What Is Cholesterol?

I. What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol  is a fat-like complex, most manufactured by the liver. Our bodies need a certain amount of cholesterol to maintain normal function, but too much is harmful. Every cell in the body contains cholesterol. It is the manufacture of important hormones and vitamins essential substances. Cholesterol and lipoproteins need to be transported to various parts of the body. There are two lipoprotein cholesterol transport, namely low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL).

Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is the culprit causing blood clots, is considered “bad” cholesterol. As for the high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, as cholesterol within the blood vessels to remove, it is considered “good” cholesterol.

II. Where cholesterol come from?

Body’s cells, especially liver cells, can produce cholesterol to maintain normal function, such as the manufacture of hormones and vitamins and so on.

In addition, cholesterol can be absorbed from food. Cholesterol content in different foods, such as Westerners like to eat animal foods, like whole milk, eggs and food oils, are of high cholesterol food. Fat, especially saturated fat, cholesterol levels can lead to even more enhanced. Usually saturated fat from animal food more than poultry and fish. On the other hand, from plant foods are mostly unsaturated fatty acids.

III. What is the relationship of cholesterol and heart disease?

When the body than the body needs cholesterol, it will accumulate in the blood vessel wall, causing blood vessels gradually harden and narrow, but on the surface, the body for a long time does not have any symptoms.

After years and years, deposition of cholesterol in the blood vessel walls, blocking blood vessels becoming more serious, will make the blood flow to vital organs slowly reduced. Therefore, when organs from the blood can not get enough oxygen and nutrients, will be very easy to necrotic.

If the supply of nutrient blood vessels blocking the heart, it is easy to cause coronary heart disease, including angina, myocardial ischemia, myocardial infarction; If the supply of nutrients the brain blood vessel blockage, will be a stroke.

IV. Heart disease common?

Heart disease is the world’s major diseases leading to death one, but if compliance with physician instructions, good diet, exercise control, the risk of heart disease can be greatly reduced.

1.            To prevent high blood pressure

2.            Is the movement to maintain

3.            A regular exercise schedule

4.            To maintain the concentration of cholesterol in moderate

High cholesterol is not uncommon, integrated all over the world statistics show that about fifteen to twenty-five percent of the people, cholesterol concentration above 240mg/dl, in other words, they get the opportunity to greatly increase coronary heart disease.

Therefore, high cholesterol, said health is a red light, are greatly increased risk of coronary heart disease. But the frightening thing is, even if high cholesterol, most people have no symptoms. Therefore, regular check-ups and keep the concentration of cholesterol in the moderate concentration of cholesterol is very important.

V. Normal cholesterol levels, reference values

Normal reference value of cholesterol is about 110 ~ 200mg/dl, if the 200 ~ 239 mg / dl are at high risk are close to the edge, and cholesterol concentration greater than 240 mg / dl, compared with high-risk range.

Cholesterol Level Recommendations
< 200 mg/dl <200 mg / dl Belongs to the ideal range
200~ 239 mg/dl 200 ~ 239 mg / dl Close to the edge of high risk, ask physicians about the diet instructions. Recommended cholesterol levels checked once a year. Has been suffering from a heart attack or if there are two or more risk factors, then it should belong to the high risk range.
> 240 mg/dl A high-risk range, three to six weeks, remember to check again to physicians. If still so, physicians need to do to comply with instructions.

VI. Easily lead to heart disease risk factors

    Hypertension
    Weight seriously overweight (overweight more than thirty percent)
    Smoking (more than ten per day)
    High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) is too low
    Someone in the family had suffered from coronary heart disease before age 55
    Diabetes
    Suffered from heart disease or vascular disease
    Men

VII. How to control cholesterol?

Lower cholesterol levels, can reduce fat deposition in the vessel wall, thereby reducing the risk of heart attack. According to the study, adults with high cholesterol, cholesterol levels, reduced by 1%, 2% lower risk of coronary heart disease.

Here are several ways to help you lower your cholesterol:

    Maintain a proper diet
    Weight control
    Proper exercise

VIII. How to maintain through diet moderate cholesterol levels?

Diet on cholesterol levels remain moderate, and increase heart health, it is very important. Only foods of animal origin contain cholesterol, such as beef, eggs, cheese and other dairy products, cholesterol in food causes the body to increase cholesterol, saturated fat, which is mainly caused by coronary heart disease. American Heart Association recommends that the heat obtained from the fatty foods, daily intake should not exceed 30% of total calories, while the daily intake of cholesterol should not exceed 300mg.

IX. Should be avoided to the types of fat foods?

Fat can be divided into three categories: saturated, polyunsaturated, monounsaturated fat. Avoid eating saturated fat, use monounsaturated fat, or multiple. Moderate consumption of multiple or monounsaturated fat, help to reduce the concentration of cholesterol in the body. A variety of foods contain different types of fat, so must know what kind of food, the highest content of saturated fat.

Saturated fat Oil, whether animal or vegetable oils, where the normal room temperature into a solid contains a high amount of saturated fat. Common are meat fat, butter, cream margarine and non-dairy products, coconut oil, “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” oil and so on.

Unsaturated fat Unsaturated fats come mainly from plants, can basically be divided into polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fat categories.

Polyunsaturated fat Polyunsaturated fat in the normal room temperature liquid. Are: safflower seed oil, cotton oil, sunflower seed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, nuts and seeds, fish fat, this fat calorie intake calories a day should not exceed ten percent.

Monounsaturated fat This type of fat in normal room temperature, but also in liquid form, the intake of calories a day should not exceed ten percent of total. Generally include: olive oil, peanut oil, Canoia oil.

X. Conclusion

If the cholesterol level higher than the normal reference range, periodically check the concentration of cholesterol, and consult a physician diet and life habits of the instructions actually make food, life control, for example, both the amount of fat intake, the type must be restrained to maintain the ideal weight, controlling blood pressure, continuous abstinence, etc., so that it can be suffering from vascular obstruction, greatly reduce the chance of coronary heart disease.

You can find recepies from American Heart Association here.

Diet and Exercise to Lower Cholesterol

Diet to Lower Cholesterol

Cardiovascular disease has long been the number one health killer, and its related diseases caused by very high mortality rate. And constitutes a major cardiovascular disease risk factor is high cholesterol, however, the vast majority of cholesterol through diet and lifestyle can be a considerable degree of control. Studies have shown that as long as the lower value of 1% cholesterol, the risk of heart disease can be reduced by 2%.

Changes in lifestyle towards a healthy way

If you have high cholesterol (200 mg / dL or more) trouble, you can try by the U.S. Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) of the proposed “therapeutic lifestyle change” (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes , TLC) diet.

It is a positive lifestyle reduces the body’s cholesterol levels to reduce the incidence of heart diseases. Its main objectives are as follows:

1. Reducing sodium intake to 2,400 milligrams per day
2. To determine the daily intake of saturated fat of total daily calorie intake of less than 7%
3. Restrict access of calories from fat, total daily calorie intake does not exceed 25% to 35%
4. Limit dietary cholesterol (dietary cholesterol) of less than 200 mg per day, it comes from animal sources of food.
5. Restrict carbohydrate intake accounted for 50% of total daily calories to 60%, make sure it is rich in complex carbohydrates, mostly from (complex carbohydrates) food such as whole grains, vegetables and fruit.

Dietary Guidelines for therapeutic lifestyle

Therapeutic lifestyle diet emphasizes a balanced intake of various types with low saturated fatty acids, low in cholesterol and trans fatty acids, beneficial for cardiovascular health and more.

Dietary recommendations include:

1. Bread / cereal: whole grain bread, cereal pieces, such as oatmeal or brown rice.
2. Vegetables: Eat more dark green vegetables, beans, soy milk, tofu and other soy products.
3. Meat: Remove fat, retain lean part of the peeled poultry consumption, and limit intake of animal organs.
4. Choose a good oil: more choice of unsaturated vegetable oils such as soybean oil, canola oil, corn oil or olive oil.
5. Dairy products: skim or low-fat milk, yogurt, yogurt or low-fat cheese and so on.

In addition, it should eliminate the salt and seasonings to replace the use of herbs and spice.

Exercise can lower cholesterol

TLC appropriate program of physical activity is another key. In addition to regular exercise can help you manage your weight, adjusting blood fat, reduce arterial accumulation of cholesterol, enhance the beneficial HDL (high density lipoprotein), and improve overall cardiovascular function. Study found that jogging habits, their body fat clearance rate faster than people who do not exercise 70%.

You do not have to be marathon runners or mountain climbers, but persistent and progressive sport, and allows you to achieve the maximum cholesterol-lowering effect. Started by a number of simple activities, such as walking, climbing stairs, gardening or dancing. And then advanced to a higher intensity activities, try brisk walking, swimming, tennis or riding a bicycle and so on. Goal is to reach almost every day for at least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise. Once you change your diet and start exercising, you will see a decline in cholesterol and weight values, that is, to pay the maximum return.