percentage of trans fatty acids and in turn can increase the level of triglycerides and cholesterol.

Myth: Women will not be affected by cholesterol.

Women are affected by cholesterol but to a lesser extent than men are. Women's cholesterols levels are low from teenage to middle age. The level of cholesterol seems to increase in women when menopause begins. Researchers have therefore come to the conclusion that the female hormone estrogen has a great role to play in it as from teenage to middle age there is a continuous production of this hormone but when menopause begins, that is when the hormone is not produced by the body any more. It is also found that older women tend to have higher cholesterol levels.

Myth: Some food products bear the label "No cholesterol". This product is then a healthy food to consume.

This is not true. Just because the product says no cholesterol it doesn't mean to say that it does not contain saturated fats and trans fatty acids both of which are responsible for bad cholesterol or LDL.

Myth: The use of Statins in the treatment of lowering cholesterol can prolong an individuals' lives.

Today, the most commonly used drugs in lowering cholesterol are statins or cholesterol blockers. The production of cholesterol in the liver is slowed down by these statins by interfering with the enzyme that is needed for producing cholesterol. Damage to the liver is the most common side effect of statins, along with muscle pain and weakness, hair loss in women, fatigue etc., In some instances it causes individuals not to be able to walk. These statins cause the blockage of the production of or lower the level of the coenzyme Q10 which is important in supplying energy to the brain and muscles. Statins are known to reduce the level of LDL in every individual who takes it, but, only middle aged men benefit from the fact that it lowers the death rate from coronary heart disease.

Myth: Total Cholesterol level of 200 mg/dl is considered too high.

There is great controversy over what is high and what is not. According to some, the total cholesterol level considered normal can range from 200 mg/dl to 220mg/dl to 240 mg/dl to 260 mg/dl from individual to individual. Today what is being considered as more important is the quality of the bad cholesterol or LDL particles. Some LDL particles tend to be big and fluffy and some particles tend to be small and dense. The smaller and denser particles have a better chance of being trapped to the arterial walls than the big and fluffy particles. Research has shown that moderate exercising does improve the quality of bad cholesterol or LDL.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to cholesterol.guide-for-you.com Cholesterol

Unlocking Some of the Secrets of Low Cholesterol Diets

Certainly there are plenty of happinesslifetime.com low cholesterol diets claiming to have the secret to lowering cholesterol. But when you get right down to it controlling cholesterol is about reducing the consumption of saturated fat and trans fatty acids.

Saturated fats: By now most people have heard of saturated fats and realize they should be avoided, or at the very least dramatically reduced, as part of any heart healthy diet. Fats that are solid at room temperature consist mainly of saturated fat. Marbled meats, duck, poultry skin, butter, and cream are loaded with artery clogging saturated fats and should not be a part of happinesslifetime.com low cholesterol diets. The amount of saturated fat consumed can be more dangerous to blood cholesterol levels than cholesterol in foods such as egg yolks. Additionally, coconut and palms are loaded with saturated fats and should be avoided altogether.

Trans-fatty acids: While most have heard of avoiding saturated fats many have not heard of the dangers of trans-fatty acids. These fats are made in the hydrogenation process that solidifies liquid oils for use in preparation of many types of food products. Trans fatty acids can play a major role in elevating bad cholesterol (LDL), which promotes clogged arteries and ultimately increases the risk of heart disease. Sources of trans fatty acids are deep fried foods, crackers, doughnuts, cookies, and stick margarine.

happinesslifetime.com Low cholesterol diets should contain no more than 10 percent saturated fat and little or no trans fatty acids. Next why don't we move on to a few little known ideas, along with a couple you may already know, for achieving overall success in the area of happinesslifetime.com low cholesterol diets.

Wash ground meat: Do what! I recently bought a package of ground turkey that was labeled 43% less fat than beef. Upon examining the label it became clear it must be being compared to a cow that had been on a butter binge for most of its life. This supposed heart healthy alternative contained 25 percent saturated fat. My answer was to cook the meat then place it in a strainer to let the liquid run off. After five minutes or so run hot water over the ground beef to get rid of any additional fat.

Cool before eating: Cool soups, chili's, and gravies to allow saturated fat to congeal on top, then simply spoon it away and reheat. Every tablespoon of fat eliminated will save 100 calories along with the excess saturated fat and cholesterol.

Low fat or no fat: When given the choice, choose low fat or fat free cheese, sour cream, salad dressing, milk, and mayonnaise.

Skimp on the meat: Meat serving size should be lean cuts limited to a deck of playing cards. Better yet, substitute fish high in omega 3 oils such as salmon, mackerel, and albacore tuna.

Learn to love olive oil and/or canola oil: Find recipes or substitute olive or canola oil instead of high saturated and trans fat options such as palm oil, lard, shortening, or butter.

In summary, effective happinesslifetime.com low cholesterol diets don't have to be made up of some hidden secret lost for the last ten thousand years only to be revealed today for your benefit. In fact, some of the most successful happinesslifetime.com low cholesterol diets simply involve making heart healthy choices through common sense and becoming an expert label detective.

Additionally, many natural health minded individuals have found success by combining happinesslifetime.com low cholesterol diets with lowered-cholesterol.com natural cholesterol remedies. This powerful combination has helped many reach their cholesterol reduction goals, and is a natural cholesterol reduction plan worth considering.

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.

Can High Dose Statin Help Reduce Blood Cholesterol Levels

High blood cholesterol level can raise the risk of getting heart disease. And if one with high blood cholesterol already develops some form of heart disease for example heart attack, then the situation becomes more serious.

As such, persons with heart trouble and high blood cholesterol levels are sometimes put by their doctors on high dosage of statin drugs so as to quickly lower their blood cholesterol levels. However, a study, published in the online version of the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2004, reported that the high dosage of statin can offer only a marginal benefit compared to the current treatment.

Under normal circumstances, patients at risk of another heart attack are first stabilized and put on low-cholesterol diets before introducing cholesterol-lowering drugs such as statin. Nonetheless, in the study funded by Merck and Co. Inc., half of the 4,500 patients were given a daily dose of 40 mg of simvastatin, which the company sells under the brand name Zocor, for 30 days and then raised to 80 mg daily. The drug was given within about 4 days of the initial heart event. The other half of the patients were given a placebo for 4 months, the put on a 20 mg dose of simvastatin.

While cholesterol levels dropped more sharply in the first group, the risks of suffering another heart attack, stroke, readmission to the hospital or heart-related death were comparable in the 2 groups.

Among those who went on the drug regimen right away, 14 percent suffered another heart event, compared to 17 percent taking a placebo initially - a difference that was not seen as statistically significant. Patients were followed for between 6 months and 2 years.

In addition, 0.4 percent of those on the heavier dose of simvastatin suffered from myopathy, a type of muscle pain and weakness, and statins can cause liver problems in a few cases. Even so, the researchers said the findings favored quick use of statins.

Until recently, little information was available about the timing of initiating statin drugs after a heart attack. The findings from the trial suggested that statins can be initiated earlier and in dosages well above the typical starting dose. However, patients should be closely monitored by the doctors for side effects.

In the eyes of some observers in this field, the study's findings point to a cautious approach in using the 80 mg simvastatin dose, though 40 mg dose appears to be safe and effective.

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Nutritional Approaches for Reducing Cholesterol Levels - Part 2

In Part 1, the reasons why you should be concerned about cholesterol and what some of the recommended levels of total serum cholesterol were discussed. Here in Part 2, things that can affect your cholesterol levels and which of those things you can do something about and those you cannot do anything about; and things to consider in a cholesterol reduction plan are presented.

What Affects Your Cholesterol Levels?

A variety of things can affect cholesterol levels. These are things you can do something about:

o Diet. Saturated fat and cholesterol in the food you eat can make your blood cholesterol level go up. Saturated fat is the main culprit, but cholesterol in foods also matters. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in your diet helps lower your blood cholesterol level.
o Weight. Being overweight is a risk factor for heart disease. It also tends to increase your cholesterol. Losing weight can help lower your LDL and total cholesterol levels, as well as raise your HDL and lower your triglyceride levels.
o Physical Activity. Not being physically active is a risk factor for heart disease. Regular physical activity can help lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol levels. It also helps you lose weight. Most health care professionals recommend that you try to be physically active for 30 minutes on most, if not all, days.

Things you cannot do anything about also can affect cholesterol levels. These include:

o Age and Gender. As women and men get older, their cholesterol levels rise. Before the age of menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After the age of menopause, women's LDL levels tend to rise.
o Heredity. Your genes partly determine how much cholesterol your body makes. High blood cholesterol can run in families.
You Can Reduce Your Cholesterol with a Cholesterol Reduction Plan

The main goal of a cholesterol reduction plan is to lower your LDL level enough to reduce your risk of developing heart disease or having a heart attack. The higher your risk, the lower your LDL goal will be. There are two main ways to lower your cholesterol:

o Eating a cholesterol-reducing diet, being physically active and managing your weight. This is an effective method in reducing your LDL to your goal level.
The National Cholesterol Education Program (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) recommends a cholesterol-reducing diet that is a low-saturated-fat, low-cholesterol eating plan that has less than 7% of calories from saturated fat and less than 200 mg of dietary cholesterol per day. It recommends only enough calories to maintain a desirable weight and avoid weight gain. If your LDL is not lowered enough by reducing your saturated fat and cholesterol intakes, the amount of soluble fiber in your diet can be increased. Supplementing your diet with certain nutrients, such as vitamin C, can also help in reducing your cholesterol levels.
Losing weight, if you are overweight, can help lower LDL and is especially important for those with a cluster of risk factors that includes high triglyceride and/or low HDL levels and being overweight with a large waist measurement (more than 40 inches for men and more than 35 inches for women).
Regular physical activity (30 minutes on most, if not all, days) is recommended for everyone. It can help raise HDL and lower LDL and is especially important for those with high triglyceride and/or low HDL levels who are overweight with a large waist measurement.

o If the lifestyle change of diet, physical activity and weight management are not effective in lowering your LDL to an acceptable level; your health care professional may prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs, which are used in addition to your diet, exercise and weight management plan.
In Part 3, find out about nutritional options for reducing cholesterol levels.

Copyright 2006. Mary El-Baz. All rights reserved.

Mary El-Baz, PhD is the author of Building a Healthy Lifestyle: A Simple Nutrition and Fitness Approach and Easy and Healthful Mediterranean Cooking, an invaluable nutritional program for anyone to build a healthy lifestyle and a collection of savory, nutritious Mediterranean recipes. Dr. El-Baz holds a doctorate in Holistic Nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health and degrees from the University of Missouri.

Look for her books on amazon.com/s/103-0355300-1184615?ie=UTF8&index=books&rank=-relevance%2C%2Bavailability%2C-daterank&field-author-exact=El-Baz%2C%20Mary amazon.com (Mary El-Baz, PhD) and other fine online booksellers. Her latest book, building on the Building a Healthy Lifestyle foundation, Transform Your Core 6-Week Workbook, a six-week weight loss plan to rev up your fat-burning metabolism and build lean muscle to transform your midsection from fat and flabby to slim and trim, is available now, just in time for your New Year?s resolution!

Is Cholesterol The Silent Killer?

Cholesterol in the Body

Contrary to popular belief, the liver creates most cholesterol and only a small percentage is acquired through food. However, the more saturated fat a person eats, the more cholesterol his or her body makes.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that forms a part of each cell in your body. A person's body needs cholesterol for daily functions, such as making hormones, producing healthy cell walls and making vitamin D. It also produces bile acids that help in digestion.

Although this waxy substance helps your body in a number of ways, excess production of cholesterol can also be risky to your body and to your heart. When this happens, the extra cholesterol spills out and circulates into your bloodstream. Be aware that excessive levels of cholesterol in a person's blood can causes clogging of blood vessels, while elevating the risk of stroke and heart disease.

Food Based Cholesterol

Cholesterol comes from animal-based foods like dairy products, eggs and meat. The two types of cholesterol are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL is the bad cholesterol that usually cause the clogging of blood vessels, while HDL is the good cholesterol that is responsible for clearing LDL out of your bloodstream, reducing the risks of heart disease.

The Connection Between Fat and Cholesterol

Saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are the three types of fats found in food. Each type of dietary fat affects a person's blood cholesterol in different ways.

Saturated fats are those found in lamb, pork, beef and other red meat products. Excessive saturated fats in the body can be dangerous to your health because the more saturated fats you eat, the more cholesterol your body produces, which eventually will end up in your bloodstream. Consuming too much saturated fat in the diet is the main cause of excess cholesterol levels in the blood.

Monounsaturated fats are those found in plant oils, such as canola, peanut and olive. Polyunsaturated fats, such as omega-3 fatty acid, can help to slow down blood clot formation and fight heart disease. They are found in fishes and plant oils, such as soybean, corn, safflower and sunflower.

Eating any fat will contribute to weight gain, but in lowering blood cholesterol, substituting saturated fats with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats will help get rid of newly formed cholesterol in the body. For this reason, people with elevated levels of blood cholesterol need to improve their eating habits to ensure that the right kind of fat enters their bodies.

Bad Cholesterol Can Cause Death Later In Life

In our junk food society we are on the brink of complete disaster because of unhealthy eating. More children today are considered obese and this is a direct result of the eating habits taught to them at an early age. Bad cholesterol rates are rising among the youth of today. We are even seeing cases of coronary heart disease in people in their early 30's. This must be because the foods we are eating today have high levels of LDL cholesterol and saturated fat.

There are two things you should do to prevent the build up of bad cholesterol in your body: Change your diet, and exercise daily.

So what types of food are good for lowering cholesterol levels in the blood? Foods high in antioxidants and fiber are the types of foods you should be looking for. These include fruit and vegetables, whole grains and similar things. Stay away from foods that are considered fatty. Remember to eat mono- and polyunsaturated fats if you eat fat at all. Most fast food restaurants cook their meals using an alarming amount of oil. Yes I know, it does taste great, but so do bananas, grapes and pears. Maybe next time you having a craving for a nice juicy hamburger, why not go down to the local farmer's market instead and pick out a new exotic fruit that you have never tried before. You might be surprised!

To find out if you have a excessive level of bad cholesterol in your blood, you should make an appointment with your doctor to be tested. It only takes a couple of minutes and you never know, it might save your life!

As a nation, if we are ever going to get out of our fast food, sugar loving mindset, we need to start with our children. Some schools today who are putting in place new healthier menus in their cafeterias. Is there more that could be done though? Children learn from watching adults, so starting to develop good eating habits will be good for you and your children.

Perhaps the ideal place to start is with the parents and guardians who need to set the example for their kids. There are any number of families out there who practically live off French fries and hamburgers. If those families could reduce the number of times they visit a fast food restaurant by one time in a week, then we will go a long way to reduce the rapidly escalating rate of bad cholesterol in the people of our country.

Steve Dolan is one of many who has high cholesterol. If you want to find out how to manage it click healthylivingwebonline.com/cholesterol Cholesterol and Heart Disease and for a healthier you try healthylivingwebonline.com Health and Vitality

Best Defense Against Health Care - Diets That Keep You Healthy

My answer to this health care mess is to try to stay healthy! And the best way to do that is to eat healthy, get your vitamins, exercise, rest and de-stress.

The over eating and too much junk food consumed by Americans are making us obese and sick. Obesity itself leads to many diseases: diabetes, cancer, heart attacks...

And most health care in American only treats the symptoms of the disease. It doesn't keep you from getting it. So I want to share 3 diets that will help you prevent 3 different diseases.

Osteoporosis

The first is osteoporosis; a growing concern for women and men, old and young.

Choose a low acid diet. An acidic diet increases calcium loss from the bones because it makes the blood acidic and to neutralize it, calcium is pulled from the bone. Cheese and meat are acid forming.

A low acidic diet would be 6 to 9 servings of fruit and vegetables per day.

Neutral foods are OK. These are: beans, soy, pasta and breads. If you have moderately acidic foods (rice, milk, yogurt and eggs) you should balance them with fruits and vegetables.

Caffeine also leaches calcium from the bones.

Vitamins you need are: 3 milligrams of boron, 1200 - 1500 milligrams of calcium, 2 milligrams of copper, up to 10 milligrams of fluoride, magnesium, 400 iu of Vitamin D, up to 100 micrograms of Vitamin K and 15 milligrams of zinc.

It's also a good idea to cut sodas, salt and alcohol.

Cancer

The second diet concerns Cancer. Cancer is an uncontrolled growth of cells and it starts when something causes a change.

Most people by now have heard of free radicals: caused by smog, overeating, high fat diets, trauma, injury, inflammation, too much sun, too much radiation, (from TVs, computers, cell phones, etc.) high blood sugar, aging and chronic diseases. Our bodies need antioxidants to fight these free radicals. These include: garlic, fruits and vegetables, (especially cruciferous) B12, magnesium, folic acid, Lycopene, Vitamins A, C, E and Selenium.

The worst things that actually promote cancer are: sugar and refined carbohydrates, alcohol, obesity and tobacco. Animal products also figure highly in cancer risk.

Here's a cheat sheet of what to eat and do and what not to eat and stop doing:

Do:

Eat foods like oranges, apples, grapes, tomatoes, garlic, onions, Brussels sprouts, spinach, broccoli, red bell pepper, blue berries, black berries, green tea, turmeric, thyme, rosemary, mint, basil, sage, ginger, omega-3 fatty acid (walnuts are a good source), soy beans, black beans, carrots, olive oil and tofu.

Increase fiber in your diet

Exercise (walking is great)

Get enough sleep

Don't:

At least cut way back on meat, fats (especially Trans fats), processed foods and cheese.

Avoid excessive exposure to chemicals, hydrocarbons and cleaning solvents.

Cut back on caffeine.

Sugar is a cancer feeder. So is white flour.

Maintain a good weight.

Cut stress as much as possible

A seminar I went to said if we just didn't smoke, drink, eat meat and had a diet high in fiber and low in fat and kept a normal weight we could prevent 80% of cancers.

Cholesterol

The 3rd diet concerns cholesterol. Our livers manufacture cholesterol, but we also get it from animal products. It is important for our health to keep our cholesterol levels as low as possible.

If you want to do this by diet instead of taking pills (and who doesn't?) here's what you should be doing.

Stop eating meat and its by-products. This means fish, chicken, beef, pork, milk, cheese and eggs. You should also eliminate fried foods and highly processed foods. Reduce Trans fats.

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables; especially apples, carrots and citrus fruits, and lots of whole grains; lentils, barley and oats for fiber. Eat lots of antioxidants. Drink green tea and water. A few nuts each day are good for you, but remember they are high in fat, so not too many. Garlic is good for lowering both cholesterol and blood pressure.

As far as life style changes: do not smoke, exercise daily, de-stress and get enough sleep.

As you can see a lot of these preventive measures overlap. Eating well will go along way in keeping you healthy, putting dollars in your pockets and years on your life!

Nancy Geiger is a freelance writer who also owns an online store called givitup: [givitup.com] writes 3 daily blogs: What I Learned Teaching Sunday School, A Brides Cookbook or Surviving the First Year and Starting an Online Store Called givitup. She also has written a cookbook called 'A Bride's Cookbook or Surviving the First Year' which can be found in her store.