Simple Ways To Improve Your Bad Cholesterol
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is an oil-based (waxy) substance and does not mix with the blood, which is water-based. It's not "bad": your body needs it to build cells. But too much can be a problem. Cholesterol isn't just something that sits in your body like fat around your waist. It's carried through your bloodstream by carriers made of fat (lipid) and proteins are called – lipoproteins.
Two types of lipoprotein carry the parcels of cholesterol:
Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) - cholesterol carried by this type is known as "bad" cholesterol.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) - cholesterol carried by this type is known as "good" cholesterol.
Triglycerides are the most common type of fat in the body; they store excess energy from your diet. A high triglyceride level combined with low HDL cholesterol or high LDL cholesterol is linked with fatty buildups in artery walls. This increases the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Cholesterol has four primary functions, without which we could not survive, these are:
- Allowing the body to produce vitamin D
- Contributing to the structure of cell walls
- Enabling the body to make certain hormones
- Making up digestive bile acids in the intestine
The greatest risk factors for high cholesterol are modifiable lifestyle choices - diet and exercise. Some tropical oils, such as palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil, also can trigger your liver to make more cholesterol. These oils are often found in baked goods.
Causes of high cholesterol
Firstly, Your body naturally produces all the LDL (bad) cholesterol it needs. An unhealthy lifestyle, such as eating unhealthy foods and being physically inactive, causes your body to have more LDL cholesterol in your blood than it needs. This is the cause of high cholesterol for most people.
Unhealthy behaviors are the biggest reason why most people with high cholesterol have it. These behaviors include:
- Unhealthy diet
- Lack of physical activity
- Smoking or exposure to tobacco smoke
- Excess weight
Reducing intake of fat in the diet helps manage cholesterol levels. In particular, it is helpful to limit foods that contain:
- Cholesterol - from animal foods, meat, and cheese.
- Saturated fat - found in some meats, dairy products, chocolate, baked goods, deep-fried, and processed foods.
- Trans fats - found in some fried and processed foods.
Secondly, some people inherit genes from their mother, father or even grandparents that cause them to have too much cholesterol. This is called familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). The severity of FH is related to the duration and degree of LDL cholesterol in the blood. FH is dangerous because it can cause premature atherosclerotic heart disease. Abnormal cholesterol levels can also arise due to other conditions, including:
- diabetes
- liver or kidney disease
- polycystic ovary syndrome
- pregnancy and other conditions that increase levels of female hormones
- underactive thyroid gland
- drugs that increase LDL cholesterol and decrease HDL cholesterol (progestins, anabolic steroids, and corticosteroids)
Preventing high cholesterol
Four changes to lifestyle are recommended for all people with high cholesterol or who wish to ensure their levels remain normal. These changes will reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and heart attack:
- eat a heart-healthy diet
- regularly exercise
- avoid smoking
- achieve and maintain a healthy weight
Cholesterol in foods
A report from Harvard Health has identified "11 cholesterol lowering foods" that actively decrease cholesterol levels:
- oats
- barley and whole grains
- beans
- eggplant and okra
- nuts
- vegetable oil (canola, sunflower)
- fruits (mainly apples, grapes, strawberries, and citrus)
- soy and soy-based foods
- fatty fish (particularly salmon, tuna, and sardines)
- foods rich in fiber
Adding these to a balanced diet can help keep cholesterol in check. The same report also lists foods that are bad for cholesterol levels, including:
- red meat
- full-fat dairy
- margarine
- hydrogenated oils
- baked goods
Now, just remember three things: Check. Change. Control. Means Check your cholesterol levels, change your unhealthy eating habit with healthy one and make sure to keep control your cholesterol levels in normal range.
