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What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all cells of the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to function and makes all the cholesterol it needs in order to keep you healthy. It is also present in some of the foods we eat. It is used to make hormones, Vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods.

What is HDL and LDL Cholesterol?

Blood is a watery like substance and cholesterol is an oily one. As a result the two do not mix well together. So for it to travel in the bloodstream, cholesterol is carried in packages called lipoproteins. These packages are made of fat (lipo) on the inside and proteins on the outside. Two kinds of lipoproteins carry cholesterol throughout your body, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL).

LDL Cholesterol (”Bad” Cholesterol)

High levels leads to a buildup of cholesterol in arteries, this is “bad” as it narrows/clogs them giving a greater chance of heart disease.

HDL Cholesterol (”Good” Cholesterol)

This carries cholesterol from other parts of your body back to your liver. The liver removes the cholesterol from your body. The higher your HDL cholesterol level, the lower your chance of getting heart disease.

Myths about Cholesterol

Below I have tried to clear up the misunderstandings that have occurred over this subject. Historically laymen, doctors and most scientists have been misled, as a result of systematically ignored or misquoted scientific data.

1. The only effective way to lower cholesterol is with drugs.

Truth: These drugs do not improve heart mortality or total mortality as their effect is only to lower cholesterol. In fact these drugs may be dangerous to your health and can shorten your life.

2. High blood cholesterol causes atherosclerosis

Truth: Many studies have shown that people with high blood cholesterol become just as atherosclerotic as people whose cholesterol is low.

3. Your body produces three to four times more cholesterol than you eat.

Truth: The production of cholesterol increases when you eat little cholesterol and decreases when you eat much. This explains why the “prudent” diet cannot lower cholesterol more than on average by a few per cent.

4. The Statins prevent heart disease by lowering Cholesterol.

Truth: These drugs do help prevent cardio-vascular disease, but this is due to other mechanisms than cholesterol-lowering. Unfortunately, they also stimulate cancer in rodents, disturb the functions of the muscles, the heart and the brain and pregnant women taking Statins may give birth to children with malformations more severe than those seen after thalidomide.

5. Cholesterol is a deadly poison.

Truth: Cholesterol is a substance vital to the cells of all mammals.
All cholesterol is not bad, but mental stress, physical activity and change of body weight may influence the level of blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is not dangerous by itself, but may reflect an unhealthy condition, or it may be totally innocent.

This article was written by John Jarmola, a freelance consultant Food Technologist who helps businesses develop more healthy food products and advises on “Healthy Eating”. For help on managing your Cholesterol and improving your diet and health, or to increase your knowledge visit: http://cholesterol-information-center.info/

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With all the talks of obesity and America’s race for thin bodies, cholesterol has suffered a beating. It is even one of the main figures in the development of hypertension, that contribute much to coronary heart disease. Often seen as the culprit in “fattening” America, cholesterol has become a food taboo, something that must be avoided at all costs.

What people do not know though is that there are two kinds of cholesterol and one kind is actually beneficial to the body. In fact, it is one of the essential substances that our bodies need to maintain balance.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a substance that can be found in fats or in lipids. Lipids are important because it is used to form cell membrane, used to balance hormones and help in other bodily functions. Too much cholesterol though tends to clog the bloodstream, eventually leading to heart disease. And because cholesterol cannot easily dissolved, only transported, the risk of build-up is great. As mentioned earlier, there two kinds of cholesterol, the LDL and the HDL cholesterol.

The bad cholesterol

The LDL cholesterol is frequently referred to as the “bad cholesterol” because too much of these can accumulate in the walls of the arteries and clog the blood stream that leads to the heart and the brain. This build up, called atherosclerosis, which can eventually lead to a heart attack or a stroke (brain attack) depending on where the arteries are leading to.

High LDL increases the risk for heart disease so it important that it is kept at normal range, which is below 100 mg/dL.

The good cholesterol

The HDL cholesterol on the other hand is referred to as the good cholesterol as high levels seem to protect a person from heart disease and hear attacks. According to some experts, instead of staying at the arteries like the LDL, HDL leaves the arteries and instead goes to the liver. In contrast with LDL levels, a low HDL increases the risk for heart attack. Levels of HDL should not be below 40 mg/dL for men and 50 mg/dL for women. Regular exercise has been found to increase the levels of HDL.

Cholesterol in food

Foods that come from animals contain cholesterol levels. Just how much depends on the kind of animal food. vegetables however do not contain any cholesterol.

In addition to the cholesterol that we get from food, the body is also capable of producing its own cholesterol. This creates a problem in overproduction since we also take in cholesterol through the foods that we eat. Average individuals or those who do not have any heart problems should only take in about 300 milligrams.

For people who are already at risk for coronary heart disease and heart attack, physicians recommend the reduction in the intake of cholesterol. They should only take in less than 200 milligrams. Everyone is also advised to keep their consumption of saturated fats to a minimum, as these can significantly help in lowering the risk for heart disease.

People, who have severe high blood pressure, are however advised to take in no more than six ounces of lean meat and fish daily. They should also choose the products thatv they buy and ensure that they are fat free or low-fat.

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides cholesterol resources on http://www.your-cholesterol-resource.info

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The last thing on most parents mind is the possibility of their child having high cholesterol.

It would be a very wise decision to notice their consumption of junk food or should I say lack of healthy foods.

Studies have shown that atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries - the leading cause of heart disease — begins very early. It is recommended that children over the age of about 2 years, as well as all adults, adopt a heart-healthy eating pattern to reduce their risk of developing heart disease as adults. You can lower the risk for the both of you by maintaining a healthy weight and by being physically active.

You can help shape their dietary habits by making sure that they learn about healthy eating and educating them on the right foods.

Keep in mind that you have to set the example by choosing a healthy diet yourself.

One way of reforming your “Junk Food Junkies” is to prepare their snacks for them. Most children are looking for good tasting snacks and could care less if it’s healthy or not.

Try to buy healthy snacks, remember that they are mainly concerned about how the snack taste.

One way to encourage physical activity is to join them in an activity that’s fun for the both of you.

Consult your medical professional for advice on cholesterol screenings.

“The decisions you fail to make today, will determine your health tomorrow!”

Michael Flowers was diagnosed with high cholesterol over 10 years ago and has been able to keep it under control naturally by utilizing the methods he writes about his site http://www.you-and-your-cholesterol.com

Tags: children, cholesterol, Diet, Exercise, food, Health, herbs, naturally, snacks, Supplements, weightchildren, cholesterol, Diet, Exercise, food, Health, herbs, naturally, snacks, Supplements, weight

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