Mecholesterol

WHAT IS LDL CHOLESTROL?

LDL cholestrol is very bad for your health. In lower doses, the liver can get rid of it, but higher doses leave plaque on the inside of arteries, veins and capillaries. This can cause serious heart disease, including heart attacks,

LDL is also known as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol or LDL-C. It contains fatty acids that are similar in consistency to wax. LDL works by moving triglycerides and cholesterol to the small intestine from the liver, which is sent to other tissues and cells. However, as LDL can stick to the insides of the blood circulation tubes, it can either inhibit or completely block blood flow to the heart, brain and other vital organs. In fact, it is not cholesterol that the body can do without, but one that only works well in low amounts.

LDL cholesterol is important for cell synthesis. It helps to feed cells by putting cholesterol into the cells’ plasma membranes. Once used, the cell returns the LDL back to the liver to be discarded. HDL cholesterol aids this process, when high levels are present, by transporting the LDL to the liver. Therefore the only difference between a good and bad LDL level is that higher amounts do cause damage.

The American Heart Association recommends LDL cholesterol levels, preferably at 100 to 129 mg/dL, but keeping these under 200 mg/dL is satisfactory. It has been proven that the lower the levels of LDL are, the lower the risk of heart disease and stroke.

LDL cholesterol is measured with a blood test that analyzes the lipid concentrations in the blood. These include LDL concentrations and LDL particle numbers. Even if the concentration is low and the particle numbers are high, the result will still be high, and a high risk of heart disease will still be present.

The best way to reduce the risks and avoid high LDL numbers is to avoid foods with high saturated fats. However, this alone cannot lower cholesterol levels. Exercises like aerobics strengthen the internal circulatory system and heart, making them more able to cope with any excessive toxins in the body. Other important preventative measures include:

No smoking

Reducing bad stress

Drinking plenty of water

Keeping body weight at recommended levels

LDL CHOLESTROL AWARENESS

The general impression, reinforced by the specter of increasing lifestyle induced coronary diseases, is that LDL cholestrol is ‘bad’. To be sure, high levels of LDL cholestrol increases risks of heart diseases, but it must be also recognized that LDL cholestrol plays a vital role in our very survival. Cholestrol is a lipid (or fat) which is required for building cell membranes and for producing certain hormones in the body. The low density and high density lipoproteins (LDL and HDL), are carriers which transport the cholestrol through the bloodstream.

LDLs, transporting needed cholesterol to cells as they do, perform a life sustaining role. However, excess levels of LDL cholesterol can lead to their deposition on the walls of arteries. This results in narrowing and hardening of the arteries (a condition known as atherosclerosis) and increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. This is why cholesterol in LDL is referred to as “bad” cholesterol and sustained efforts are made to control excess levels.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has given certain guidelines on the risk associated with different levels of LDL concentrations in the bloodstream. As per these, less than 100 mg/dL (milligram per deciliter) i.e. < 100 mg/dL, corresponding to < 2.6 mmol/Lt (millimole per liter) of LDL cholestrol is optimal for reduced heart risk At the other end of the scale, LDL cholestrol > 190 mg/dL (> 4.9 mmol/Lt) corresponds to highest (increased) risk of heart disease.

There are a number of medicines available for lowering cholesterol when lifestyle changes prove inadequate. Some of these are niacin, fibrates, statins etc. Of these, statins have been found to be the most efficacious in lowering LDL cholestrol levels

The preferred way, however, is to lower LDL cholestrol level, without recourse to medication, by undertaking a so called ‘therapeutic‘lifestyle change. This is possible only when there are no physiological causes related to the heart or any underlying diseases requiring the mandatory use of drugs. Even in situations of mandated drug use, lifestyle changes, if implemented, can supplement and enhance the effect of the drugs. The lifestyle changes involve regular exercising (at least thirty minutes of cardiovascular exercises daily); weight loss; and a diet which includes foods that are low in saturated fats, trans-fats, cholestrol, salt (sodium) and added sugar. A change of recipe involving baked, grilled and boiled food rather than fried and sautéed items is also called for. It is further necessary to avoid smoking and/or more than ‘moderate’ drinking of alcoholic beverages.

Recipes to help lower cholestrol

Making lifestyle changes like losing weight, by eating a healthy low-fat calorie controlled diet, and starting an exercise regime can have a dramatic effect on your cholestrol, lowering it within a few weeks in some cases. Buy books of recipes to help lower cholestrol or use the following cholestrol lowering foods in your recipes to help lower cholestrol:-

Oats – Eat oats as porridge or in homemade muesli with other great sources of fibre like rice bran.
Wholegrains – Find recipes for wholegrain breads and muffins. Wholegrains are great sources of nutrition.
Eat more beans and pulses. Add beans and pulses to recipes like casseroles and curries. Try out bean soup recipes to help lower cholestrol.
Add sources of Omega 3 fatty acids to your recipes – flax seed oil and linseed oil. Add walnuts to yogurts and cereals, they are great for lowering cholestrol. Eat more oily fish like salmon, fresh tuna, sardines and mackerel. Check out the fish section of your recipe books.
Fruit and vegetables. Try vegetarian recipes and fruit desserts to ensure that you eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. Replace your usual meat with vegetables. Cook vegetable casseroles, vegetable moussaka, vegetable curry etc. This will also help you cut down on saturated fat (in meats) and will also boost your intake of cholestrol lowering soluble fibre. Try to eat some fruit peel, don’t peel apples and pears as the peel contains vital fibre. Look for recipes for fruit smoothies, they are a great breakfast idea.
Add garlic to recipes. It is great fried with onions in olive oil in recipes for curry or bolognese. Garlic has been found to help lower cholestrol and to be good for your heart.
Use products containing cholestrol lowering plant sterols in recipes to help lower cholestrol. You can buy spreads, low-fat milks and yogurts which contain these sterols.
Avocados – find a recipe for guacamole. You can also use avocado oil in recipes to help lower cholestrol.
Add spices like cayenne pepper, turmeric and cinnamon to recipes. Research has shown that these may help lower cholestrol levels.
Eat or drink soya products and use them for recipes. Canadian research has shown that eating a vegetarian diet rich in soya can be as good at lowering cholestrol as some medications. Use soya milk instead of your regular milk.
Replace butter in recipes with polyunsaturated spreads and replace lard or oils with olive oil which is a mono unsaturated oil and is actually good for your heart and cholestrol levels.

Think of ways to incorporate the above foods into your everyday meals. If you lack inspiration then treat yourself to a cookbook or two full of recipes to help lower cholestrol.

How to Lower Your cholestrol

High cholestrol can be treated by changing your diet and lifestyle, using drug-free natural methods and products, and also by drugs prescribed by a doctor. Medication can have side effects so it is important to know how to lower your cholestrol naturally.

How to lower your cholestrol by diet

Many people suffer from high cholestrol because of the food that they eat. They have unhealthy diets and consume foods that are too high in saturated fats and full of cholestrol. Saturated fat is found in animal products like whole fat milk, cheese, meat and butter. Another bad fat is trans fat or hydrogenated fat which is found in coconut oil, palm oil, commercially baked foods like cakes, cookies and pastries and also in fast food. These types of bad fat raise our cholestrol levels and put us at a greater risk of coronary heart disease. You can lower your cholestrol by simply replacing the bad fats in your diet with good fats that raise the good cholestrol in the blood to protect yourself against heart disease.

Simple changes to make:-

Use polyunsaturated spreads instead of butter.
Cook with olive oil.
Bake with polyunsaturated spreads or olive oil instead of lard or butter.
Reduce your intake of meat. Eat more oily fish or eat vegetarian meals and incorporate soya into your diet.
Use fat free milk or soya milk instead of whole milk.
Use cholestrol lowering products like those containing plant sterols which lower bad cholestrol and increase good cholestrol.

Fibre is also very important in lowering cholestrol. Soluble fibre is found in beans, pulses, wholegrains and fruit and vegetables. Replace meat in casseroles with beans and pulses, eat more fruit and vegetables and swap your usual processed white bread for a wholegrain bread.

How to lower your cholestrol by exercise

The best way to lower high cholestrol is to combine a healthy low calorie and low fat diet with a regime of aerobic exercise. Aerobic or Cardiovascular exercise works the large muscle groups and the heart and lungs. Not only will it lower your cholestrol but it will help you to lose weight and put you at a lower risk of many serious health problems. Examples of aerobic exercise are brisk walking, jogging, cycling, trampolining, step aerobics, dance aerobics and kick-boxing. Try to exercise at least 3-5 times a week for 20-30 minutes at a time.

How to lower your cholestrol by other natural methods

Start taking vitamins and supplements known to lower high cholestrol such as Anti-oxidant vitamins (A, C and E) and Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Garlic supplements are also good for cholestrol and for protecting the heart.
Consume wheatgrass juice – research has found this to be effective in lowering high cholestrol levels.
Homeopathy – see a Homeopath for advice on which homeopathic medicines might work for you.
High dose Niacin or Vitamin B3, when prescribed by a doctor, increases levels of good cholestrol.
Herbs and spices such as Gugulipid, Cayenne pepper, cinnamon, turmeric and caraway seeds have all been shown to lower bad cholestrol levels. Use them in your recipes.

Learning how to lower your cholestrol by natural methods is much better than having to use medication.

A LOW CHOLESTEROL DIET

A low cholesterol diet is important for a healthy and long life, as long as it is high in good cholesterol, HDL, which helps the body to rid itself of the bad cholesterol, LDL. As fat is important for energy, it is even more important to reduce or eliminate bad fats from any foods that we eat, even from what we drink. Too much fat and cholesterol can cause serious health problems, including heart disease.

The following things will lead to better health:

A diet free of saturated fat

A diet low in bad, LDL, cholesterol

A diet high in good, LDL, cholesterol

Limiting salt intake

Increasing fiber intake

Avoiding bad carbohydrates

Eating more complex carbohydrates

Keeping to a healthy body weight

Lowering calorie intake to a sensible amount

Doing plenty of exercise, including aerobics

The most highly recommended low cholesterol diet comes from the American Heart Association, who cannot say enough about the ‘Mediterranean Diet’. This diet is used by many countries, all of whom have the following list of commonalities:

Lots of fruits

Lots of vegetables

Limited whole wheat breads and cereals

Limited potatoes

Lots of legumes (peas, beans, lentils, etc,

Lots of nuts

Lots of seeds

Lots of extra virgin olive oil

Low-fat dairy products

Fish

Chicken

Very little red meat

One or two eggs per month

Moderate red wine amounts

The ‘Mediterranean Diet’ gets the majority of its energy from good fats, but needs to have the calories kept under control. Too much of anything is a bad thing. The diet is very low in saturated fats, and the consumption of olive oil provides healthy monounsaturated fats that keep bad cholesterol at bay, and the overall cholesterol levels low.

Here is an example of a ‘Mediterranean Diet’ that can be incorporated into any personal menu or low cholesterol diet plan:

Breakfast Lunch _________

¾ cup Whole grain cereal 1 cup, lentil soup

½ cup, 1 or 2%, or no-fat milk 1 whole grain roll

1 banana** ½ tbsp., extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp., low-fat olive margarine 1 cup, baby spinach

1 slice, whole wheat toast 1 cup, lettuce (radicchio)

½ tbsp., extra virgin olive oil ¼ cup, mushrooms, sliced

½ oz., sliced almonds 2 radishes, sliced

1 Roma tomato, sliced

½ oz, balsamic vinegar

Dinner Snack_______________________

1 ½ cups, wholegrain pasta ½ cup low-fat organic yogurt

½ cup, tomatoes, diced 1 cup blueberries**

½ cup, broccoli

¼ cup, red peppers, diced

¼ cup, mushrooms, diced

2 tbsp, extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp, low-fat parmesan, grated

½ cup, white kidney beans

½ oz., balsamic vinegar

2 elephant garlic cloves, crushed

3.5 oz. fish, chicken or low-fat red meat***

1 slice, whole wheat or grain bread

½ cup, red seedless grapes

** Note: these fruits can also be substituted with oranges, strawberries, and apples.**

***Note: red meats should only be eaten once per month, and can be substituted for buffalo, bison, veal, turkey or pork.***

It is easy to avoid bad fats and cholesterol by eating foods that are healthy. Most food packages now have labels that list the nutrient values per serving. These will list the percentages and amounts in other units of cholesterol, bad fats, minerals and vitamins.