Mecholesterol

A cholestrol test

Doctors’ now recommend that everyone over the age of 20 should have their cholestrol tested. If going to the doctor is too much of a hassle, you can now purchase an over-the-counter cholestrol test that can be done at home. Some of the newer tests are even able to provide a more accurate reading on your LDL and HDL levels, then before.

When getting your cholestrol tested it’s important to remember to fast for at least 9-12 hours before you’re scheduled to take the test. You can drink water, coffee and tea but with no sugar or cream in it. Whether at home or at your primary physician’s office all tests use blood to check your cholestrol levels.

If using an at home test that came in a kit, there will be a finger pricker. The instructions are easy enough to follow and can be performed at any time or place. Make sure you have a watch or timer that can be used to time the test. Before using the finger pricker wash your hands with soap and water, and then massage them to increase blood flow. The finger pricker is a one time use only, so make sure you are ready. When you’re ready to start prick your fingertip with the pricker. Inside the finger pricker is a needle that will draw blood and retract back into the pricker.

In the kit came a test with a designated area for you to drop your blood on. Squeeze your finger over the correct spot onto the test and then follow the rest of the directions. Once you have finished the test check your readings with your doctor, if you have any questions. Some home tests will be able to tell you your total cholestrol and HDL while others will just tell you your total level.

The at home cholestrol tests are fairly cheap and can be bought at almost any drugstore. Some common brands are Cardiochek, Home Access, Q-Steps and First Check, all ranging in pricing for $20.00 or less. When buying an at home test if you have any questions, talk to the pharmacist before deciding to purchase one.

If you opted to go to your doctor’s to have the test done they’ll use a needle to draw out the blood. The procedure is simple and takes only minutes. By wrapping an elastic band around your arm, the nurse is able to swell a vein and take a sample. Having the test done at your doctor’s is better then just doing an at home kit. At your doctor’s you can discuss what your readings mean, what steps you will need to take to reduce your cholestrol and what medications you might need if your readings are high.

Diets for high cholestrol

When researching diets for high cholestrol, there are a few that can be found on the market. Most of the diets call for the same foods, low fat, full of whole grains, vegetables, low calorie foods, fruits and lean meats.

The first diet on the list is the Mediterranean diet, based off of the eating habits of inhabitants of Greece and other countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea. This diet was first introduced in 1993 and has grown seemingly popular. The reason behind its success is due to an overall balanced diet that is enjoyable to eat. Even though the diet is high in fat these fats are all considered good fats. Olive oil is the main source of fat in this particular diet.

Olive oil does not contain the high saturated fat that is found in animal based products, such as butter and milk. The Mediterranean diet has some added bonuses to it also, for example drinking 1-2 glasses of red wine a day or being able to eat pasta as long as it’s whole grains. Most of the cheeses you’ll eat on this diet are mozzarella and feta.

A normal breakfast on this diet would be an egg white omelet with spinach and feta cheese, which is quite tasty. Lot’s of beans, lean meats and fish are all key elements from this diet that help reduce cholestrol.

If you have very high cholestrol your doctor might recommend the TLC diet, “therapeutic lifestyle changes”. The main focus of the TLC diet is to lower fat intake every day. This diet consists of the following: total of only 5 ozs of lean meat a day, fish and shellfish, tofu, egg yolks but only up to 2 a week, substitute egg whites in any recipe if possible, buy either fat free or skim milk, soy milk is another alternative, and eating 3-5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Quaker oatmeal has a 30 day challenge on their website called the “smart heart challenge”. There are three steps to the challenge and it’s free to use. The first step is to check your levels beforehand, then make sure to eat a min of ½ cups of cooked oatmeal a day and limit foods that are high in saturated fat.

Quaker oatmeal gives you a scoreboard that can be printed out or used online. Every day you record your heart points and track it for an entire month. The last step in the challenge is to exercise. By adding cardio exercise such as walking, you decrease your cholestrol levels. The website has a ton of resources on cholestrol, including recipes, tips and tricks for weight loss, treatment and general information.

What is Good cholestrol?

cholestrol is found naturally in our bodies and is also found in various foods such as meat, butter, milk and eggs. It is a type of lipid or fat that is manufactured by our liver and then transported in the blood around the body to where it is needed. 80% of the cholestrol required by our body to function is made by the liver and we get the other 20% from our diet, the food that we eat. If we consume more cholestrol than our body needs it is harmful because the excess cholestrol is deposited in our arteries which leads to a narrowing of the arteries which puts us at a higher risk of heart disease. There are actually two types of cholestrol found in the blood – good cholestrol and bad cholestrol. It is important that we know what is bad and what is good cholestrol.

What is Good cholestrol?

Good cholestrol is also known as High Density Lipoprotein and consists of a greater amount of protein than fat. Bad cholestrol, also known as Low Density Lipoprotein, is made up of more fat than protein. Bad cholestrol is obviously the harmful cholestrol that builds up in our arteries. What is good cholestrol used for in our bodies? Good HDL cholestrol actually enables the body to take excess bad cholestrol out of the arteries to the liver which then deals with the cholestrol and excretes it as a waste product. Good cholestrol therefore protects us from atherosclerosis, narrowing of the arteries, and heart disease caused by atherosclerosis.

Measuring good cholestrol

To get information about your cholestrol level you either need to do a home cholestrol test or visit your doctor. High cholestrol has no symptoms and people only know they have it when they have a blood test. A doctor is able to measure Total cholestrol and your ratio of Total cholestrol to Good HDL cholestrol by doing a simple blood test, some home tests measure both too. To be healthy we need a low Total cholestrol level result and a higher ratio of good cholestrol to total cholestrol. If you find that you have high cholestrol then you will want to reduce your cholestrol level and increase your intake of good cholestrol. Your doctor will be able to advise you on treatment.

What is Good cholestrol found in?

There are many foods which can help raise our good cholestrol levels:- – Oily fish such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, herrings and fresh tuna. These fish contain Omega 3 fatty acids which increase your HDL levels. – Seed oils, such as flax seed oil and linseed oils, pumpkin seeds and walnuts (contain Omega 3). – Foods rich in soluble fibre such as oats, beans and pulses, fruit and vegetables. – Wheat grass We should also start a regime of aerobic exercise which research has shown to raise good cholestrol levels and reduce bad cholestrol levels. Losing weight will also help with lowering our cholestrol levels and weight loss is also beneficial in many other ways. Start a low calorie and low fat diet. It is important for our health to know as much as we can about what is good cholestrol and how we should increase the level in our blood.

Drug free products that help lower cholestrol

High cholestrol is a real concern as, if it is left untreated, it can be a major risk for cardio vascular heart disease.

Many of the medications prescribed for high cholestrol have side effects so it is worth considering drug free products that help lower cholestrol as well as starting a low calorie and low fat diet, losing weight and starting an exercise regime.

Drug free products that help lower cholestrol are:-

Plant sterol and Stanol Products

Manufacturers like Flora and Benecol use plant sterols and stenols in their spreads and drinks. This type of product has been found to lower cholestrol by stopping the absorption of cholestrol from food in the intestines.

Herbs, Spices and Super foods

Garlic helps lower blood pressure and lower cholestrol.
Flax seed – available as seeds to sprinkle on food, as an oil or as a supplement. Flax seeds contain Alpha Linolenic acid which is an Omega 3 fatty acid. Flax seeds are also a good source of fibre. Both fibre and Omega 3 fatty acids have been proven to have a cholestrol lowering effect.
Cayenne Pepper, Cinnamon, Turmeric and Caraway seeds have all be shown to reduce cholestrol.
Wheat grass – This super food lowers blood pressure and studies on rats in Japan found that it lowered cholestrol.
Gugulipid – myrrh tree gum. This natural herb is believed to lower “bad” cholestrol and triglycerides in the blood.
Soya – Canadian research has shown that a vegetarian diet with soya can be as effective as taking cholestrol lowering drugs.

Fibre

Oats, psyllium fibre, beans and pectin are all great drug free products that help lower cholestrol, they are good for our overall health and they are found naturally in our food too.

Vitamins and supplements

There have been many studies that show that these are drug free products that help lower cholestrol.

Niacin or Vitamin B3 increases HDL or “good” cholestrol levels.
Vitamin E – studies have shown that this prevents cholestrol from sticking to the walls of the arteries.
Calcium Carbonate – some research has shown that this mineral may be effective in lowering cholestrol.
Vitamin C – research has shown that a lack of Vitamin C, which helps the body to repair and renew artery cells, can cause the body to repair arteries by using cholestrol – not good!

Homeopathy

Homeopathic medicines are drug free products that help lower cholestrol but you should visit a homeopath to find out which treatment is best for you.

Homeopathic medicines which may be help to treat high cholestrol are cholesterinum and chelidonium.

Explaination what good cholestrol is and ways of raising its level in the blood.

Good cholestrol

cholestrol is a type of lipid or fat which is found all over the body and carried around the body by the blood. 80% of the cholestrol that our body needs to function is actually produced in our body by the liver, 20% is taken from the foods in our diet. If we consume more cholestrol than our body needs then we are putting ourselves at risk of cardiovascular heart disease.

Types of cholestrol

Good cholestrol or HDL cholestrol (High density lipoprotein)is more protein than fat. This type of cholestrol helps the body take excess cholestrol out of the arteries and to the liver, stopping the depositing of cholestrol in the artery walls.

Bad cholestrol or LDL cholestrol (Low density lipoprotein)is more fat than protein. This bad cholestrol acts in the opposite way to good cholestrol. It carries cholestrol from the liver to cells around the body using the arteries. When there is an excess of this cholestrol, it is deposited as plaque on the walls of the arteries. This build up gradually narrows the arteries decreasing blood flow to the vital organs such as the heart. This narrowing of the arteries is known as atherosclerosis and is a high risk for heart disease.

When we have our cholestrol tested the doctor tests our Total cholestrol (bad and good cholestrol) and should also give us a Total cholestrol to HDL cholestrol ratio. To be healthy we need a low Total cholestrol score and a higher ratio of HDL cholestrol in our blood to LDL cholestrol.

Ways to reduce high cholestrol

Things that can help lower cholestrol level are:-

Changing to a healthier diet which is low in calories and saturated fat and higher in fibre.
Losing weight.
Starting aerobic exercise
Taking supplements – Vitamin B3 (Niacin)can increase HDL or “good” cholestrol levels, Omega 3 fatty acids increase HDL levels and reduce LDL levels, Antioxidants vitamins A, C and E protect against damage from free radicals.
Stop smoking – smoking is a free radical which can increase the oxidation of cholestrol and lead to it depositing in the arteries.

Ways to increase good cholestrol in the blood

Omega 3 Fatty acids found in oily fish and flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts.
Aerobic exercise of 20-30 minutes in duration, 2-3 times a week has been shown to increase HDL or good cholestrol levels.
Eat food that is rich in soluble fibre like oats, fruit and vegetables.
Niacin (Vitamin B3) in large doses can raise good cholestrol levels. This can be prescribed by your doctor.
Losing weight
Eating more monounsaturated fat – this type of food is found in avocados, some nuts and rapeseed oil.
Give up smoking – giving up tobacco is said to have an immediate effect on cholestrol.
Medication – there are some drug treatments available for the raising of HDL levels, some fibrates and resins, but these do have side effects and it is best to try changing your lifestyle first.

Whatever you try to lower your cholestrol and increase your good cholestrol, make sure that you have your cholestrol checked by your doctor to test the effectiveness of your efforts.