Ways To Lower Your Cholesterol
December 13, 2008 by rainier
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance your body uses to protect nerves, make cell tissues and produce certain hormones. All the cholesterol your body needs is made by your liver. Cholesterol in the food you eat (such as eggs, meats and dairy products) is extra, and too much cholesterol can have negative impacts on your health.
Interestingly, the majority of cholesterol in your blood is manufactured by your own body – mainly by your liver – and only about 20% of blood cholesterol comes from the food you eat. And despite all of the nasty things you’ve heard about cholesterol, you really need a certain amount of it to live: cholesterol is essential to your body’s cell membranes, to the insulation of your nerves, and to the production of certain hormones. It’s also used by your liver to make bile acids, which help to digest your food. After infancy, your body makes all of the cholesterol it needs; you don’t need to consume any more to stay healthy.
The downside of cholesterol: its buildup in the walls of your arteries may cause bumps or plaques to form. This plaque can narrow or even block your arteries, resulting in heart attack, stroke, or other serious health problems. How much cholesterol you have in your blood is influenced primarily by diet, heredity, and metabolic diseases, such as diabetes. Smoking and lack of exercise can also cause, or contribute to, high blood cholesterol levels.
There are 3 main types of fats in your blood:
• High Density Lipoproteins (HDL): This “good” cholesterol takes extra cholesterol in your blood back to your liver so your body can get rid of it.
• Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL): This “bad” cholesterol in your blood builds up in your blood vessels. This can cause your vessels to narrow, making it hard for blood to flow.
• Triglycerides: Eating too many carbohydrates can increase your triglyceride level.
How to fight high cholesterol
*Taking medication. Your doctor will judge if you should take medication. He or she may want you to try to make diet and lifestyle changes before going on medication. Depending on the level of your LDL (bad) cholesterol and your other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, your doctor may decide that you need to start taking medication at the same time you start making lifestyle changes.
*Watch your dietary intake of dietary cholesterol carefully. The American Heart Association recommends that you limit your intake to an average of no more than 300 milligrams (mg) a day; the National Cholesterol Education Program says no more than 200 mg daily). Eat less red meats, especially ground beef and fatty processed meats like sausage and hot dogs, and full-fat dairy products like whole milk, regular cheese, ice cream, and butter. And remember: egg yolks are the biggest source of dietary cholesterol.
*Be more physically active. Physical inactivity is a major risk factor for heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity more days that not. You can also break up the half hour into 10 or 15 minute sessions. For some people, regular exercise affects blood cholesterol level by increasing levels of HDL, which is linked to a lower risk of heart disease. Physical activity can also help control some of the other risks of heart disease, suck as being over weight, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
*Stop smoking.Smoking reduces the amount of HDL cholesterol in your blood. Smoking also increases the tendencies for your blood to clot. If you smoke, your cholesterol level is more of a good reason to quit.
This is one of things that’s hard to control. The input of cholesterol in our body is very high especially when we are having fun eating.