Cholesterol Information

Cholesterol Does Not Cause Heart Disease

2012-01-17T07:20:00.000-08:00

Cholesterol Does Not Cause Heart Disease

Cholesterol is an essential building block of every cell in the body, required for all metabolic processes. It is particularly important in the production of nerve tissue, bile and certain hormones. On average, our body produces about half of a gram to one gram of cholesterol per day, depending on how much of it the body needs at the time. By and large, our body is able to produce 400 times more cholesterol per day than what we would obtain from eating 3,5 ounces (100 grams) of butter. The main cholesterol producers are the liver and the small intestine, in that order. Normally, they are able to release cholesterol directly into the blood stream, where it is instantly tied to blood proteins. These proteins, which are called lipoproteins, are in charge of transporting the cholesterol to its numerous destinations. There are three main types of lipoproteins in charge of transporting cholesterol: Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), Very Low Density Lipoprotein (VLDL), and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL).

In comparison to HDL, which has been privileged with the name 'good' cholesterol, LDL and VLDL are relatively large cholesterol molecules; in fact, they are the richest in cholesterol. There is good reason for their large size. Unlike their smaller cousin, which easily passes through blood vessel walls, the LDL and VLDL versions of cholesterol are meant to take a different pathway; they leave the blood stream in the liver.

The blood vessels supplying the liver have a very different structure from the ones supplying other parts of the body. They are known as sinusoids. Their unique, grid-like structure permits the liver cells to receive the entire blood content, including the large cholesterol molecules. The liver cells rebuild the cholesterol and excrete it along with bile into the intestines. Once the cholesterol enters the intestines, it combines with fats, is absorbed by the lymph and enters the blood, in that order. Gallstones in the bile ducts of the liver inhibit the bile flow and partially, or even fully, block the cholesterol's escape route. Due to back-up pressure on the liver cells, bile production drops. Typically, a healthy liver produces over a quart of bile per day. When the major bile ducts are blocked, barely a cup of bile, or even less, will find its way to the intestines. This prevents much of the VLDL and LDL cholesterol from being excreted with the bile.

Gallstones in the liver bile ducts distort the structural framework of the liver lobules, which damages and congests the sinusoids. Deposits of excessive protein also close the grid holes of these blood vessels (see the discussion of this subject in the previous section). Whereas the 'good' cholesterol HDL has small enough molecules to leave the bloodstream through ordinary capillaries, the larger LDL and VLDL molecules are more or less trapped in the blood. The result is that LDL and VLDL concentrations begin to rise in the blood to levels that seem potentially harmful to the body. Yet even this scenario is merely part of the body's survival attempts. It needs the extra cholesterol to patch up the increasing number of cracks and wounds that are formed as a result of the accumulation of excessive protein in the blood vessel walls. Eventually, though, the life-saving cholesterol begins to occlude the blood vessels and cut off the oxygen supply to the heart.

In addition to this complication, reduced bile flow impairs the digestion of food, particularly fats. Therefore, there is not enough cholesterol made available to the cells of the body and their basic metabolic processes. Since the liver cells no longer receive sufficient amounts of LDL and VLDL molecules, they (the liver cells) assume that the blood is deficient in these types of cholesterol. This stimulates the liver cells to increase the production of cholesterol, further raising the levels of LDL and VLDL cholesterol in the blood.

The 'bad' cholesterol is trapped in the circulatory system because its escape routes, the bile ducts and the liver sinusoids, are blocked or damaged. The capillary network and arteries attach as much of the 'bad' cholesterol to their walls as they possibly can. Consequently, the arteries become rigid and hard.

Coronary heart disease, regardless of whether it is caused by smoking, drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, overeating protein foods, stress, or any other factor, usually does not occur unless gallstones have impacted the bile ducts of the liver. Removing gallstones from the liver and gallbladder can not only prevent a heart attack or stroke, but also reverse coronary heart disease and heart muscle damage. The body's response to stressful situations becomes less damaging, and cholesterol levels begin to normalize as the distorted and damaged liver lobules are regenerated. Cholesterol-lowering drugs don't do that. They artificially reduce blood cholesterol, which coerces the liver to produce even more cholesterol. But when extra cholesterol is passed into the bile ducts, it remains in its crystalline state (versus soluble state) and, thereby, turns into gallstones. People who regularly use cholesterol-lowering drugs usually develop an excessively large number of gallstones. This sets them up for major side effects, including cancer and heart disease.

Cholesterol is essential for normal functioning of the immune system, particularly for the body's response to the millions of cancer cells that every person makes in his body each day. For all the health problems associated with cholesterol, this important substance is not something we should try to eliminate from our bodies. Cholesterol does far more good than harm. The harm is generally symptomatic of other problems. I wish to emphasize, once again, that 'bad' cholesterol only attaches itself to the walls of arteries to avert immediate heart trouble, not to create it. This is confirmed by the fact that cholesterol never attaches itself to the walls of veins. When a doctor tests your cholesterol levels, he takes the blood sample from a vein, not from an artery. Although blood flow is much slower in veins than in arteries, cholesterol should obstruct veins much more readily than arteries, but it never does. There simply is no need for that. Why? Because there are no abrasions and tears in the lining of the vein that require patching up. Cholesterol only affixes itself to arteries in order to coat and cover up the abrasions and protect the underlying tissue like a waterproof bandage. Veins do not absorb proteins in their basements membranes like capillaries and arteries do and, therefore, are not prone to this type of injury.

'Bad' cholesterol saves lives; it does not take lives. LDL allows the blood to flow through injured blood vessels without causing a life-endangering situation. The theory of high LDL being a principal cause of coronary heart disease is not only unproved and unscientific. It has misled the population to believe that cholesterol is an enemy that has to be fought and destroyed at all costs. Human studies have not shown a cause-and-effect relationship between cholesterol and heart disease. The hundreds of studies so far conducted on such a relationship have only shown that there is a statistical correlation between the two. And there should be, because if there were no 'bad' cholesterol molecules attaching themselves to injured arteries we would have millions of more deaths from heart attack than we already have. On the other hand, dozens of conclusive studies have shown that risk of heart disease increases significantly in people whose HDL levels decrease. Elevated LDL cholesterol is not a cause of heart disease; rather, it is a consequence of an unbalanced liver and congested, dehydrated circulatory system.

If your doctor has told you that lowering your cholesterol with medical drugs protects you against heart attacks, you have been grossly misled. The #1 prescribed cholesterol-lowering medicine is Lipitor. I suggest that you read the following warning statement, issued on the official Lipitor web site:

"LIPITORï (atorvastatin calcium) tablets is a prescription drug used with diet to lower cholesterol. LIPITOR is not for everyone, including those with liver disease or possible liver problems, and women who are nursing, pregnant, or may become pregnant. LIPITOR has not been shown to prevent heart disease or heart attacks.

"If you take LIPITOR, tell your doctor about any unusual muscle pain or weakness. This could be a sign of serious side effects. It is important to tell your doctor about any medications you are currently taking to avoid possible serious drug interactions..."

My question is, "Why risk a person's health or life by giving him/her a drug that has no effect, whatsoever, in preventing the problem for which it is being prescribed?" The reason why the lowering of cholesterol levels cannot prevent heart disease is because cholesterol does not cause heart disease.

The most important issue is how efficiently a person's body uses cholesterol and other fats. The body's ability to digest, process and utilize these fats depends on how clear and unobstructed the bile ducts of the liver are. When bile flow is unrestricted and balanced, both the LDL and HDL levels are balanced as well. Therefore, keeping the bile ducts open is the best prevention of coronary heart disease.

[This is an excerpt from the book 'The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush' by Andreas Moritz]

Andreas Moritz is a writer and practitioner in the field of Integrative Medicine. He is the author of 13 books on various subjects pertaining to holistic health, including The Amazing Liver and Gallbladder Flush, Timeless Secrets of Health and Rejuvenation and Cancer Is Not a Disease. His most recent book is titled 'Vaccine-Nation: Poisoning the Population, One Shot at a Time.

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High Cholesterol Level: Risk Factors, Treatment Options

2011-09-20T05:13:00.000-07:00

High Cholesterol Level: Risk Factors, Treatment Options

By Yury Bayarski

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) made by the body. About 80% of cholesterol is made by the body, the other 20% comes from the diet. Cholesterol is a building block for cell membranes. Our body uses cholesterol to produce many hormones (e.g., progesterone, estrogen, testosterone), vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat.

Many foods contain cholesterol and high intake of these foods can increase the level of cholesterol in the blood. Having too much cholesterol in the blood is not a disease in itself, but high cholesterol (hypercholesterolemia) can cause the formation and accumulation of plaque deposits in the arteries. Plaque is composed of cholesterol, other fatty substances, fibrous tissue, and calcium. When it builds up in the arteries, it results in the hardening and narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis) in the major vascular systems.

Narrowing of the arteries around the heart (coronary heart disease) can prevent the heart from getting as much oxygen-rich blood as it needs, increasing the risk of a heart attack. Decreased blood flow to the brain can cause a stroke, and less blood flowing to the lower limbs may result in exercise-related pain or even gangrene.

Having a high cholesterol level does not cause symptoms and does not make you feel sick. If there is a huge excess, some people develop soft, yellowish skin growths called xanthomas, usually in the area near the eyes. Most people find out they have high cholesterol when they have their blood cholesterol measured as part of a medical check-up.

Types of Cholesterol

Cholesterol is not soluble in water and doesn't mix easily with blood. In order to be able to travel in the bloodstream, the cholesterol made in the liver is combined with protein and other substances. This cholesterol-protein package is called a lipoprotein. Lipoprotein then carries the cholesterol through the bloodstream.

Lipoproteins can be high density (HDL), low density (LDL) or very low density (VLDL), depending on how much protein there is in relation to fat.

LDL (low density lipoprotein)

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is called the "bad" cholesterol. About 70% of cholesterol is transported as LDL. This is mostly fat and not much protein. LDL causes cholesterol to be deposited in the arteries. High levels of LDL are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease.

HDL (high density lipoprotein)

High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is called the "good" cholesterol. It carries cholesterol from the body's tissues back to the liver. About 20% of cholesterol is transported as HDL, which is mostly protein and not much fat. HDL cholesterol may help protect against atherosclerosis by preventing cholesterol from depositing on arterial walls as it circulates in the bloodstream.

Risks factors

There are several factors that may contribute to high cholesterol level in the blood:

Genetic predisposition. People are at a higher risk of high cholesterol if they have a direct male relative aged under 55 or female relative aged under 65 affected by coronary heart disease.

Diet high in saturated fat. Saturated fat and cholesterol come from animal foods such as beef, pork, veal, milk, eggs, butter, and cheese.

Sedentary lifestyle. Lack of exercise may increase LDL cholesterol and decrease HDL cholesterol. Regular physical activity may lower triglycerides and raise HDL cholesterol levels.

Overweight. Excess weight may modestly increase your LDL (bad) cholesterol level.

Age and sex. Cholesterol generally rises slightly with increasing age, and men are more likely to be affected than women.

Drinking alcohol excessively. Drinking too much alcohol can damage the liver and heart muscle.

Diabetes. Diabetes is a significant risk factor for all cardiovascular diseases.

Smoking. This applies not only if you smoke, but also if you live or work every day with people who smoke.

Treatment options

Lifestyle changes such as changing diet, managing weight, increasing exercise, and quitting smoking are the first steps to improving blood levels of cholesterol. If these changes are not enough, your physician might recommend cholesterol-lowering prescription medication.

Medications to improve blood cholesterol levels include:

Statins - are the most widely used, and also the most powerful medications for lowering LDL cholesterol. They work by reducing the production of cholesterol in the liver. Statins not only lower blood LDL cholesterol levels, they also modestly increase HDL cholesterol levels and modestly decrease triglyceride levels. These medications are usually well tolerated, have few side effects, and are taken once or twice a day. Currently, six statin drugs are available: atorvastatin (Lipitor), fluvastatin (Lescol), lovastatin (Mevacor), pravastatin (Pravachol), simvastatin (Zocor), and rosuvastatin (Crestor).

Bile acid sequestrants - these drugs bind with cholesterol-containing bile acids in the intestines and are then eliminated in the stool. They typically lower cholesterol by 10 to 20%. Small doses of sequestrants can produce useful reductions in LDL cholesterol. Cholestyramine (Questran, Questran Light), colestipol (Colestid), and colesevelam (WelChol) are the 3 main bile acid sequestrants currently available. Bile acid resins are mainly used in young adults with hypercholesterolemia or in combination with another cholesterol-lowering medication.

Cholesterol absorption inhibitors - are a new class of cholesterol lowering agents approved in 2002. Drugs in this class work to lower blood cholesterol levels by absorbing excess cholesterol in the intestines and thus blocking cholesterol's entry into the bloodstream. Ezetimibe (Zetia) is the first drug in this class. Ezetimibe reduces LDL cholesterol by 18-20%. It is probably most useful in people who cannot take statins or as an additional drug for people who take statins but who notice side effects when the statin dose is increased. Adding ezetimibe to a statin is equivalent to doubling or tripling the statin dose.

Nicotinic acid or niacin - this water-soluble B vitamin improves all lipoproteins when given in doses well above the vitamin requirement. Nicotinic acid lowers total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels, while raising HDL cholesterol levels. Niacin also widens blood vessels, making flushing and hot flashes frequent side effects.

Fibrates - these cholesterol-lowering drugs are primarily effective in lowering triglycerides and, to a lesser extent, increasing HDL cholesterol levels. These drugs include fenofibrate (Tricor) and gemfibrozil (Lopid).

Yury Bayarski is the author of OriginalDrugs.com - website, offering patches and natural health products. Please follow this link if you would like to read more about Cholesterol prescription medications

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Yoga for Controlling Cholesterol

2010-10-29T01:02:00.000-07:00

Yoga for Controlling Cholesterol

Yog Mudras and pranayama are really beneficial for lowering the unwanted bad cholesterol but must be practiced on a regular basis. Yoga improves the blood and oxygen flow around the body, which helps in the removal of toxins and waste.

Correct breathing is the key to control the high cholesterol. Most of the people make the mistake in the respiration process when they breathing in they take the abdomen in and breathing out and bringing their abdomen out. The correct breathing technique is, when you inhale and bring the abdomen out, and breath out and take the abdomen in. This process should be as slow as, it can be. Always try to follow this pattern in routine life.

Pranayama Therapy:

* Deep and rapid breathing technique Bhastrika helps in inhaling more oxygen into the body, which helps in proper functioning of our body cells. According to Acharya Keshav Dev regular practise of this pranayama helps to eliminate body fat, lower total cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol that prevents fatty - cholesterol deposits and improves the body, depletes excess fats, brings lightness of the body.

Process:

* Go in a open air.

* Start to inhale and exhale through nose rapidly just for half minute, relax for few seconds and repeat.

* In this kriya there is no restrain of breath.

This kriya can be repeated for around 7-8 times but should be done before meal.

2. Another pranayama Shitli Kumbhak also has the potential to reduce the cholesterol and it also improves blood circulation, purify the blood and reduces toxins.

Process:

* For this pranayama fold the tongue and protrudes a little from the mouth.

* Slowly inhale through the mouth. While inhaling one should feel coolness inside the neck.

* Then swallow the breath and hold inside your stomach.

* After holding the breath for a few seconds, and exhale slowly through the nose. Try to repeat this process 8-10 times before meal.

Nature-Cure:

Abdominal Mud Pack and Hip Bath are best treatment in the Naturopathy, which are very beneficial in lowering the bad cholesterol level as they help in proper functioning of liver. One great feature of these treatments is that you don't need any special equipment and can easily go at your own pace.

Meditation Therapy:

* Sit in any comfortable asan or lie down in Shavasan.

* Now relax the whole body, one by one very slowly right from toes to the top. This relaxation will give the feeling of pleasure to the mind and whole body.

* Try to keep both the hands in Mritsanjavini Mudra.

* As the body is relaxed the respiration will become slower and slower.

* Now bring your whole awareness on your breaths. Try to concentrate on the breathing procedure. Do not try to control the breaths just witness it. Try to visualize the breaths. How the air is going in and coming out of the body.

* Now concentrate on Cardiac Chakra and meditate on the Green colour in the centre of Chest region.

* Take a deep breath and start chanting the beej Mantra YANG and feel the vibration of this beej mantra in Chest region again and again. Continue to focus your awareness at your Anahat Chakra (Cardiac Chakra) for five minutes or Remain in this state for as long as you wish.

* As the body is relaxed the breathing will become more and more slower. Simultaneously mind will also achieve the level of calmness and peace. Try to remain in this condition for few minutes as per your wish.

* After some time when you want to come back, become aware of your body step by step. First bring awareness towards the breaths, then body parts right from top to the toes slowly. Now make the slowly open your eyes and with slow movements of the body parts come back in normal position.

Laughter Therapy:

Stress is a major factor in raising LDL cholesterol levels, so learn to relax and release stress. Laughter is the best medicine. Laughter is as good as relaxation therapy, exercise or other methods used to overcome the problem of cholesterol. All of us should laugh at least for three times a day. Each person should consider laughing a key to health and free from tension, restraints and worries. The persons maintain humorous atmosphere around them throughout the day simultaneous to routine and sometimes, laugh loudly; keep themselves free from the diseases and their mind, brain, the entire nervous system receive innovative smartness and the energy every moment. Even the present study shows that laughter decreases adrenaline and cortisol production. If you are frustrated, unhappy, angry, Just laugh and find yourself away from all kind of stress. It is of the effective medicine you always have with your, without spending anything

Diet Therapy:

Nutrition diet plays a huge part to reduce the level of cholesterol that accumulate within your body. Foods that are high in saturated fats or Animal Fats promote levels of cholesterol in your blood. Try to avoid this type of food from regular consumption! You eat junk you become junk.

Try to eat the foods that have the lowest percentages for values such as sodium, cholesterol, and fats, and moderate percentages for values such as fiber.

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Good Fats That Help In Increasing Good Cholesterol Levels

2010-10-05T01:47:00.000-07:00

Good Fats That Help In Increasing Good Cholesterol Levels

A bad implication is always related to the fat. It is frequently considered as worst because it brings obesity and other implications to the body.

Not all fats are seen as disasters. There are numerous fats that give health assistance. Below are some varieties of these which support in achieving best cholesterol levels when added in our regular diet.

Fats rich in Monounsaturated foods

It is the one which is said to give great health benefits. They are basically like fluids and they become hard under low temperatures. It also reduces the worst cholesterol contents by increasing the nice cholesterol contents.

One such is nuts which are the basis for fat contents that are monounsaturated. Some of the others are almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistas, soyabeans and avocados.

Consider using canola or olive or sesame oils when you cook or fry foods. When included in our life style, these provide extreme advantages to our health with nice cholesterol.

Fats rich in polyunsaturated foods

The other kind of nice fat is poly unsaturated. It is vital to know in what steps these nice fats give good health when added in our foods. And it supports to lower the bad cholesterol levels.

It also guarantees good blood flow to the heart. Studies show that when these fats are taken into our foods, it stops coronary heart related issues because of the polyunsaturated fat contents.

These fats have their basis from plants and animals. Vegetable oils are rich source of these fats. Such oils are corn, sunflower and soya oils. Margarines are other things which have polyunsaturated contents.

Similar to monounsaturated fats these polyunsaturated fats can also be found in nuts such as walnuts and in seeds.

Omega 3 rich fat acids

They are the category of polyunsaturated fat levels. They are only twenty years old still they possess very good qualities and considered effective because of their great benefits.

They help in one's fitness. They really support to maintain best cholesterol amounts and lower the problems to the heart. In fact additionally they help in lowering excess blood pressure by preventing from blood thickening.

The fishes such as mackerel, salmon, herring and tuna have good amounts of omega 3 acids. So including fish into our diet say two times a week will have a great impact in our well being.

On the contrary these omega 3 acids also present in plants like tofu and soya beans. And also in walnuts, in pumpkin and in flax seeds.

Many have the impression that fats are bad to one's health but it is not so. They also help in reducing increased cholesterol contents which doesn't require consulting any physician.

By: Christian Good

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Three Ways to Reduce Your Cholesterol and Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices

2010-08-12T01:08:00.000-07:00

Three Ways to Reduce Your Cholesterol and Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices

Take some steps to lower your cholesterol by cutting down on the things that could ruin your health.

Here are three suggestions that you have heard millions times but hardly take any action.

1. Stop Smoking

If you are a smoker, you should consider quitting or at least cut down on the number of cigarettes you take.

Wonders can happen when you quit smoking!

You can improve your cholesterol level over time, but that is not the only thing - after you quit smoking, your blood pressure decreases which will also reduce those high cholesterol related diseases. Your risk of a heart attack decreases significantly as well.

But quitting is easier said than done.

Of course, trying to quit isn't so easy. That is why there are many methods on trying to quit smoking. They may now consider Varenicline, otherwise known as Chantix.

Just like a nicotine patch, Chantix isn't a magic pill, but it may make it easier to stop smoking. To quit smoking fully, you must still practice a lot of persistence and have the commitment to stick with your goal; have a strong mindset.

Alternatively, you can try using gum. When you are busy chewing gum, the tendency for the mind to trigger a nicotine fix is weakened.

2. Stop Drinking

How about drinking? Do you drink too much?

Although many consider the consumption of alcohol to be dangerous, medical studies have shown that those who consume alcohol compared to those don't, have a slightly higher level of good cholesterol in their body.

However, this doesn't give people (who enjoy drinking) a license to drink all the way.

Don't abuse this point.

3. Stop Eating Junk Food

Do the same with junk food as well. Especially deep fried stuff like potato chips. Can you imagine the amount of calories there are? Try and do things in moderation. Leading a balanced life is the key.

By lowering your cholesterol level you are preventing yourself from many diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes.

Your decision to choose a better and healthier lifestyle needs some sacrifice from your part. If you are wise and appreciate that health is the number one assett in this life, I believe you should be able to follow those tips.

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Diet For High Cholesterol

2010-07-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

Diet For High Cholesterol

What is Cholesterol ?

Cholesterol is a form of fat that is in use by the body to build cells and produce hormones.

Where did Cholesterol ?

Almost all the cholesterol needed by the body in shape in the liver. The rest is getting from certain foods rich in cholesterol, for example: meat, eggs, milk and offal (liver, kidney, brain).

Why is cholesterol harmful ?

If too much cholesterol is brought into the arterial circulation, the blood vessels resulted in increasingly narrow. In the event of the heart arteries, the blood can not carry enough oxygen to the heart. This is called coronary heart disease and can lead to heart attacks.

Whats Is Low Cholesterol Diet ?

- Lowering blood cholesterol levels
- Lose weight if overweight

What is the difference Lower Cholesterol Diet with Normal Food ?

1. Use a little fat is limited.
2. Most of the fat used in unsaturated type.
3. The use of foods containing a lot of cholesterol in the limit.
4. If too fat, total calories in the limit.

Preferred Food

* Material on avoiding foods (high cholesterol) :
Fatty meats, organ meats, cheese, eggs, milk, yoghurt, kream, eggs, shellfish, crabs, shrimp, squid, chocolate, butter, coconut oil, margarine, avocados.
* Material in limiting food :
Ice cream, cakes / tert, compote, food and beverages a sweet tooth.
* Raw foods at recommended :
Fresh fruit, vegetables, skim milk, soy milk, fresh fish, beans, vegetable oil, olive oil, corn.

How do I adjust the Diet ?

1. Avoiding the use of coconut, coconut oil, margarine and butter. As a substitute use peanut oil, or corn oil.
2. Limit the use of meat up to 3x a week at most 100 grams every time: Eat fish or chicken as a substitute.
3. Use skim milk instead of dairy milk.
4. Limit egg yolks to three eggs a week.
5. Use it as often as may be nuts, tempeh, tofu and legumes results by others.
6. Limit use of sugar, syrup, coca-cola, chocolate, tarcis, ice cream etc.. To prevent the increase in weight.
7. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits.

By: adhekrisna

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Natural Cholesterol Lowering Supplements - Are They Effective Alternatives to Statin Drugs

2010-03-10T06:33:00.000-08:00

Natural Cholesterol Lowering Supplements - Are They Effective Alternatives to Statin Drugs
By Marya Carlos

Cholesterol is a lipid (a fatty substance) that forms part of the outer lining of cells in animal bodies. In humans, cholesterol also appears in the blood circulation. Over the past several decades, a connection has been established between elevated levels of cholesterol and strokes, heart attacks, and other problems.

As a result, much research has been done into methods of controlling cholesterol levels by means of diet and exercise, and with the addition of various supplements to lower these levels.

Several natural nutrients have been shown to equal or outperform the statin drugs in reducing high cholesterol by lowering LDL ("bad") cholesterol and increasing HDL ("good") cholesterol, as well as in lowering triglycerides (blood fats). Triglycerides act with cholesterol to form blood plasma, and they are not affected by the statins.

Let's examine some of the natural cholesterol lowering supplements that are generally known to have no adverse side effects.

* Green tea extract. Green tea extract has been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and levels of triglycerides, as well as to raise HDL cholesterol.

* Policosanol. This is an extract of sugar cane wax, which in some studies has been shown to lower cholesterol naturally. No side effects have been identified.

* Beta-sitosterol. This plant compound occurs naturally in wheat germ, corn oil, rice, and soybeans. It can decrease the digestive system's absorption of cholesterol, as well as decrease the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver. Other possible benefits of beta-sitosterol are reduction of enlarged prostate in men, decreasing risk of gallstones, and protecting the lining of the digestive tract.

* Guggulipid extract. This ancient herb from India has been used in Asia for thousands of years to treat various conditions. Some clinical trials have shown it to be an effective natural cholesterol lowering supplement, but others have not.

* Vitamin B3 (Niacin). Niacin has been shown in several well-designed studies to lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as raising HDL cholesterol. It is available both as a dietary supplement and in prescription form. The American Heart Association cautions that niacin should only be used to lower cholesterol under the supervision of a qualified health practitioner, because of possible side effects. Among these are liver inflammation, high blood sugar, gout, and increasing the effect of high blood pressure medication.

* Artichoke leaf extract. Several controlled studies have shown that artichoke leaf extract may lower cholesterol by limiting its synthesis in the body.

If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels, talk with your physician before deciding to use natural cholesterol lowering supplements for reducing high cholesterol. Be aware of possible side effects from any product you are taking, and be sure to have your doctor arrange for regular blood tests to monitor effects.

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How Diet And Exercise Affects My Cholesterol Level

2009-10-28T04:47:00.000-07:00

How Diet And Exercise Affects My Cholesterol Level

Cholesterol. We hear a lot about it, most of it simply you have to lower your cholesterol levels or you will get heart disease but there is a bit more to this substance that needs to be learned in order to truly understand what it does, why we need it, and why we dont need too much of it.

First of all, cholesterol is a vital substance that our body produces and we need it to maintain our health. We need it make vitamin D, build cell walls, and create a type of bile salt that is needed to help us digest food. The thing is, our bodies make all the cholesterol we need, about 1000 milligrams that is produced by our liver. So, if our bodies make cholesterol, where does the excess come from? Of course, the food we eat.

All animals produce cholesterol, so the more animal protein and fat we eat (this includes products made from cows milks such as cheese and butter) the more cholesterol our bodies get. You may have heard of good and bad cholesterol, well, heres how that works&

Ldl, or low density lipoproteins, are the bad kind. Although we need some of this, this is the kind that can build up on the walls of our blood vessels and cause blockages leading to heart disease, and potentially heart attacks. Hdl, or high density lipoproteins, are the good kind. Hdl actually moves cholesterol back to the liver where it can be processed and removed from the body, therefore the more hdl you have, the better your body is able to regulate the health levels of cholesterol in the body.
So, how does exercise come into play?

The fact of the matter is, exercise, intense regular exercise, helps to generate more hdl by the liver. Therefore, the more you exercise, the higher your levels of hdl, and the lower your overall cholesterol levels. In addition, by increasing your heart rate and blood flow in your vessels and arteries by intense exercise, it is less likely that ldl levels will build up as plaque will occur.

It needs to be said, and said again and again that these processes can occur in the body very quickly, so it is vital that you stick with a consistent and very rigorous exercise routine. So many people think that their weekly backyard football game with the guys is enough, but it is not. You need as much as 45 minute to an hour of exercise everyday to truly affect the levels of cholesterol in your body. In addition, by limiting the amounts of animal fats and proteins you take in on a regular basis, you make the negative not as hard to counteract.

Now for the bad news&many studies have concluded that some folks will have high cholesterol levels no matter how much exercise they do. This is because either the liver produces too much, or the cholesterol they take in builds up along the walls of blood vessels extremely quickly. It is important that you check your cholesterol levels regularly and if diet and exercise alone cannot control your levels, you should take the medication as prescribed by your doctor.

By: Emile

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Life Choices About Blood Pressure And Cholesterol

2009-08-10T21:33:00.000-07:00

Life Choices About Blood Pressure And Cholesterol

High blood pressure or Hypertension is usually caused by narrowing of the arteries. There are two major causes of narrowing of the arteries. One is inflammation caused by hormones released into the blood stream during highly stressful activities. This is a natural response your body goes thought during stress to protect itself in the case of injury.

Some people experience this when they get a blood pressure check up. This is why if your blood pressure reads high your nurse well check it two or three times to see if the pressure is stable, or if it changes. If its stable you have high blood pressure if it fluctuates you have a case of the nerves. The second cause is high levels of blood fats known as cholesterol.

We have in our blood stream a kind if trucking system that carries sugar and fats from our liver to our cells and waist produces back from our cells to the liver. The carrying agents, or trucks, are called cholesterol. They are made buy the liver and the number and percentage of the three types of cholesterol play a big factor in the health and quality of a parsons life.

HDL cholesterol or high density lipoprotein are known as good cholesterol the larger the percentage of your overall cholesterol level that HDL cholesterol represents the better. A low level in men would be forty or lower, in women fifty or lower, and a good count would be sixty or above. High density lipoprotein can be caring large amounts of fats in your blood stream. Fat does not dissolve in your blood steam so it must be carried to and from your cells.

LDL cholesterol or low density lipoprotein is known as bad cholesterol the larger the number of these cholesterols in your blood stream the worse of you are. The optimal number is one hundred or lower. One hundred to one hundred and thirty is considered normal. One hundred and thirty to one hundred and fifty is considered borderline. One hundred and sixty to one hundred eighty are considered high. One hundred eighty to two hundred is considered very high.

Triglycerides are the most common form of fat in the blood steam and are associated with a high carbohydrate diet. These fats are also a telltale sign for a higher than normal LDL cholesterol number.

LP cholesterol is a genetic variation of LDL cholesterol and is associated with free fats in your blood stream.

The problem with having a lot of LDL, LP, and Triglycerides in your blood stream is that they cause Atherosclerosis which is the plaque buildup that causes the narrowing and hardening of your arteries. Which is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

There are some very important minerals and acids found in supplements that can go a long way to help prevent Atherosclerosis and controls your blood pressure. Calcium helps muscles, including your heat, to expand and contract. It also helps your nervous system to regulate your blood pressure. Magnesium found mostly in green vegetables is essential for cellular health. Malic Acid found in apples helps support magnesium absorption. It’s also an important part of the Krebs cycle which increases ATP, an enzyme that supports muscle health and growth. Chric Acid help’s in the Krebs cycle to remove carbon dioxide from your cells. It also helps maintain the alkaline levels in your body. Fighting of the acidic effects from coffee, soda and alcohol. Glycine is a non essential amino acid helpful in the production of RNA and DNA. It also helps brain function and promotes a healthy prostate gland.

These minerals and acids which promote the muscle and cellular health of your vascular system along with a low carbohydrate diet well lower your cholesterol levels and prevent the plaque buildup that causes Atherosclerosis. Exercise to strengthen your vascular system is always a good thing, but you don’t have to over do it. Feeding your vascular system what it needs and not over feeding your body what it does not need is one of those healthy life choices that we all need to make.

By: Robert Read

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Blood Pressure And Cholesterol: Healthy Choices

2009-06-04T07:56:00.000-07:00

Blood Pressure And Cholesterol: Healthy Choices

High blood pressure or Hypertension is usually caused by narrowing of the arteries. There are two major causes of narrowing of the arteries. One is inflammation caused by hormones released into the blood stream during highly stressful activities. This is a natural response your body goes thought during stress to protect itself in the case of injury. Some people experience this when they get a blood pressure check up. This is why if your blood pressure reads high your nurse well check it two or three times to see if the pressure is stable, or if it changes. If its stable you have high blood pressure if it fluctuates you have a case of the nerves. The second cause is high levels of blood fats known as cholesterol.

We have in our blood stream a kind if trucking system that carries sugar and fats from our liver to our cells and waist produces back from our cells to the liver. The carrying agents, or trucks, are called cholesterol. They are made buy the liver and the number and percentage of the three types of cholesterol play a big factor in the health and quality of a parsons life.

HDL cholesterol or high density lipoprotein are known as good cholesterol the larger the percentage of your overall cholesterol level that HDL cholesterol represents the better. A low level in men would be forty or lower, in women fifty or lower, and a good count would be sixty or above. High density lipoprotein can be caring large amounts of fats in your blood stream. Fat does not dissolve in your blood steam so it must be carried to and from your cells.

LDL cholesterol or low density lipoprotein is known as bad cholesterol the larger the number of these cholesterols in your blood stream the worse of you are. The optimal number is one hundred or lower. One hundred to one hundred and thirty is considered normal. One hundred and thirty to one hundred and fifty is considered borderline. One hundred and sixty to one hundred eighty are considered high. One hundred eighty to two hundred is considered very high.

Triglycerides are the most common form of fat in the blood steam and are associated with a high carbohydrate diet. These fats are also a telltale sign for a higher than normal LDL cholesterol number.

LP cholesterol is a genetic variation of LDL cholesterol and is associated with free fats in your blood stream.

The problem with having a lot of LDL, LP, and Triglycerides in your blood stream is that they cause Atherosclerosis which is the plaque buildup that causes the narrowing and hardening of your arteries. Which is the leading cause of heart attack and stroke.

There are some very important minerals and acids found in supplements that can go a long way to help prevent Atherosclerosis and controls your blood pressure. Calcium helps muscles, including your heat, to expand and contract. It also helps your nervous system to regulate your blood pressure. Magnesium found mostly in green vegetables is essential for cellular health. Malic Acid found in apples helps support magnesium absorption. It’s also an important part of the Krebs cycle which increases ATP, an enzyme that supports muscle health and growth. Chric Acid help’s in the Krebs cycle to remove carbon dioxide from your cells. It also helps maintain the alkaline levels in your body. Fighting of the acidic effects from coffee, soda and alcohol. Glycine is a non essential amino acid helpful in the production of RNA and DNA. It also helps brain function and promotes a healthy prostate gland.

These minerals and acids which promote the muscle and cellular health of your vascular system along with a low carbohydrate diet well lower your cholesterol levels and prevent the plaque buildup that causes Atherosclerosis. Exercise to strengthen your vascular system is always a good thing, but you don’t have to over do it. Feeding your vascular system what it needs and not over feeding your body what it does not need is one of those healthy life choices that we all need to make.

By: Irvine

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Components Of A Diet To Lower Cholesterol

2009-05-14T22:12:00.001-07:00

Components Of A Diet To Lower Cholesterol

The first line of defense against rising cholesterol levels is a healthy diet. The National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III report has targeted lowering LDL cholesterol as one of the most important aspect of heart disease prevention. This report recommends that in order to lower the risk of coronary heart disease that a therapeutic lifestyle change (TLC) must be undertaken. The components of this therapeutic lifestyle change include a diet to lower cholesterol that includes the following.

1. Saturated Fat and Cholesterol – Reducing saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet is the foundation of the TLC diet. The strongest nutritional influence on serum LDL cholesterol levels is saturated fats. There is also a dose response relationship between saturated fats and LDL cholesterol levels. For every 1% increase in calories from saturated fats as a percent of total energy, serum LDL cholesterol increases roughly 2%. On the other hand a 1% decrease in saturated fats will lower serum cholesterol by about 2%. Although a weight reduction of even a few pounds will reduce LDL levels, weight reduction achieved with a diet low in saturated fats and cholesterol will enhance and maintain LDL cholesterol reductions. Although dietary cholesterol does not have the equivalent impact of saturated fat on serum LDL cholesterol levels, high cholesterol intake will increase LDL cholesterol levels.

2. Monounsaturated Fat – Substituting monounsaturated fat for saturated fats at an intake level of up to 20% of total energy intake is recommended with a cholesterol lowering diet. Monounsaturated fats lower LDL cholesterol levels relative to saturated fats without decreasing HDL cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Plant oils and nuts are the best sources of monounsaturated fats.

3. Polyunsaturated Fats – When used instead of saturated fats, polyunsaturated fats such as linoleic acid reduce LDL cholesterol levels. Unfortunately they can also cause a decrease in HDL cholesterol when compared to the effects of monounsaturated fats. The recommended intake of polyunsaturated fats is about 10% of total energy intake. The best sources for this type of fat include liquid vegetable oils, semi-liquid margarine, and other margarines low in transfatty acids.

4. Total Fat – Saturated fats and transfatty acids increase LDL cholesterol levels, while serum levels of LDL cholesterol do not appear to be affected by total fat intake. For that reason the report suggests it is not essential to limit total fat intake as long as saturated fats are decreased to goal levels.

5. Carbohydrates – LDL cholesterol decreases when saturated fats are replaced with carbohydrates. But high consumption of carbohydrates, over 60% of total energy intakes, are shown to decrease HDL cholesterol and increase serum triglycerides. This response to carbohydrate intake can be decreased by increasing soluble fiber intake. In fact by increasing soluble fiber to 5 to 10 grams a day LDL cholesterol can be decreased about 5%.

6. Protein – Although dietary protein generally has little effect of serum LDL cholesterol levels, substituting plant-based proteins for animal proteins appears to lower LDL cholesterol. This may be caused by the lack of cholesterol and lower saturated fat content of plant based protein foods. Of course not all animal proteins are high in saturated fat and cholesterol. Fat-free and low-fat dairy products, egg whites, fish, skinless poultry, and lean cuts of beef and pork are low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Using diet to lower cholesterol is the first step for anyone who has tested for high LDL cholesterol levels. By lowering serum cholesterol the risk of coronary heart disease is lessened, along with all the other health benefits of eating a more healthy diet.

By: Andrew Bicknell

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Control Ldl Cholesterol To Control Heart Disease

2009-05-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

Control Ldl Cholesterol To Control Heart Disease

Cholesterol is a substance that is found in our blood. It is usually associated with other substances, notably the lipoproteins named LDL and HDL. The association with HDL is good for our health whereas the association with LDL is bad. Let us find out how these associations actually affect our health and how we can guard against their adverse effect on our health.

The LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels are maintained within a normal range by the body's natural regulatory mechanism. Sometimes this regulatory mechanism malfunctions, or maybe the body is flooded with cholesterol by ingestion. In any case the blood cholesterol level exceeds the normal range. This leads to a serious condition which can lead to severe health problems.

LDL cholesterol tends to stick to the inner walls of the blood vessels it moves through. The coating reduces the blood flow through the affected vessels. This means poor circulation which translates to poor health. The coating may increase to an extent where the blood vessel is severely constricted. This condition is known as arteriosclerosis.

Blood backs up from this point leading to high blood pressure which severely stresses the heart. Worse, small bits of the LDL cholesterol blockage can get dislodged and flow down with the blood. If these bits of LDL cholesterol enter a capillary, which is a very fine blood vessel, the capillary gets blocked starving the areas served by the capillary network of vital blood. If this happens in the brain, then areas of the brain just shut down leading to a form of paralysis called a 'stroke'.

If the blood flow to the heart itself is cut off, a heart attack occurs possibly leading to a fatality. These are just two situations which can occur when LDL cholesterol exceeds the normal limit. There are a great number of similar situations, collectively called cardiovascular disease, which are directly linked to the excessive LDL cholesterol level.

There is just one thing we can do to guard against heart disease caused by excessive LDL cholesterol: assist the body in regulating the blood cholesterol level. The most effective way is by controlling what we eat. Medical researchers tell us that the most common reason for excessive LDL cholesterol is our over-indulgence in saturated fats, both directly and indirectly.

We can have fatty foods which are good for health, like the omega-3 group of fats. The omega-3 fats actually work to reduce the LDL cholesterol in the blood, so we should have a lot of tuna and salmon because they are rich sources of omega-3 fats. Studies show that drinking a lot of water helps to increase the blood circulation which goes a long way in reducing LDL cholesterol.

Stop using heavy cooking oil to cook food in. Switch to virgin olive oil which is highly recommended as a healthy cooking medium. Changing your cooking oil is a very effective way to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Smoking actually helps to elevate the LDL cholesterol level in the blood. Give up smoking and see the LDL cholesterol beat a hasty retreat. Follow the other steps in this article to ensure your freedom from a dangerous heart condition.

Medical research shows that stress leads to LDL cholesterol buildup. Lowering your stress level will lower your blood LDL cholesterol too. The moral of the lesson is that you should relax more often, give up those activities that add to your stress, and pick up those activities that reduce your stress.

To sum up, LDL cholesterol can be controlled by eating foods which are free of saturated fats, exercising, quitting smoking and ridding yourself of stress. The worst thing you can do is to panic about high LDL cholesterol levels. This article is meant to educate you about the cause and prevention of heart disease, not scare you. Use what you have learnt in this article to control the LDL cholesterol situation. Once that is under control, you can say that the risk of heart disease is under control.

By: Ned Best

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

13 Natural Remedies That Lower Your Cholesterol

2009-04-22T06:18:00.000-07:00

13 Natural Remedies That Lower Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol is not all bad. Your body naturally produces it, and it plays some pretty important roles. It helps build new cells, produce hormones and insulates the nerves. But, when you have too much, it becomes a health problem.

When cholesterol levels are high, it means you have too much yellow, mushy fat substance circulating in your blood stream, which can clog your arteries and restrict blood flow leading to heart attack, stroke or angina pain.

Another problem with cholesterol, is all the terms that come with it; such as, dietary cholesterol, serum cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and LDL cholesterol. Here is how to keep them all straight.

Dietary cholesterol is what is contained in food (mostly of animal origin). The American Heart Association recommends limiting your daily intake to 300 milligrams.

Serum cholesterol is what is in your bloodstream and what the doctor measures with a cholesterol test. (A reading less than 200 is desirable, a reading between 200 - 240 is borderline high risk, and a reading greater than 240 is high risk.)

HDL cholesterol (“High” Density Lipoprotein) is a distinct part of serum cholesterol that is considered “good” because of its artery cleansing ability. The “higher” the HDL level, the better.

LDL cholesterol (“Low” Density Lipoprotein) is considered to be HDL’s evil twin because of its artery clogging ability. The “lower” the LDL level, the better.

Here are 13 natural remedies that lower your cholesterol.

1. Watch your weight. Studies have shown that the more overweight you are, the more cholesterol your body produces. Every 2.2 pound rise in body weight elevates your cholesterol 2 points. Aim for a diet composed of two-thirds fruit, vegetables, cereals and whole grains. Only one-third of your calories should come from meat and dairy products. (Which are often high in fat and calories.)

2. Watch your fats. Saturated fat elevates blood cholesterol. Polyunsaturated fat lowers blood cholesterol. So, it would be wise to cut back on such sources of saturated fat as meat, butter, cheese and hydrogenated oil. Replace these sources with fish, poultry, low-fat dairy products and polyunsaturated oils like corn, safflower and soybean.

3. Eat less eggs. You don’t have to cut them out completely. Just limit yourself to three whole eggs per week. Since only the yolk contains cholesterol, use the egg whites freely. You can substitute two egg whites for every whole egg. Even when baking. You can make scrambled eggs or an omelet using one whole egg with two to four egg whites.

4. Eat more beans. Beans, and other legumes contain pectin, which surrounds cholesterol and escorts it right out of the body. One cup of beans; navy beans, pinto beans, kidney beans, lima beans, soybeans, black-eyed peas and lentils, will all perform this cholesterol lowering activity.

5. Eat more fruit. Fruit also contains pectin. Try to eat a variety of fruit. For instance, a half a grapefruit at breakfast, an apple at lunch and some orange sections at dinner, could probably lower your cholesterol quite nicely.

6. Eat your oats, brans and barley. Oat bran, corn bran and barley appears to lower serum cholesterol in the same fashion as pectin rich fruits and does as good a job as beans. Oatmeal can also reduce cholesterol.

7. Eat carrots. Carrots also have pectin content. Studies have shown that eating just 2 carrots a day can lower high cholesterol 10 to 20%. That could be enough to bring levels into a safe range.

8. Drink skim milk. A compound in the nonfat portion of skim milk inhibits cholesterol production in the liver.

9. Take garlic. Large quantities of raw garlic can reduce harmful blood fats. Unfortunately, it can also reduce your number of friends. One gram daily of liquid garlic extract, however, can reduce your cholesterol level an average of 44 points in six months.

10. Fiber rich psyllium seeds. Psyllium seeds are the main ingredient of the bowel regulator Metamucil. Metamucil and other psyllium seed products may be a good alternative treatment when diet alone does not bring blood cholesterol levels down.

11. Exercise. One of the best ways to lower your levels of LDL cholesterol is through vigorous exercise. It also increases the body’s ability to clear fat from the blood after meals.

12. Do not smoke. A Swedish study showed that smokers tend to suffer from low levels of HDL cholesterol. But when a group of habitual smokers kicked the habit, they all experienced rapid and noticeable increases in HDL concentrations.

13. Drink Tea. The tannins found in tea may also help lower cholesterol. A study found that people on a high cholesterol diet that habitually drank tea had blood cholesterol levels within a normal range.

Some nutritional supplements that may help to counter cholesterol are Vitamin C, E and calcium. Studies have shown that when Vitamin C is added to a pectin rich diet, cholesterol drops even lower than with pectin alone. Another study showed that Vitamin E can significantly increase HDL levels. And yet another study showed that 2 grams of calcium carbonate taken daily, reduced cholesterol by 25% in 12 months.

Herbal supplements that are beneficial in lowering LDL levels include alfalfa, black cohosh, cayenne and ginseng. Skullcap may be beneficial for increasing HDL levels.

By: Edith Lingenfelter

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

How To Lower Your Cholesterol Levels

2009-04-07T18:41:00.000-07:00

How To Lower Your Cholesterol Levels

Getting Down high cholesterol points will lengthen your life-time and amend the quality of life because it diminishes the chance of coronary and stroke. Whenever potential it is safest to hold cholesterol grades without medication, first. Perpetually consult with your particular care physician around this. Even if you find yourself requiring medication to get down cholesterol, you may ask less if you can decrease the grades some without medication. The methods to decrease cholesterol without medication:

1. Diet
2. Exercise

DIET

Diet exchanges can be complicated and challenging, but once you acquire recent consuming usage and start finding healthier, it will need fewer effort. The methods to alter your diet to aid in reducing cholesterol grades :

Remove and cut foods that are high in cholesterol - some propose that cholesterol that follows from food should be fewer than 300 mg per twenty-four hours. For those with high cholesterol who wish to reduce their cholesterol may wish to keep down the quantity to 200 mg. Foods which have high cholesterol grades:

1. Eggs (primarily the yolk)
2. Chicken
3. Liver
4. Beef
5. Hotdogs
6. Butter
7. Sponge cake
8. Ice cream
9. Processed and deep fried foods

Limit foods that take trans fat or saturated fats- your body will produce cholesterol from both trans and saturated fats. The government has intervened and applied ordinances regarding trans fat. Most fast food restaurants adopted voluntarily with the recent instruction while others were forced to. Some took a quiet longer due to the desire to take substitutions only did not desire to change the taste of their products. The brain requires some fats for suit function, so be convinced you don’t wipe out all fat from your diet.

Increase soluble fiber- it binds with fatty acids and gets the stomach to empty more slowly so that the grade of sugar free and absorption is prolonged. Soluble fiber shrinks the cholesterol that is absorbed in the intestines. Sources of soluble fiber:

1. Oats/bran
2. Nuts
3. Barley
4. Fruits
5. Vegetables
6. Flaxseed

Increase healthy foods to take down your fish, cholesterol-fruits, whole grains, vegetables, and lean meats will aid reduce cholesterol.

Converting the style you eat may give the positive side impact of weight loss. This is good because sometimes even a 5-10 lb weight loss can take down cholesterol grades. Cutting cholesterol too drastically will stimulate the body to produce its own cholesterol and that is harder to hold and often will take medication.

Cholesterol is required for the following :

1. Restore cell and broken tissue
2. Antioxidant attributes
3. Part of every cell
4. Required for proper brain use and memory
5. Gall (aids in digestions) part
6. Shaping of hormones
7. Holds infection
8. Part of vitamin production

Use a high protein immunoglobulin supplement – a report published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005 81 (4) p 792) found that women and men who took reasonably high cholesterol, between 210 and 270 whole count, had a 6% drop in total cholesterol after just three weeks of consuming an immunoglobulin supplement.

Of importance to note, the LDL cholesterol degree dropped 7% while the HDL cholesterol grade continued constant.

EXERCISE
HDL (good cholesterol) growths with exercise and will contribute to lowering high cholesterol grades.
Exercising at least 4 days out of the week- when the workout is mild activities ; it is best to strain to do it every twenty-four hours. Traditional workouts, running and weight lifting aren’t the only exercises you can do to aid decrease cholesterol; the following activities can be part of cholesterol getting down workout acts:

1. Walking
2. Yard work
3. Housework
4. Dancing

Workout at least 30 minutes per twenty-four hours- the minutes can be separated into smaller workout sessions as long it totals 30 minutes by the end of the day.

Life-style exchanges like consuming proper and workout need time to become portion of a daily habit. Stay with it and the benefits will be valuable. When efforts to reduce your cholesterol have not been successful, your doctor may decide to place you on medication to reduce your cholesterol grades.

By: ghostevyta

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High Cholesterol Foods To Avoid

2009-03-16T02:04:00.001-07:00

High Cholesterol Foods To Avoid

For those who suffer from high cholesterol the best and first way to control and lower their cholesterol levels is through their diet. But many people are confused as to what constitutes a high cholesterol food they need to avoid and a low cholesterol food. This is because there is a difference between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol.

Generally most health guidelines recommend that dietary cholesterol not exceed 300 mg per day for most healthy people, but if one suffers from high LDL blood cholesterol levels then this intake should be not more than 200 mg per day.

Cholesterol, a waxy like substance, is only found in animal meat and tissues and its sources include red meat, eggs, fish, poultry, and dairy products. On the flip side any food derived from plant sources is cholesterol free, including high fat plants food sources such as avocado's and peanut butter. This is where the confusion usually happens because eating large amounts of vegetable oil, which is virtually 100% food fat, can significantly raise blood cholesterol levels, particularly when eaten with high cholesterol foods.

The fact is that blood LDL cholesterol levels are highly influenced by the amount of saturated fat that one eats. There is a relationship between the amounts of saturated fat one eats the LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. For every one percent increase in calories obtained by eating saturated fat, blood cholesterol levels go up around two percent. Conversely for every one percent decrease in saturated fat intake cholesterol levels will reduce about two percent.

The thing to remember when it comes avoiding high cholesterol foods is that while doing so will decrease LDL cholesterol levels, reducing saturated fat intake has a bigger impact on these levels then many people are aware of. This does not mean that those who suffer from high cholesterol can eat high cholesterol foods, but they should be aware that there is more to reducing cholesterol then just this one thing.

The reason for this confusion with the way cholesterol can increase in the blood stream is the way many foods are cooked and/or served. Let's look at one of everyone's favorite breakfasts; bacon/sausage and eggs. We all know that eggs are high in cholesterol, but what we don't know is that the cholesterol in eggs has a small impact on blood cholesterol levels. It's the high amount of saturated fat in the bacon or sausage that has a far larger impact on LDL cholesterol levels.

Another culprit is deep fat fried foods. Many foods are for the most part harmless until they are breaded and fried in hot oil. In fact, many fish and seafood choices are considered to be good for us because of the omega-3 fatty acids that they contain, but as soon as they are deep fried and eaten any benefits are cancelled by the saturated fat that raises bad LDL cholesterol.

When it comes to high cholesterol foods to avoid it is important to remember that these types of food aren't necessarily bad in and of themselves if eaten in moderation. The real problem occurs when they are combined with high levels of saturated fat, which has a more profound effect on blood cholesterol levels.

By: Andrew Bicknell

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18 Proven Natural Solutions For High Cholesterol

2009-02-19T06:11:00.000-08:00

18 Proven Natural Solutions For High Cholesterol

There are millions of people that are currently struggling with high cholesterol. Many are taking prescription statin drugs, while others are choosing to take a more proactive stance by tackling the problem head on through fundamental lifestyle changes.

There is no question that increasing physical activity and improving diet are the most important steps to take when cholesterol is high. In addition to those two things, I am going to provide you with 18 proven natural solutions for high cholesterol that will surely give you a jump start to help you reach your cholesterol goals without having to surrender to dangerous statin drugs.

Natural Solutions for High Cholesterol

Coenzyme Q10, also known as ubiquinone, is a powerful antioxidant and plays a fundamental role in the mitochondria, the parts of the cell that produce energy from food. CoQ10 improves circulation and is highly beneficial for those with hypertension, high cholesterol, heart disease, and many more.

Chromium Picolinate's most important function is to help control the amount of sugar in the blood. Insulin plays an integral role in this process by managing the movement of glucose out of the blood and into cells. Chromium lowers total cholesterol levels and improves HDL-to-LDL levels.

Apple pectin lowers cholesterol by binding fats and heavy metals.

Spirulina is an extremely nutrient rich blue-green algae. This superfood is abundant in B vitamins, calcium, beta-carotene, potassium, zinc, gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), magnesium, protein, and much more. Spirulina is highly effective for lowering cholesterol levels by decreasing oxidation that is most harmful to LDL cholesterol.

Essential fatty acids thin the blood and lowers LDL levels. You can take EFA's in supplement form and can be found online or in any natural store.

Garlic and Vitamin E improve circulation; lowers cholesterol and blood pressure levels; and is great for overall heart health.

Cayenne, Hawthorn Berries, and Goldenseal are especially useful for lowering cholesterol.

B6, B12, and Folic Acid helps to lower damaging homocysteine levels. When the body's stores of B6 (pyridoxine), folic acid and B12 are depleted, homocysteine can rise to abnormal levels and lead to a much greater risk of heart attack.

Niacin (B3), guggul, artichoke leaf, fiber, and red yeast rice are also excellent natural solutions for those with high cholesterol. Red yeast rice is a supplement thought to work like the popular "statin" drugs, so it should be taken alongside CoQ10.

Ultimately, the best natural solution for those with high cholesterol is to make positive lifestyle changes. Get regular physical activity, maintain a healthy weight, eat low cholesterol foods, quit smoking, drink alcohol in moderation (if at all), manage stress, consume plenty of fiber, and drink plenty of fresh organic juices.

By: Robin R.

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Lipitor– Helping To Fight With Cholesterol

2009-01-12T18:11:00.000-08:00

Lipitor– Helping To Fight With Cholesterol

Lipitor is a very popular drug, which is widely used to reduce excessive amount of cholesterol from the body that can be formed due to various reasons. Present of excessive amount of cholesterol in the body is the major cause of ill health and it results in many diseases such as heart-strokes, heart-attacks and various other heart diseases.

Manufactured by Pfizer this medication is well trusted for reducing the cholesterol level throughout the world. Intake of Lipitor by the patient blocks the organism’s production of high bad cholesterol or LDL. This medication works by inhibiting certain amount of triglycerides, cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B, a protein without which high bad cholesterol would not be produced. If you are suffering from high cholesterol level, you can easily buy Lipitor and feel its benefit.

Lipitor works by responding to the organism’s need of lowering some of its potentially bad products that contribute to hardening of the arteries. Treatment with Lipitor also ensures increase production of good cholesterol in the body. People are heavily relying on Lipitor and are buying Lipitor to prevent strokes and heart attacks.

Lipitor is usually advised to be taken with some restriction in diets. Generally restrictions are of cholesterol and fat intake so that reduce amount of cholesterol and fatty substance in the blood. If there is large amount of cholesterol and fats in the blood it gets accumulated along the walls of the arteries and decreases the flow of blood. It therefore leads to reduce supply of oxygen to heart, brain and other parts of the body thus creating heart problems. To get relief from heart ailments buy Lipitor easily through online drug stores.

Lipitor or Atorvastatin was approved by the FDA in December 1996, belongs to statins class of drugs, which includes lovastatin, simvastatin, fluvastatin and pravastatin. All the statins helps to prevent the production of cholesterol in liver by blocking the enzymes, which are responsible for cholesterol.

They lower total blood cholesterol as well as LDL cholesterol levels. LDL cholesterol is primarily responsible for the development of coronary artery disease. Lower LDL cholesterol levels retards progression and may even reverse coronary artery disease. People facing high cholesterol problems can safely trust and buy Lipitor to get relief from cholesterol problems.

It is very important that your personal physician should be aware of your present medical condition before prescribing you this medicine. Patients who are suffering from a chronic muscular disease, or are suffering from drinking problems or who have currently undergone a major surgery might not be allowed to intake this medicine.

Like every other medication, side effects that can occur while taking Lipitor include muscle cramps or muscle pain while some rare effects may include blurred vision, dizziness, headaches, heartburn, diarrhea or constipation. If these side effects crop up, you must immediately consult your doctor. The chances of side effects increases if one takes alcohol while taking Lipitor so avoid the use of alcohol. By taking some precautions one can safely use and buy Lipitor to avail its benefit.

By: Article Submitter

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

List Of Low Cholesterol Foods

2009-01-05T18:08:00.000-08:00

List Of Low Cholesterol Foods

People who are over 25 years of age should pay more attention to their cholesterol levels. This is because as the body ages, its ability to fight off bad cholesterol decreases. Experts say that in order to avoid having too much bad cholesterol in the body, people should always have a ready list of low cholesterol foods and create a balance diet menu out of it.

The following is a list of low cholesterol foods that can be mix and match to create a low cholesterol diet:

1. LEAN MEATS. Lean red meats or lean chicken/turkey meats and fish should always be included in the list of low cholesterol menu because these are rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients that are excellent for a person's metabolism as well as in fighting off bad cholesterol.

2. VEGETABLES. This food group is considered as the healthiest among other groups in the food pyramid primarily because they are low in calorie-content. Aside from that, these are also high in dietary fiber and dietary nutrients that aids not only regulated metabolism but also balances cholesterol levels. Vegetables are also perfect low cholesterol foods because these are excellent sources of minerals and vitamins such as vitamins C, E and K, vitamin B-complex, and other micronutrients that reduce vitamin deficiency. Aside from lowering high cholesterol levels, other benefits of eating vegetables also include the reduction of heart diseases and cancer as well as high blood pressure.

3. GRAINS. Because these are in high-energy content and dietary fiber content, grains are effective foods to lower cholesterol level. Whole grains are also known as effective in controlling weight. Aside from whole grains, breads, beans, potatoes, pasta, and cereals can also help lower cholesterol levels.

4. NUTS AND SEEDS. Since these contain large amounts of vitamins and minerals, nuts and seeds are included among the list of low cholesterol foods. These foods also are also high in dietary fiber that is excellent for great metabolism and low in calorie-content that is effective for weight management.

5. FRUITS. Just like vegetables, fruits are also among the top food groups that lower cholesterol because they are very low in calorie content. These also contain large amounts of significant vitamins and nutrients that help prevent of vitamin deficiency as well as other illnesses.

By: Albert Lee

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

5 Ways To Lower Cholesterol

2008-12-30T20:41:00.000-08:00

5 Ways To Lower Cholesterol

High cholesterol is a condition that can be treated one of two ways; through lifestyle changes based on diet and exercise and in more extreme cases with prescription drugs used in conjunction with the first two.

No matter the ways used to lower cholesterol not taking care of the problem creates dangers that can be life threatening. Raised cholesterol levels can lead to atherosclerosis (a hardening of the arteries), which puts you at risk for heart disease and stroke.

If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol here are 5 ways you can lower your levels without the use of prescription drugs.

1. Eat a healthy diet – Your diet has a large impact on your cholesterol levels. A diet low in Trans fats and saturated fats is key because these two substances are the biggest contributor to high blood cholesterol levels. This change alone can have a large impact on what you levels do.

2. Start exercising – Exercise builds up your cardiovascular system which is essential to reversing the dangerous effects caused by high cholesterol.

3. Quit smoking – Smoking accelerates the rate at which dangerous plaques build up in your arteries. These plaques block the flow of blood causing your heart to work harder and raising your blood pressure. This can cause a heart attack or if a plaque breaks loose it can cause a clot and a stroke.

4. Reduce stress – Learning to relax can have a positive effect on cholesterol levels. Stress can contribute to high levels of cholesterol even when you are eating a low fat low cholesterol diet.

5. Visit with your doctor – As more is learned about cholesterol and its effects on your health doctors are becoming more in tune with the proper way to treat this dangerous problem. Most doctors will recommend changes in diet and exercise before they prescribe cholesterol lowering medications. In more extreme cases drugs will be prescribed along with lifestyle changes. In many cases once your cholesterol is under control there is a good chance that medications can be discontinued.

If you adhere to these 5 ways to lower cholesterol you will soon see an improvement in your levels along with your overall health.

By: Andrew Bicknell

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Choosing Food To Eat To Lower Cholesterol

2008-12-15T00:31:00.000-08:00

Choosing Food To Eat To Lower Cholesterol

There are two types of cholesterol that circulate through the body's blood stream; LDL or low density lipoproteins and HDL or high density lipoproteins. LDL is considered bad and HDL is considered good because of the way they work in the body. High levels of LDL cholesterol are a leading factor for increasing the risk of heart disease while HDL cholesterol is known to reduce this risk.

One of the easiest ways to control this is by choosing food to eat to lower cholesterol. It really can be that easy; just some simple dietary changes can have a profound effect on your cholesterol and your health. But then your mom always told you you are what you eat.

In this "fast food" world there has never been a truer statement. There are many foods that you can eat to significantly lower bad LDL blood cholesterol levels.

1. Eat more fiber rich foods, particularly oat bran, barley, and wheat bran. These high fiber foods are not only key to helping lower cholesterol levels but they are also good for proper bowl function and help to lower the risk of colon cancer. Most fruits and vegetables also contain good amounts of fiber and they are cholesterol free.

2. Beans and lentils are also high fiber foods that contain a substance known as lecithin, which has been shown to help reduce LDL's.

3. Snack on raw carrots. Carrots contain a large amount of a fiber called pectin which has been shown to lower cholesterol. Fruits such as apples, citrus fruits, strawberries, and raspberries also contain pectin.

4. The Japanese have long used shitake mushrooms in many of their meals, and for good reason. Rich in a compound called lentinan that not only helps in the fight against high cholesterol it also helps boost the immune system.

5. Use more garlic in your recipes. Garlic has many health benefits, one of which includes the substance allicin which is believed to help rid the body of LDL cholesterol. Scientific studies have shown that eating one clove a day can reduce cholesterol levels by 10%-15%.

6. Nuts such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, and almonds are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are known to significantly lower levels of LDL cholesterol while raising good HDL levels.

7. Sesame seeds, celery, lettuce, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, ginger, squash and strawberries contain a cholesterol fighting compound known as phytosterols.

8. Omega-3 fatty acids. These are some of the most powerful natural cholesterol reducers health researchers have found. Seafood such as salmon, tuna, and sardines are rich in omega-3s. It can also be found in safflower, canola, soybean, and olive oil which are all also good sources of monounsaturated fats.

9. Saponin, a substance found in alfalfa sprouts, is thought to reduce and inhibit the formation of cholesterol forming plaques in the arteries.

These are all food to eat to lower cholesterol naturally and in most cases simply eating healthy and exercising will give you the results you need. Only in extreme cases where cholesterol is dangerously high will your doctor prescribe drugs. But it is important to consult with your doctor to determine the best course of action if you do suffer from high cholesterol.

By: Andrew Bicknell

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Cholesterol High Foods And Heart Disease

2008-12-01T19:25:00.000-08:00

Cholesterol High Foods And Heart Disease

If there is one word that is associated with potentially life threatening health issues it is cholesterol. There are numerous TV and print advertisements espousing the benefits of the latest cholesterol reducing drug and for good reasons.

High levels of this naturally occurring substance are associated with increased risks of heart disease and stroke. Knowing this has caused many people to avoid cholesterol high foods in their attempt to mitigate the harmful effects it can cause.

But just what is cholesterol and where does it come from?

Cholesterol, unbeknownst to many, is actually produced by the body, mostly in the liver, and is necessary for proper bodily functioning. In fact roughly 80% is made by the body with the other 20% coming from dietary sources. Or at least that’s the way it used to be. With our more "fast food" dietary lifestyle cholesterol has become a major health care issue.

Without cholesterol our bodies would be unable to function properly. It is primarily used to make cell membranes and makes them stable and durable.

It is particularly important in the formation of nerve tissue, brain cells, and the spinal cord. It is also used to make bile which is an important part of the digestive process in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. And certain hormones would not be able to be made without it.

Unfortunately our modern diet has given us to much of a good thing. While high cholesterol foods such as meat, eggs, and whole fat dairy products should be eaten in moderation it is the preponderance of foods high in saturated fats and Transfats that are the bigger culprits.

Fried foods, snack foods, processed foods in a box, and just about anything containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils all fall into this category.

In fact scientific studies have shown that foods high in these types of fat have a greater impact in blood cholesterol levels then eating just foods that are high in cholesterol.

This does not mean that eating a diet of high cholesterol foods is a good idea but it is more important that you avoid the saturated fat and Transfats that are so common in our diet these days.

As cholesterol levels build up in the blood stream they get to the point where the body cannot use all of it. When this happens it will start to deposit along the arterial walls creating plaques and causing atherosclerosis, which is a hardening and narrowing of the arteries.

These plaques can cause blockages in blood flow which can lead to a heart attack or they can break free as a clot and get lodged in the smaller vessels of the brain causing a stroke.

Maintaining normal cholesterol levels through a healthy diet and lifestyle that includes exercise is the best way to prevent these risks.

Just remember that cholesterol is a necessary substance we all need but it is important to eat cholesterol high foods in moderation and avoid those foods that are in high saturated fats and Transfats to avoid the risk of heart disease.

By: Andrew Bicknell

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Healthy Eating - Cholesterol Dietary Management

2008-11-18T19:10:00.000-08:00

Healthy Eating - Cholesterol Dietary Management
By: Ted Brumby

Conventional Dietary Management of Cholesterol
While the development of plant sterol-enriched spreads is a very significant advance in the dietary management of cholesterol, it does not replace conventional dietary therapy. Rather, a plant sterol-enriched spread is an adjunct to conventional advice, which substantially increases the potential of diet to lower serum total and LDL-cholesterol.

What is conventional diet therapy?
Since the 1960s dietary advice to lower blood cholesterol has revolved around the manipulation of dietary fatty acids. This advice was based on the work of two series of experiments conducted independently by Keys et al (1) and Hegsted et al (2). Both found saturated fatty acids raised blood cholesterol and polyunsaturated fatty acids lowered it.

The potency of polyunsaturated fatty acids in lowering blood cholesterol was about half that of saturated fatty acids in raising it. Fats rich in monounsaturated fatty acids had a neutral effect on cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol was found to have a small, but significant, blood cholesterol-raising effect.

Based on these studies for healthy eating the key dietary advice for reducing cholesterol became the replacement of dietary saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat, with some reduction in dietary cholesterol. More recently, monounsaturated fats and carbohydrates have also been considered good substitutes for saturated fat, which remains the key dietary determinant of blood cholesterol.

What are the main sources of saturated fat?
In western industrialised countries most sources of fat in the diet are rich in saturated fats. These include:

1. Dairy fats - butter, cheese, cream and full-fat dairy foods
2. Meat fat, sausages and luncheon meats
3. Baking fats used in commercial cakes, biscuits and pastries
4. Commercial frying fats used for takeaway foods and snack foods

The saturated fatty acid content of the fats in these foods is 50-60 per cent. Consumption of all these foods needs to be curtailed in order to reduce dietary saturated fat intake. Dairy fats are the most cholesterol-raising and special attention needs to be paid to reducing dairy fat in the diet for a healthy eating lifestyle. Low and reduced-fat milks and yoghurts are recommended.

What are the main sources of unsaturated fats?
Margarine spreads and unsaturated vegetable oils are the only major source of fat in the diet not dominated by saturated fats. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats comprise 75-90 per cent of fatty acids margarines and oils. These foods also serve as the major sources of the essential fatty acids,, Vitamin E and Vitamin D in the diet.

The most freely available vegetable oils are sunflower, canola and olive oils. These are also used in margarine spreads. Although all three oils are recommended, sunflower and canola have an advantage over olive oil with respect to cholesterol-lowering. Advice for people is to:

1. Use table margarine instead of butter
2. Use sunflower, canola or olive oil in for frying and in salads

Nuts are also high in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fats. They may be recommended for people on cholesterol-lowering diets.

What does the Heart Foundation recommend?
The Heart Foundation recently made the following dietary recommendations for healthy eating that will lower blood cholesterol:

1. Use margarine spread instead of butter or dairy blends.
2. Use a variety of oils for cooking - some suitable choices include canola, sunflower, soybean, olive and peanut oils.
3. Use salad dressings and mayonnaise made from oils such as canola, sunflower, soybean and olive oils.
4. Choose low or reduced fat milk and yoghurt or 'added calcium' soy beverages. Try to limit cheese and ice cream to twice a week.
5. Have fish (any type of fresh or canned) at least twice a week.
6. Select lean meat (meat trimmed of fat and chicken without skin). Try to limit fatty meats including sausages and delicatessen meats such as salami.
7. Snack on plain, unsalted nuts and fresh fruit.
8. Incorporate dried peas (eg split peas), dried beans (e.g. haricot beans, kidney beans), canned beans (eg baked beans, three bean mix) or lentils into two meals a week.
9. Make vegetables, and grain based foods such as bread, pasta, noodles and rice the major part of each meal.
10. Try to limit take-away foods to once a week. Take-away foods include pastries, pies, pizza, hamburgers and creamy pasta dishes.
11. Try to limit snack foods such as potato crisps and corn crisps to once a week.
12. Try to limit cakes, pastries and chocolate or creamy biscuits to once a week.
13. Try to limit cholesterol-rich foods such as egg yolks and offal e.g. liver, kidney and brains.

By: Ted Brumby

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Green Tea Can Balance Your High Cholesterol Levels

2008-11-06T18:59:00.000-08:00

Green Tea Can Balance Your High Cholesterol Levels
By Ani Roy

Chinese discovered the secret benefits to this nature’s gift-Green tea around 4000 years ago. Since that day till date, green tea is among one of the most popular drinks all around the world.

The health benefits attached to green tea are numerous and too important to be put aside or ignored. In 1994 research proved that Chinese green tea reduced cancer of the esophagus in women and men in China who used green tea frequently by 60%.

Similarly research has also proven that Chinese green tea improves the levels of HDL which is the good cholesterol a human body needs.

While on the other hand Chinese green tea reduces LDL levels which is the unhealthy version of cholesterol that leads to heart problems and several other health diseases such as blood pressure.

Reducing weight and curing cancer are not the only traits that are associated with this natural herbal tea.

Other medical conditions such as cancer arthritis, infection, poor immunity levels and high cholesterol are also seen to improve dramatically with the increased intake of green tea.

People who are health and fitness conscious lay a lot of emphasis on their green tea intakes and give much credit to it for their healthy body and mind.

Epigallocatechin gallate which is abbreviated as EGCG is one of the antioxidants found in this herbal tea which helps to fight cancer cells and keep healthy cells alive.

Heart problems among Japanese men are significantly low although 75% of them are chain smokers. The secret behind their healthy hearts is green tea which has EGCG in it which acts like a powerful tool against fat in our diets.

As green tea reduces cholesterol therefore it is a good practice to sip it up regularly not just to enjoy its flavors but for health reasons.

The way every one these days is concerned about living green for the health of planet Earth the same way green tea lets you live with a healthy heart.

Among all the varieties of teas available , green tea has extremely low levels of caffeine and has multiple health benefits out of which controlling blood cholesterol is one.

Among the rest of the benefits of green tea, fighting tooth decay, lowering blood pressure, keeping blood sugar under control and also terminating cancer cells are just a few.

Cardiologists actually are now recommending the use of green tea because of its healthy properties. They have researched that it reduces the risk of heart disease and helps cure blood pressure problems as well.

After a careful research, cardiologists have observed that within 2 weeks of a daily consumption of green tea, the arteries supplying blood to the heart dilated in patients who used green tea in abundance.

source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Green-Tea-Can-Balance-Your-High-Cholesterol-Levels&id=1618193

Foods For Reducing Cholesterol

2008-10-29T01:27:00.000-07:00

Foods For Reducing Cholesterol

Are you aware of the so-called cholesterol? Well, cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found among the lipids or as we all know it as fats in the bloodstream and in all your body's cells.

But you don't have to worry at all because there are foods to eat to lower cholesterol.

Many foods can help you to maintain your cholesterol level. These foods are proven and studied.

These are the foods to eat to lower cholesterol such as oatmeal and oat bran because it contains soluble fiber, which reduces your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or the bad cholesterol.

And also soluble fiber can also be found in such foods as kidney beans, apples, pears, psyllium, barley and prunes. Because of the soluble fiber it helps to reduce the absorption of cholesterol in your intestines.

And eating oatmeal is a strong proof of lowering cholesterol based from the study. Walnuts and almonds are also good choices, based from the studies walnuts can be consider as reducing blood cholesterol and it is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, and also help to keep blood vessels healthy and flexible.

Also fish can help in lowering the cholesterol and using of olive oils, foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols.

These are just examples of foods to eat to lower cholesterol. And there are many ways that can help you in lowering your cholesterol.

But you should always bear in mind that every single day, you must eat at least five servings of fresh fruits and vegetables, which are naturally high in fiber and low in fat.

Foods high in fiber content are apples with peel, pear with skin, strawberries, spinach or peas and bran cereal, all varies of bran.

But if you dont have enough money to buy then you should always have an alternative solution to help lower cholesterol like doing exercises such as walking or jogging.

These are basic but very helpful exercise that can also help you. Another thing is to select the food that you will be eating as well as drink more water.

Listed above are the foods to eat to lower cholesterol. You should always bear in mind that the one who could help on your problem is only you.

Just remember to eat healthy foods. A healthy diet equals a healthy heart, a healthy you.

Discipline yourself! Eat only healthy foods to live longer and enjoy life to the fullest

source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Foods-For-Reducing-Cholesterol&id=1614484

Low Cholesterol Foods

2008-09-24T09:52:00.000-07:00

Low Cholesterol Foods
By Mike J Johnson

Have you had your cholesterol checked lately? Many people don't know their cholesterol levels or what natural low cholesterol foods are available to help control bad cholesterol. You might be asking what exactly is cholesterol and why should it be controlled? Very good question, read below.

What is Cholesterol?

Without going into great detail cholesterol is a fatty substance made naturally by the body for use in cell membranes and hormones. A certain amount is needed to maintain health, but when too much is produced it becomes a concern for heart health. When given your "Total Cholesterol" number it is a summary of different types of fats circulating in the body. A healthy amount of cholesterol for a average person should be less than or equal to 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).

Types of Cholesterol

* Good Cholesterol - High-density lipoprotein Cholesterol (HDL-C) protects against heart disease by removing "bad" cholesterol. Men should work to achieve greater than or equal to 40 mg/dL, while women should work towards greater than or equal to 50 mg/dL. We'll discuss how to increase levels of good cholesterol (HDL-C) later in this article

* Bad Cholesterol - Low-density lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) is caused by a persons genetics and their diet. An average human should aim for less than 130 mg/dL (less than 100 mg/dL for those diagnosed with diabetes or heart disease). Maintaining a healthy weight and limiting the intake of saturated and trans fat can help keep your LDL-C levels low.

* Triglycerides are another major component of blood lipids. Unlike the two listed above triglycerides are formed when excess nutrients (excess calories from protein, carbohydrates, fat, etc) are stored as fat. You should work to maintain less than 150 mg/dL

People who have high cholesterol levels are more at risk at having heart disease, liver disease and many other illnesses. You can work to lower your cholesterol by exercising regularly and eating a correct amount of Low Cholesterol Foods.

Low Cholesterol Foods

1. LEAN MEATS - rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and micro-nutrients

1. Lean cuts of red meats

2. Lean chicken/turkey meats

3. fish (Excellent Source of Omega -3)

2. VEGETABLES - low in calorie-content, high in dietary fiber & dietary nutrient, minerals and vitamins such as vitamins C, E and K, vitamin B-complex, etc

3. GRAINS - high-energy content, high dietary fiber content (Note, start your day with oatmeal. Experts agree this is one of the top cholesterol-lowering super foods.)

4. NUTS AND SEEDS - Large amounts of vitamins, minerals, high in dietary fiber, low in calorie-content

5. FRUITS - low in calorie content, large amounts of vitamins & nutrients

Fighting diseases and building healthier immune systems is an on-going battle in the United States. The first step in combating the affects of high cholesterol is to know your count. I recommend scheduling a physical with your doctor and requesting a cholesterol check plus purchasing a inexpensive cholesterol monitor to periodically check your cholesterol levels. I also recommend stocking your pantry and refrigerator with Low Cholesterol Foods mentioned above. Your health is important and you are in control; take control now.

source : http://ezinearticles.com/?Low-Cholesterol-Foods&id=1495111

The Cholesterol Connection

2008-06-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

The Cholesterol Connection

Cholesterol counts. Make no mistake about it. If you have high cholesterol levels in your blood, you have a greater chance of having a heart attack; eat a lot of calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol, and you're very likely to have a high blood cholesterol count.

And, according to a consensus conference held by the National Institutes of Health in December 1984, "The blood cholesterol level of most Americans is undesirably high." The experts said that high levels are due largely to too many calories and too much cholesterol and saturated fat in the diet. (Saturated fat, usually hard at room temperature, is found more often in animal products--such as meat, milk and egg yolks--than in plant products.)

Men usually have higher cholesterol counts than women. Women have more of a desirable type of cholesterol called HDLs (for high-density lipoproteins), as opposed to the villainous LDLs (low-density lipoproteins), the kind associated with heart problems. In part because of their higher HDL counts, women have about one-third the chance of developing heart disease compared to men.

Blood cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams per deciliter (a tenth of a liter, or about three ounces). Blood cholesterol levels tend to rise with age in this country, perhaps because of the large amounts of saturated fats we consume. Generally speaking, any count below 200 milligrams is considered safe; and persons 40 years and older with blood cholesterol above 260 are at high risk and should be treated.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute says that people with blood cholesterol over 260 have four times the risk of developing heart disease as those with a level of 190 or lower.
Public health officials are concerned that the public hasn't taken the warning about the cholesterol connection to heart, so to speak.

The NIH consensus statement recommends that all Americans over the age of 2 adopt a diet that reduces fat and cholesterol intake. Health experts note that few people bother to have their cholesterol and triglyceride levels checked regularly. They would like people to know their current cholesterol levels as well as, or (for those poor in arithmetic) better than, their checkbook balances, and they would like physicians to make measuring blood cholesterol a regular practice with their patients.

Cholesterol and triglyceride levels can sometimes be controlled by drugs. However, the side effects from the drugs are often quite bothersome. Further, an American Medical Association report recommends diet therapy be tried first, saying it is more effective.

And, the report adds, "Diet therapy is generally safer than drug therapy and, when successful, may preclude it."

While diet therapy seeks to lower LDL levels in the blood, studies show that exercise helps to increase the ratio of HDLs in the bloodstream. It is believed that HDLs help rid the body of cholesterol. HDL levels are expressed in proportion to LDL levels; a ratio of at least 1 to 3 is considered desirable.

The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute is launching a multi-million-dollar, long-term public education program to help Americans become more familiar with their blood cholesterol levels and reduce their fat and cholesterol intakes. Americans consume some 300 to 500 milligrams of cholesterol a day, down from 700 milligrams a few years ago.

The experts would like to see us cut that average to no more than 300 milligrams a day. A reduction in total fat consumption is also recommended. Today we consume about 40 percent of our calories in fat. The experts want us to reduce that intake to 30 percent fat and to decrease the amount coming from saturated fat.

An analysis of diet information compiled between 1976 and 1980 by the National Center for Health Statistics gives some indication of where we get our cholesterol. The study, headed by Gladys Block, Ph.D., of the National Center Institute, found that one-third comes from eggs (the average egg has 270 milligrams).

Other leading sources were: beef steaks and beef roasts, more than 8 percent; hamburgers, cheeseburgers and meatloaf. more than 7; whole milk and whole milk beverages, more than 5; hot dogs, ham and lunch meats, over 4 percent; and pork chops and roasts, better than 3 percent of our daily cholesterol intake.

Block and her associates figured that ground beef meals (hamburgers, cheeseburgers and meat loaf) contributed the most saturated fat to the diet (9.3 percent of the total saturated fat consumed in a day), followed closely by whole milk and whole milk products (9.1 percent).

Slightly less than half the saturated fat in the diet, they calculated, came from the following foods: ground beef; milk; beef steaks and roasts; hot dogs, ham and lunch meats; doughnuts, cookies and cake; eggs; pork, including chops and roasts; and butter.

Some trade-offs are involved in a heart-healthy diet. Beef liver, for example, is high in cholesterol--440 milligrams for a 3-1/2-ounce serving, but the American Heart Association recommends eating it at least once a month because of high levels of beneficial nutrients

Low Cholesterol Diet

2008-04-17T20:29:00.000-07:00

Low Cholesterol Diet
by Peter Emerson

Nowadays, cholesterol is becoming a real threat to many people.

The main reason behind this is that people tend to consume more products that are rich in saturated fats, such as whole milk dairy products, poultry, and egg yolks.

Additionally, most people also rely on food chains for their daily diet or perhaps on processed foods, especially if their schedule is too hectic to accommodate home cooking.

So if you are one of these people who love to eat these kinds of foods, it’s time to reassess your diet and start eating a low-cholesterol diet.

The low-cholesterol diet is a diet low in saturated fat, which helps lower your cholesterol level and protect you from various heart diseases.

The foods that should be included in this diet are fat-free dairy products, lean meats, fish and shellfish, skinless poultry, and whole-grain foods.

Fresh fruits and green vegetables, especially when combined with large quantities of olive oil and monostaturates, should also be included because these are rich in vitamins and minerals that are good for your body and reduce your risk for high cholesterol.

In addition to these, certain foods that contain plant stanols or plant sterols such as cholesterol-lowering margarines and salad dressings can also be added to your diet to boost your body’s LDL-lowering power.

Meanwhile, foods that are high in cholesterol and saturated fats should only be eaten in moderation. If possible, these should not be included in your diet.

Avoid liver and other organ meats, egg yolks, full-fat dairy products, high-fat processed meats, and fried foods.

Limiting the intake of these foods can greatly reduce your cholesterol levels and decrease your chances of developing heart disease, as well as protect you from future heart attacks.

A simple low-cholesterol diet is a big help to you, but only if you observe and follow these guidelines regularly.

Remember that your health is in your hands

Basic Information About Cholesterol

2008-04-09T21:55:00.000-07:00

Basic Information About Cholesterol
by Lindsay Fox

Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that is found in every cell of the body. It is involved in the production of cell membranes, some hormones, vitamin D, bile acids, and other tissues in the body. It also insulates nerves. Cholesterol is produced in the liver, but we also get cholesterol from our diet.

The amount of cholesterol in the body depends on factors such as the rate of cholesterol production in the liver, the rate of cholesterol clearance from the body, the amount of dietary fat (particularly saturated fat) and to a lesser extent, cholesterol consumed.

The excess cholesterol in our body circulates in the bloodstream. High levels of cholesterol in the blood can clog blood vessels and increase the risk fro heart disease and stroke.

Different types of Cholesterol

Low-Density Lipoprotein (or LDL) cholesterol is a bad type of cholesterol that is most likely to clog blood vessels, increasing you risk for heart disease.
High-Density Lipoprotein (or HDL) cholesterol is a good type of cholesterol. HDL cholesterol helps clear the LDL cholesterol out of the blood and reduces your risk for heart disease.

Cholesterol & Heart Disease

High cholesterol is one of the major contributors to heart disease. Research strongly indicates that lowering of cholesterol leads to a drop in the occurrence of heart disease.

The main reason for this is because with less blood cholesterol, there is less plaque formation within the arterial walls.

This will reduce the chances or an artery becoming blocked and causing a heart attack or stroke.

Also, blood will flow through arteries with greater ease and this can lower blood pressure.

Reasons which lead to a Rise in Cholesterol:

Poor eating habits
Smoking
Excess weight or Obesity
Heredity factor
Daily Stress
Over Alcohol consumption

Ways to control or lessen Cholesterol:

Good eating habits
It is very important to follow good eating habits in order to lower your cholesterol.

Regular exercising
Experts recommend at least 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity five days a week for at least 12 weeks for significant cholesterol reduction.

Weight loss and maintaining it
You can lower your LDL (“bad cholesterol”) and elevate your HDL (“good cholesterol”) just by dropping some pounds

source :
http://www.ezinearticles.com/?Basic-Information-About-Cholesterol&id=149286

Switching To A Low Cholesterol Diet

2008-03-26T00:16:00.007-07:00

Switching To A Low Cholesterol Diet by Javier Fuller

Who doesn't crave for health? Who doesn't want to have his sandwich with an extra layer of mayonnaise without caring about the girth around the waist? And who doesn't want to stop thinking about what to eat and what not to?

Surely, in addition to all that, we also want to have rippling muscles.

But leave that for later because in today's hectic life it's difficult to find time and energy for a regular jog, let alone pumping iron Arnie style.

If I were to advise adopting a healthy lifestyle I am sure it would sound like an oft-suggested-never-followed kind of an advise, which it surely is.

But the fact is, nothing helps better than a healthy lifestyle with some form of regular physical activity thrown in.

It not only keeps one fit but also helps reduce one's risk of disease, especially heart ailments. Cholesterol is considered to be the erring element.

One of the effective ways to reduce blood cholesterol is to combine regular physical activity with low cholesterol diet.

A diet with low cholesterol may include foods with high fiber and vitamin content, and must be low on fat.

Now going low on fat does not mean that you shun fat altogether because fat is an important requirement for the healthy functioning of the body.

They help the body in digestion and excretion.As indicated earlier, a low fat diet alone will not be sufficient to substantially reduce your chances of a heart stroke.

For that you must exercise a bit. This is not to say that you join the fancy neighborhood gym. Exercise may just comprise of half an hour of brisk walking or light jogging in the morning or in the evening.

Mornings are better because at that time the air has more oxygen which is healthy for every single cell in your body.

That's the reason why nothing matches a morning of vigorous activity.

Cut down on smoking and if possible quit it. Moderate drinking may not be harmful but if you tend to get carried away and often cross the delicate boundary between light and heavy drinking, it's better that you keep clear of alcohol altogether.

For those who have a family history of cholesterol related problems it is important to be extra cautious, as they are more likely to have cholesterol accumulation.

Switching to a low cholesterol diet helps one reduce one's chances of a stroke and pumps more life in every second of life. What more could one ask for

Why Is Hdl Cholesterol Considered Good

2008-03-26T00:16:00.006-07:00

Why Is Hdl Cholesterol Considered Good by Julia Carmichael

While cholesterol has been a health concern for many years, researchers are just beginning to learn about the so called good and bad cholesterol.

In fact, it seems it is almost as important to raise your good cholesterol as it is to lower your bad cholesterol.

To understand why it is important to raise your good cholesterol, you must first understand its function.

Once you understand how important this good cholesterol is for you, you may want to learn some proven ways to raise your levels of good cholesterol.

This Cholesterol Causes Heart DiseaseFirst, good cholesterol's technical name is high density lipoprotein or HDL cholesterol.

Second, cholesterol in itself it neither good nor bad, it depends on which type carrier the cholesterol happens to be.

With HDL cholesterol, this cholesterol is being taken away from the heart and arteries to the liver where the cholesterol is broken down and excreted from the body

Bad cholesterol, on the other hand, is the type that builds up in your arteries and causes heart disease and heart attack.

Some researchers believe the HDL cholesterol not only carries cholesterol away from your heart, but may help clean bad cholesterol out of your arteries.

Ideally, you should try to raise your good cholesterol level if you want to have a healthy heart. A high HDL cholesterol level is considered to be 60 mg/dl or above.

If you can reach this level of 60 mg/dl or above, researchers believe you can offset other causes that put you at risk for heart disease.

While 60 mg/dl is a good level to aim for, you should have at least 30 mg/dl or above if you are a woman or 40 mg/dl or above if you are a man.

Drinking Your Way to HDL Cholesterol If your HDL cholesterol level is not as high as you would like for it to be, you are in luck, there are some steps you can take to increase your good cholesterol level.

These include getting more aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise includes walking, jogging, swimming and bike riding. Losing weight can also help to increase your levels of good cholesterol.

You should also stop smoking and cut Trans fatty acids out of your diet. Trans fatty acids are found in prepackaged foods and fried fast foods.

Another way to raise your HDL cholesterol is to have a drink or two each day.

While too much alcohol can be bad for your heart, scientists have found that 1-2 drinks daily can raise your HDL cholesterol. Adding more soluble fiber to your diet can also help to raise your good cholesterol.

Healthy Choices To Lower Your Cholesterol

2008-03-26T00:16:00.005-07:00

Healthy Choices To Lower Your Cholesterol by smgenie

Heart disease and stroke are often triggered by high cholesterol in the blood. Lowering your cholesterol for some is just a matter of changing your diet.

Others may need to diet and the help of medications prescribed by their doctor.

Either way, lowering your cholesterol can save your life.Changing your diet to lose weight is not the same as changing your diet to control your cholesterol level.

While losing weight will certainly improve your health, you also need to monitor your diet to exclude foods that are causing your high cholesterol levels.

Monitoring your diet does not mean giving up all the foods you love.

Many foods are healthy and good for you. For instance, a good variety of fruits and vegetables (with five or more servings per day), grain products like bread, cereal, rice, and pasta (choose six or more servings per day).

In addition, lean meats and poultry ( without skin and up to 6 ounces per day), fat-free and low fat milk , beans and peas , nuts and seeds in limited amounts, and fatty fish ( which can be baked or broiled , but limited to 2-3 servings per week ).

You should use vegetable oils like olive oil or corn oil when preparing your foods. There is also a large assortment of spices to give your food that extra pizzazz.

There are a number of foods you should omit from your diet if you want to lower your cholesterol. Whole milk and ice cream should be avoided.

Additionally, butter, egg yolks, and cheese and foods that include them should be removed from your diet.

Finally, organ meats like liver, high-fat processed meats (like sausage and hot dogs), and limit your intake of fried foods.Eating healthier involves knowing how to prepare your foods and changing your diet.

If you are not able to lower your cholesterol by diet and exercise alone, your doctor may have to prescribe medication.

Dieting and eating healthier to lower your cholesterol will improve your quality of life and significantly reduce your risk of other health problems.

High cholesterol is a serious health problem, and you can take action to avoid further health complications.

Confusion Between Fat And Cholesterol

2008-03-26T00:16:00.004-07:00

Confusion Between Fat And Cholesterol by Ng Peng Hock

It appears that many people still confuse with fat and cholesterol in diet. A friend of mine once told me that peanut has no fat but it has cholesterol.

Very often, people voice their concern and make some confusing statement, such as don’t take coconut milk, it is high in cholesterol.

High blood cholesterol has been identified as a major risk factor for heart disease, which causes many people to avoid cholesterol from foods.

Many have confusingly argued that a low-fat diet is also low in cholesterol, which can be considered only half right.

What is cholesterol? It is a fat-like substance. It is definitely not a fat as its chemical structure is different from fat and it functions differently from fats.

Cholesterol is part of all body cells, some hormones as well as bile (which helps the body to digest and absorb fat in the digestive tract).

Cholesterol in the blood comes from two sources: liver and food. Liver is the factory that produces almost all cholesterol required in the body.

Cholesterol can only be found in foods of animal origin but fat exists in nearly all foods. Plants do not produce cholesterol as they do not have livers.

The good (HDL) or bad (LDL) cholesterol do not relate to food, they only refer to those in our body. Cholesterol in diet may raise blood cholesterol level for some people, but fats in diet definitely have a much significant effect, especially the saturated fats.

Fat is nutrient that human need as it provides essential fatty acids which body cannot produce and helps carry fat-soluble vitamins (such A, D, E, K) in the blood. Fat also produces energy (or calories) needed for physical activities as well as the basic body metabolism.

When consumed excessively, however, fat contributes to weight gain.There are three types of fats, namely saturated, unsaturated, and poly fats.

You can refer to my article tiled "A Simple Way to Understand Fats". Scientific studies showed that high fat diet is a possible cause of heart disease.

Saturated fat increases blood cholesterol levels and builds up deposits on the arteries while unsaturated fat helps to lower blood cholesterol levels and reduces the cholesterol deposits on the arteries.

Trans fat found in vegetable oils has almost the same effect as saturated fat, except that they not only increase LDL but also lower HDL.The best way to avoid heart disease is to cut down unwanted fats and cholesterol from your diet

Vitamins Help To Lower Cholesterol

2008-03-26T00:16:00.000-07:00

Vitamins Help To Lower Cholesterol by Darrell Miller-1603

Vitamins help to lower cholesterol are now a proven fact. This kind of over-the-counter supplement contains no chemicals of any type.

It is a natural method in achieving lower cholesterol without negative side effects or prolonged issues.

Doctors have been providing chemical medication for this condition for as long as possible. They are beginning to realize this type of cure is only hindering a person's ability to actually maintain a healthy system.

There are several kinds of vitamins that can greatly reduce cholesterol and be healthy as well. An individual may have been battling with this problem for many years without a solid solution.

Each person's body controls their issues differently. Some doctor prescribed medication may seem to be doing the trick. Nevertheless, the more chemicals that are placed in the body the more out of whack it may become.

Every person desires to have an overall collective healthy immune system. They want to live longer and stay with their loved ones.

With these vitamins help to lower cholesterol, an individual will be able to do that without worry on what the chemicals are doing to their body.

There are several types of vitamins that a person can achieve that will assist them greatly in achieving lower cholesterol without damaging other parts of their body.

There are vitamins in pill format that a person can obtain and take daily to assist in an over-all more healthy body and immune system.

Cholest-response is a vitamin designed to directly lower the cholesterol in one's body. This can be found throughout the internet and at local health foods stores or supermarket.

Niacin is another supplement that has been proven effectively to reduce the bad cholesterol in one's system. This type of supplement is extraordinary for individual's that do not wish to add unnatural chemicals into their body.

Red Yeast Rice is a supplement that is designed to lower cholesterol safely and effectively. Every individual can find this type of vitamins throughout health food stores around the internet.

There are various herbal medications that are safe and effective for this type of problem. It is vital to read all the information that is provided and talk to a person's doctor before beginning this type of control

Garlic is believed to be the cure-all vitamin of the century. This can be eating in large amounts on food and even taken in a vitamin pill format.

Everyone enjoys garlic on their foods; however a person may not be receiving all the benefits from this alone. An individual will be able to find garlic supplements in their health foods stores or supermarkets.

Almonds are a fantastic method in a lower cholesterol solution.

They not only taste fantastic and go with every meal type from main course to deserts; they will also assist an individual in reducing unwanted issues from their systems.

Oatmeal not only tastes fantastic, warms the body up on cold days and fills the stomach; this meal that everyone loves is filled with vitamins that can lower cholesterol. Various types of beans are proven to lower cholesterol without massive side-effects.

If a person eats these 2 to 4 times a week, the body will show signs of improvement. Foods that have an abundance of vitamins B, C and E will assist a person in lower cholesterol that is unhealthy.

These foods can included but are not limited to oranges, peppers, broccoli and strawberries.There are various side-effects and issues that are associated with prescribed medication.

These pills can begin to develop liver issues, stomach problems and immune system breakdown. It is vital to lower cholesterol for an over-all happy and healthy body.

Vitamins can do with just as well if not better than all prescription drugs on the market. Every person can enjoy the vitamins inside the supplements or their favorite foods.

An individual can located valuable information on the internet concerning the types of vitamins an individual needs to lower their cholesterol and to manage it for the future.

Cholesterol: Good Or Bad

2008-03-25T23:56:00.000-07:00

Cholesterol: Good Or Bad by Jeff Foster

These days when it comes to your diet it seems that everything is free... not in the sense that it costs nothing; rather that it is free of something that you don't need anyway.

On your next trip to buy groceries, take a look at just about any product and see what they are offering for free.You've got all kinds of choices of fat free yogurt, look at all your choices of fat free foods, oils that are cholesterol free, and on and on.

Don't get me wrong... this is not necessarily a bad trend. We all know that we have to be more concious about what we put into our bodies.

But, let us not assume that everything that is free is therefore also healthy. Our bodies need a variety of compounds in order to completely function at a healthy level.

Take cholesterol for example. Very simply put, cholesterol is a fatty substance that occurs naturally in your body.

It is a product of the liver that is enabled by foods that you eat that are rich in saturated fat.If you've heard anything these days about cholesterol you've probably heard the terms 'good cholesterol' and 'bad cholesterol'.

Just as the terms imply there is the cholesterol that your body needs to function and there is the cholesterol that if present in too high of levels can damage your blood vessels and lead to heart problems or stroke.

Cholesterol - At a glance:Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) is the "bad" cholesterol. Think of the 'L' being low life or bad. This is the substance in which cholesterol is carried into the blood and is the primary cause of the fatty build up that causes problems in the arteries.

High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) is the “good” cholesterol. Think of the 'H' as being the happy cholesterol or good natured. This cholesterol carries the cholesterol back to the liver where it can be filtered for elimination and prevent the build up in the arteries.

Essentially what you should know is that your body does need cholesterol. It is used to repair cells, to produce hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, and is converted to aid in digestion.

So, you don't want to just arbitrarily jump on a complete cholesterol free diet. As with any dietary consideration and change you should work with your healthcare provider to arrive at the best and healthiest long term solution

Reduce Your Cholesterol With Natural Supplements

2008-03-25T23:41:00.002-07:00

Reduce Your Cholesterol With Natural Supplements by Darrell Miller-1603

Because of the great efforts of the American Heart Association and other similar organizations, we have gained a lot of knowledge on cholesterol and its effects on our health. We know that high cholesterol levels increase our risk for heart attacks and strokes. We also know that lowering our cholesterol levels will reduce this risk and keep our hearts and blood vessels healthy. Additionally, we know that diet, weight loss, and exercise can help us lower our cholesterol levels. Prescription drugs that lower cholesterol have recently become available and advertised by pharmaceutical companies. However, these medications have some serious side effects including myopathy, reduction in CoQ10 levels, which can lead to heart disease, and rhabdomyaolysis, a rare, but fatal condition. Fortunately, there is a safe alternative to these prescription medications, pantethine and plant sterols, which are also known as phytosterols, are nature’s solution to high cholesterol levels

Cholesterol, a soft, waxy, fat-like substance, is found in every cell of the body. It is needed to help digest fats, strengthen cell membranes, insulate nerves, and make hormones. Made primarily by the liver, our body makes all the cholesterol that we actually need, but we also get additional cholesterol from the foods that we eat. The highest sources of cholesterol are egg yolks and organ meats including liver and kidney. Peanut butter, avocado, and all other plant-derived foods contain no cholesterol. However, all foods from animal sources do contain cholesterol. Even though cholesterol is responsible for many important functions in the body, too much cholesterol in the bloodstream can be very dangerous. Once blood cholesterol has reached high levels, it builds up on artery walls, and therefore increases the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke. Because the heart is a muscle, it needs a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients. The bloodstream, which transports these nutrients to the heart through coronary arteries, cannot transport the oxygen if the arteries become narrowed or clogged by cholesterol and fat deposits. Depending on the severity, this can result in coronary heart disease, angina, or heart attack.

Because cholesterol and other fats can’t dissolve in the blood, they can’t travel on their own. Instead, they are transported to and from cells by special carriers called lipoproteins. There are two major lipoproteins: low density lipoproteins (LDL) or “bad” cholesterol, and high density lipoproteins (HDL) or “good” cholesterol. LDLs cause atherosclerosis because they clog up our arteries with the continual buildup of fat. On the other hand, HDL prevents fat buildup by carrying it away from the arteries to the liver, where it can be processed and eliminated.

Triglycerides, which are fats used as fuel by the body, can make the blood more sluggish and less capable of transporting oxygen when in high amounts. There are many medications prescribed by physicians for people with elevated triglyceride levels. Some of the most effective, and most harmful, are the statins. The all-natural combination of pantethine and plant sterols can safely lower triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels, while increasing HDL cholesterol

Pantethine, which is a form of pantothenic acid that is found in liver, salmon, and yeast, is known for its ability to lower cholesterol by blocking its production. The production of cholesterol in the human body is a very complex process, involving many biochemical reactions and enzyme activity. Pantethine inhibits several of these enzymes, blocking the activity of those coenzymes involved in cholesterol synthesis by about 50%. To compensate for the lowered cholesterol production, the liver pulls LDL out of the bloodstream, resulting in a lower total cholesterol level.

Plant sterols, which are the fats of plants, are found in nuts, vegetable oils, corn, and rice. They are structurally very similar to cholesterol and are therefore able to act as a stand in for cholesterol and block its absorption, causing it to be eventually excreted. If we eat enough plant sterols, the amount of cholesterol transported from the intestinal tract to the liver is greatly reduced. And, just like pantethine’s effect on the liver, this cholesterol reduction causes the liver to pull LDL cholesterol out of the blood, which reduces both total and LDL cholesterol levels.

Because the plant sterol and pantethine found in food just aren’t enough to have much of an effect on our health, we need to take a concentrated combination of pantethine and plant sterols in just the right ratio. Plant sterols, which are bound in fibers in the plants, can not be adequately consumed even if we ate lots of raw fruits and vegetables. There are also several forms of plant sterols, with some ratios of these plant sterols being more beneficial than others. While pantethine is found in several food sources, it is hard to get beneficial amounts from our food. Manufacturers of high quality nutritional supplements offer pantethine and plant sterols in the most beneficial ratio, proven by research. The best results are found when taking a combination of 400 mg of plant sterols and 200 mg of pantethine three times a day. Recent studies have shown that lowering cholesterol in people without heart disease can greatly reduce their risk for ever developing CHD, along with heart attacks and atherosclerosis. This is also true for those with high cholesterol levels and for those with average cholesterol levels. Most physicians would never consider prescribing statin drugs to people without actual heart disease or high cholesterol levels because of the many health risks of the drugs. However, the combination of pantethine and plant sterols are very effective in helping those people with heart disease, high cholesterol levels, high triglyceride levels, as well as those just wanting the extra health insurance for their hearts. Pantethine and plant sterols are both very safe. Although some people may experience a mild upset stomach when first taking pantethine, taking the combination of pantethine and plant sterols with meals can usually solve this problem. Pantethine and plant sterols are available at your local or internet vitamin store

Heart Disease And Cholesterol

2008-03-25T23:41:00.001-07:00

Heart Disease And Cholesterol by Keefe Figgatt

The medical community has long believed that high cholesterol levels are linked to heart disease. Few will dispute this belief, but there are other factors that can lead to severe and even fatal heart conditions.

Medical experts who took part in the Framingham Heart Study determined that high blood cholesterol is one of the factors leading to coronary heart disease or CHD.

Results of this study showed that people with higher cholesterol levels were also more likely to have coronary heart disease. In fact, it's unusual for people with low cholesterol to suffer from CHD.

The connection between high blood cholesterol and heart disease was also confirmed by another group of experts, whose studies showed that lowering the total LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) level could drastically reduce coronary heart disease.

A recent series of cholesterol trials using statin drugs showed that lowering both total and LDL cholesterol levels could greatly reduce the chance of experiencing heart attack, angioplasty (a surgical bypass) or death due to coronary heart disease-related causes.

Other factors, in addition to high cholesterol levels, can increase the risk of developing heart disease. Some of these factors can be lowered with relatively simple diet, medication or lifestyle changes, but others cannot be altered.

As you present more combined risk factors, you face a greater likelihood of experiencing heart disease.

The greatest unchangeable risk factors are as follows:

* Age (55 and over for women, 45 and over for men)

* Family medical history. If you have parents or a sibling who died from heart disease at the ages stated above, you face a higher risk

There are some risk factors that you have the power to change.

They are:

* High total cholesterol and high LDL or "bad" cholesterol poses a risk. You can also lower your HDL or "good" cholesterol levels

* Reduce your blood pressure

* Quit smoking

* Manage your diabetes. Diabetics face a higher risk of developing heart disease

* Take part in physical activity

* Lose weight. Obesity and excess weight increases your riskIf you possess one or more of these high-risk factors, see your physician for ways to take action and reduce the risk of heart attack.

Some experts insist that high blood cholesterol and heart disease are somewhat connected. Others, on the other hand, hold that too much animal fat resulting in high cholesterol contributes to heart disease.

These experts argue that there is no such thing as "good" and "bad" cholesterol.

They believe that mental stress, physical activity and a change in body weight may influence the level of the blood cholesterol, and that high blood cholesterol is not dangerous but simply a reflection of an unhealthy condition.

While the experts may disagree on the factors of cholesterol and heart disease, everyone can agree that we all need to reduce our risks and increase our quality of life

High Cholesterol Something We Can Change

2008-03-25T23:41:00.000-07:00

High Cholesterol Something We Can Change
by Lac Tran

High cholesterol levels are mainly caused by our bodies’ inability to deal with high-fat diets. Humans exercised regularly and consumed a low-fat diet for millennia.

We now have easy access to fatty and high cholesterol foods, and often our lives are sedentary. The result - 1 in 3 people in the US have high cholesterol - is inevitable.High cholesterol raises your chances of getting coronary heart disease.

If you lower cholesterol, you lower the overall risk for developing heart disease or having a heart attack

If you have high cholesterol levels, cholesterol can be deposited in your coronary arteries as a plaque, where it constricts the flow of blood and contributes to coronary heart disease.

When you lower cholesterol, you can slow, stop, and reverse the buildup of plaque. When you lower cholesterol, you also reduce your risk of a heart attack.

Even in people who have already suffered a heart attack, the chances of having future attacks can be substantially reduced if they lower cholesterol.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance, a kind of lipid packaged inside a lipoprotein that your body needs to produce certain hormones, digestive bile, and vitamin D.

A large amount of brain tissue is made up of cholesterol as it insulates the nerves. You need cholesterol to live.There are two main types of cholesterol: LDL, or low density lipoprotein (also called “bad” cholesterol), and HDL, or high density lipoprotein (also called “good” cholesterol).

If you want to lower cholesterol, you look at the total of LDL added to HDL, but you also look at individual levels of LDL and HDL. *You want to lower LDL and total cholesterol, and raise HDL.

Often people with high cholesterol also have high triglycerides, another type of lipid. Lifestyle changes that lower cholesterol, lower triglycerides as well, and all this together improves overall health.

To discover whether you need to lower cholesterol, you need a “fasting lipid profile,” or cholesterol test. Ask your physician for a test if you think you may have high cholesterol.

There are 10 good ways to lower cholesterol:

1. Reduce weight if you are overweight.

2. Eat six or more meals/snacks in small portions and well-spaced throughout the day.

3. Eat monosaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as canola and olive oils, nuts and seeds.

4. Eat legumes, low- or non-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and other high-fiber foods.

5. Reduce saturated-fat foods such as meats, cheese, butter, baked goods, fried foods; high cholesterol foods such as butter, cheese, and meats; trans-fat foods such as processed foods with partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils.

6. Fast three hours before bedtime.

7. Drink lots of water.

8. Exercise daily to manage stress

9. Follow your doctor’s advice regarding medication.

10. Take supplements that lower cholesterol.

Heart disease kills more men and women in the U.S. than any other disease. Over one million Americans have heart attacks annually; half a million people die from heart disease.

The 1994 study, “Scandinavian Simvastatin Survival Study,” found that lowering cholesterol can prevent heart attacks and reduce death in men and women who already have heart disease and high cholesterol.

High cholesterol is usually something we can change, and during the process of change we become healthier.

Plant Fats Reduce Cholesterol

2008-03-25T23:30:00.000-07:00

Plant Fats Reduce Cholesterol by Ethan Miller

New research published last October in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association suggests that patients with high cholesterol who are take high-dose statin drugs may reduce the damage to their hearts by supplementing their diets with foods rich in plant sterols.

High cholesterol -- hypercholesterolaemia –causes cardiovascular disease. Heart disease causes 50 percent of deaths in Europe, and costs the EU $202 billion each year

The new research confirms previous studies by claiming that patients with high cholesterol can reduce their cholesterol levels by 8 to 17 percent by consuming 1.5 to 3 grams of plant sterols or stanols every day, which translates to a reduction in the risk of heart disease.

Researchers from the University Medical Centre Utrecht and the University of Wageningen in the Netherlands studied 20 hypercholesterolaemic patients who took the daily maximum dose of statin drugs -- atorvastatin or simvastatin, 80 mg.

The study split the participants into two groups: the first received 3 grams of plant stanol-enriched margarine per day (Johnson & Johnson brand Benecol) for six weeks, and the second group received stanol-free margarine each day for six weeks.

Both margarines contained 62 percent fat. At the end of the trial, the group given stanol-enriched margarine had a 9.9 percent reduction in plasma cholesterol and a 15.6 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol. Their levels of apolipoprotein B (ApoB) -- responsible for transporting cholesterol to tissues -- dropped by 10.8 percent.

Conversely, the control group only experienced a 7.7 percent reduction in LDL cholesterol levels. Total cholesterol remained the same, and ApoB levels fell by 6.8 percent. "Intensive dietary intervention with addition of plant stanols results in clinically relevant reduction of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in patients optimally treated with statins, compared with similar patients on statins receiving only standard care," the researchers wrote.

Mike Adams, author of "Grocery Warning," says this research should indicate to patients that plant stanols and sterols can actually replace statin drugs

"Statin drugs are dangerous chemicals that can produce extremely harmful -- even fatal -- side effects," Adams said. "Replacing them with plant-based medicines under the care of a naturopathic physician can greatly improve the health of patients while greatly reducing the cost of their treatment." Source: Newtarget.com

Some of these cholesterol lowering drugs have negative side effects such as memory loss, muscle fatigue, CoQ10 deficiency, vitamin D deficiency, sex hormone depletion and adrenal depletion.

This research confirms what naturalists have been telling the health industry for a decade. It is not eating fat that increases cholesterol. Eating animal fat increases cholesterol. In fact, switching from animal fat to plant fat can actually lower cholesterol.

Plant fats from avocados, almonds, pecans, peanuts, chia seeds, olive oil, coconut oil, macadamia nut oil, and so on. If it's from the plant world, the fat is good for you – in moderation.

The trick is to eat ‘raw’ fats, not cooked fats. One serving of raw almonds a day can reduce the risk of heart attacks or stroke by 53 percent, according to the research quoted by Mike Adams.

And raw nuts and seeds offer plenty of calcium, to replace dairy products. Chia seeds and almonds are both good sources of calcium.

The medical community is working toward finding healthy methods of lowering cholesterol but self-empowerment and personal responsibility is still the defining factor in survival rates