22 November 2013

Why Do We Need To Worry About Our High Cholesterol Levels

By: - Michael Bennet

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Table of Contents Topics

Introduction of High Cholesterol Level Different Types of Cholesterol: Interpretations of Cholesterol Numbers: What are the Causes of High Cholesterol? How Cholesterol Affects Our Health? Control High Cholesterol with Natural Remedies: Secondly, prop up with enough exercise: Lastly, the credit from some herbal remedies:

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High Cholesterol Levels

High cholesterol is a health related concern about which very few people are utterly aware and therefore needs to be tackled in detail. High cholesterol is actually a devastating health issue which creeps up on you without showing any early symptom. It is a common health problem for many Americans and one in six individual appeared to have borderline high cholesterol levels. This statistics may make you think that since it is too common, it wont be having serious health risks. But you are absolutely wrong here. High blood cholesterol levels increase your risk of blood vessel diseases and heart diseases such as coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke. Its a great hitch in staying healthy and long life. But did you know that cholesterol is actually a nutrient required by our body to carry out various functions and its the level of specific type of cholesterol which is to be blamed. Yes, high amount of bad cholesterol, also known as low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the culprit.

Different Types of Cholesterol:

Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) made by our body and is also obtained after eating foods such as meat, eggs and dairy products. Its essential for good health and serves the body with different roles such as synthesizing hormones, helping cell membranes to maintain integrity and making up brain cells and not to mention that cholesterol is found in every cell in our body. Cholesterol is transported throughout our body by attaching with a protein in the blood and this combination of fat and protein is called as lipoprotein. Based on the proportion of fat and protein, there are different types of lipoprotein. 1. High density lipoprotein (HDL): In our body, small amount of cholesterol is transported as HDL in which more of protein and less of fat is present. It carries excess cholesterol from walls of arteries and tissues to our liver for clearance. Thus, HDL helps prevent cholesterol build up in blood vessels and circumvents the further risks. And so is often referred as good (HDL) cholesterol. Low density lipoprotein (LDL): Most of the cholesterol in our body is transported as LDL which contains more of fat and less of protein . LDL takes away cholesterol from our liver to the other cells of the body. It causes cholesterol build up in the blood vessels which upsurges the risk of cardiovascular disease. Thus, LDL is often denoted as bad cholesterol. Triglycerides (TG): Its a third type of lipid that mostly comes from fats that we ingest via food. Energy or nutrients from the food which is not used immediately by the body is converted into triglycerides. These triglycerides get transported to fat cells for storage which provides us with an important source of stored energy.

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Although most triglycerides are stored as fat, low levels are found in our blood which can be harmful if certain level is crossed. Increased levels of triglycerides in combination with high LDL in our blood can increase risk of heart diseases. And if you have diabetes, hypertension or smoking habit, the risk is doubled. The ratio of high cholesterol and total cholesterol is very important as far as the risk of heart diseases is concerned. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), the most desirable ratio is at least 5:1 which means if our total cholesterol is 250, our good cholesterol should be 50. And the ideal cholesterol ratio is about 3.5:1. The key is to aim for high levels of HDL or good cholesterol and low levels of LDL or bad cholesterol. And having a right type of cholesterol also matters a lot in addition to having lower cholesterol.

Interpretations of Cholesterol Numbers:

Cholesterol levels can be interpreted as milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter (dL) of blood in the USA and other countries while they are interpreted as millimoles (mmol) per liter (L) of blood in Canada and most European countries. Lets take a look at numbers and their interpretations for the above four t ypes of cholesterol. About Bad Cholesterol: LDL cholesterol mg/dL (US) Below 70 Below 100 100-129 130-159 160-189 190 and above LDL cholesterol mmol/L (Canada) Below 1.8 Below 2.6 2.6-3.3 3.4-4.1 4.1-4.9 Above 4.9 Interpretation Ideal for people at very high risk of heart disease Ideal for people at risk of heart disease Near ideal Borderline high High Very high

About Good Cholesterol: HDL cholesterol mg/dL (US) Below 40 (men) Below 50 (women) 40-49 (men) 50-59 (women) 60 and above About Triglycerides: Triglycerides mg/dL (US) Below 150 150-199 200-499 500 and above Triglycerides mmol/L (Canada) Below 1.7 1.7-2.2 2.3-5.6 5.6 and above Interpretation Desirable Borderline high High Very high HDL cholesterol mmol/L (Canada) Below 1 (men) Below 1.3 (women) 1-1.3 (men) 1.3-1.5 (women) 1.6 and above Interpretation Poor Better Best

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About Total Cholesterol: Total cholesterol mg/dL (US) Below 200 200-239 240 and above Total cholesterol m mol/L (Canada) Below 5.2 5.2-6.2 Above 6.2 Interpretation Desirable Borderline high High

All these levels are suggested by MayoClinic which suggests that Canadian and European guidelines differ somewhat from U.S. guidelines and above conversions are based on U.S. guidelines. Thus, people should aim to have less than 100 mg/dL of bad cholesterol (under 70 mg/dL if already have heart disease problem), 60 mg/dL or higher of good cholesterol and less than 150 mg/dL of triglycerides.

What are the Causes of High Cholesterol?

High cholesterol doesnt show up by itself as a normal process of our body but several factors contribute to the increased levels of cholesterol. And many of these factors are modifiable which means you can improve on them to lessen the ill effects. So, let us list these factors; Eating foods which are high in saturated fats such as animal fats, cheese, butter, processed meats and nuts No physical activity or having a sedentary lifestyle Being overweight or obese where body mass index (BMI) is equal to or more than 30 Drinking too much alcohol that leads to toxic effects and also upsurges the level of triglycerides Smoking Uncontrolled diabetes, some kidney and liver diseases or underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) can also increase cholesterol levels

Well, these factors can be modified with a heedful diet and exercise practice and with other natural remedies. However, factors such as age, gender or family history are not amendable and its just the matter of your fortune. Cholesterol levels may raise with increasing age therefore its prevalence is more in senior individuals who are above 50 years of age than the younger ones. In addition, women who have crossed their menopausal age are more at the risk than the men of same age. When high cholesterol is caused by a condition that runs in a family it is referred as familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). In the United Kingdom, more cases (one in 500) of high cholesterol can be observed due to this condition rather than unhealthy lifestyle. Whereas it could be a reverse case for Americans!

How Cholesterol Affects Our Health?

The root cause behind the worse side of the cholesterol which otherwise is essential to body in order to function properly occurs due to the buildup of low density lipoproteins in the walls of arteries. When more of this cholesterol is unnecessarily present than our body needs, it causes formation of plaque in our arteries. The thick and hard plaque can clog our arteries which avert the sufficient flow and lead to stroke or heart attack. Increased cholesterol and heart attack: When there is a clog in a coronary artery, heart gets too little oxygenated blood. Lack of enough oxygen in the blood causes our heart to become weak and dented. In its more severe form, if the plaque gets broken and opens up, it gives rise to a blood clot on the top of the buildup, further blocking blood flow. Another possibility is blood clot can break off and flow to an artery in other parts of the body. When the clot in the artery feeding our heart gets completely blocked, we end up with a heart attack.

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High cholesterol and stroke: The buildup of plaque can also hinder the flow of blood and oxygen to our brain. And when artery providing blood to our brain gets completely blocked we get a stroke. Despite these health risks of heart diseases many individuals dont give enough importance to testing of cholesterol levels. Probably because it doesnt impart any symptoms or cause any pain and even the health risks of high cholesterol are not instant. But the damage takes place over years of accumulation of cholesterol and high cholesterol in your 20s can start taking its toll in your 40s and 50s. Therefore you shouldnt neglect your high cholesterol levels and have it checked regularly to take proper control over it. Having high cholesterol may not hurt us tomorrow or day after tomorrow but if we dont do something about it, we will surely pay abysmal cost down the road. Taking right steps for controlling high cholesterol then becomes imperative.

Control High Cholesterol with Natural Remedies:

When we go to doctor to examine our cholesterol count, he often prescribes medications like statins to keep the levels low. But drugs can bring together a whole host of problems or side effects and sometimes may not even work efficiently. Therefore unplugging from medicines and plugging into natural remedies is best approach. First comes the food: Foods (bad foods) have the power of increasing our blood cholesterol levels and they have the power of reducing it too. Certain foods can effectively fight high cholesterol levels and these foods are high in fiber and Omega-3 fatty acids. Oats: Having a bowl of oatmeal is a good start to get good amount of soluble fiber in our diet. Oat fibers bind with cholesterol molecules in the intestine and take them out of our body. You can also try soluble fiber from other sources such as fresh Apple, Broccoli, Spinach or Beans such as Pinto Beans. Omega-3 fatty acid rich fish: Omega-3 fats present in fishes such as Salmon, Mackerel, Herring or Halibut offers goodness for your increased cholesterol levels.Omega-3s diminish triglycerides and LDL (bad) cholesterols in the blood. We must opt to have two servings of such fishes for at least two times a week. Nuts: Almonds, macadamia nuts and walnuts helps maintain health of the blood vessels of the heart. Being rich in polyunsaturated fats, they fight against bad cholesterol . Try to have 2 ounces of nuts to reduce cholesterol. Olive oil: Replace unhealthy cooking oils in your kitchen with healthy ones such as olive oil. It is rich in antioxidants which supports the production of good cholesterol. Garlic: Several research studies indicate that garlic help arrest the formation of plaque and clogging of arteries by preventing the attachment of cholesterol molecules to the walls of arteries.

Secondly, prop up with enough exercise:

The link between exercise and reduced cholesterol stems from its weight reducing ability. Because being overweight or obese is the biggest risk factor of high cholesterol. Physical activity also supports the transport of bad cholesterol from blood vessels to the liver and small intestine from where they can be easily eliminated out of the body. We all must follow the principle of 30 minutes of regular exercise that will benefits us control cholesterol and maintain good health. Some researchers also suggest that vigorous type of exercise offers more value than moderate or low intensity exercise.

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Another important aspect of exercise is a mix up of different activities rather than just doing a same activity for 30 minutes daily. Because each offer specific heart health benefit for example, aerobic exercise help us get our heart rate up while strength training help build strong muscles.

Lastly, the credit from some herbal remedies:

Naturally available herbs ranging from Garlic, Guggulipid, fenugreek seeds and leaves, Arjuna, artichoke leaves to yarrow and holy basil offer a positive effect in lowering blood cholesterol levels. Besides these natural herbs, there are several herbal supplements which are prepared by combining different herbs. Abana from Himalaya and Mangosteen from Savesta are two of the renowned cholesterol lowering herbal medicines. Natural ingredients present in Abana effectively reduce LDL, VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) and triglycerides which keeps our cholesterol levels on the right track.

OnlineHerbs is one of the leading online herbal stores to avail these cholesterol lowering herbal remedies. My experience of buying Abana online for my mom was quite good, just see how it works for you and dont forget to post the comments about how you feel it. This is all about cholesterol, its types, effects on health and important natural remedies to control high cholesterol. It must be now clear that why do we need to worry about our high cholesterol levels. So, lets start fighting our high cholesterol levels from today itself!

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Contact US: - support@onlineherbs.com All other logos and trademarks are the property of the respective trademark owners.

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