Mecholesterol

What is High cholestrol?

It is important for all of us to find out what is high cholestrol, what it causes, how it can be measured and how to lower it.

If you have any of the following risk factors then you should go and get your cholestrol level checked:-

You have a family history of heart disease.
You have had previous heart surgery like a heart bypass.
You have a family history of high cholestrol.
You smoke
You suffer from diabetes.
You have heart disease.
You have high blood pressure.

What is high cholestrol bad for?

Our hearts and our general health. High cholestrol is bad for us because excess cholestrol is deposited on the walls of the arteries causing atherosclerosis, narrowing of the arteries. These narrowing arteries then reduce blood flow to the body’s vital organs like the heart and brain. Atherosclerosis can cause heart disease and you may require heart surgery like a heart bypass. It can also cause strokes.

What is high cholestrol measured by?

High cholestrol has no obvious symptoms and so you need to be tested for it. High cholestrol is measured by a blood test. You can got to your doctor for a blood test or you can purchase a home test kit.

Your Doctor will examine the level of Total cholestrol in your blood (TC), the level of good cholestrol (HDL cholestrol) and the level of bad cholestrol (LDL cholestrol). You want your TC and your level of LDL cholestrol to be low. Total cholestrol is the total of HDL and LDL cholestrol and a healthy reading is between 190-210mg/dl or between 4.9 and 5.4mmol/l. If your reading is above this you will be diagnosed as having high cholestrol.

What is high cholestrol treatment?

A change of lifestyle is the best treatment to lower high cholestrol.

You need to start a regime of aerobic exercise and follow a low calorie diet which is low in food containing saturated fat. These changes will also help you to lose weight. You will also be advised to increase your intake of foods that help make your levels of good cholestrol higher such as oily fish and seed oils which contain Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

There are also cholestrol lowering products available , for example milks, spreads and drinks which contain plant sterols known to raise good cholestrol levels while decreasing bad cholestrol levels. Have a look for them in your supermarket.

Changing your diet and starting aerobic exercise can reduce your cholestrol in about 3 weeks!

If your cholestrol is very high and you have already made lifestyle changes then your doctor may prescribe medication as a treatment for your high cholestrol.

I hope that this infromation has helped to explain what is high cholestrol.

cholestrol Test

Who should have a cholestrol test?

You should have a cholestrol test if:-

you have any type of heart disease
you have a family history of high cholestrol
you are over the age of 35 and smoke, or have a family history of heart disease, or you are diabetic, or you suffer with high blood pressure.
you are already on medication for high cholestrol.

Some experts are even saying that it is sensible for everyone over the age of 20 to have a cholestrol test every 5 years. cholestrol testing is important because high cholestrol generally has no symptoms and it causes heart disease.

The cholestrol Test

You may have your cholestrol tested by your own doctor, at a hospital or sometimes you can have your cholestrol checked by a mobile health education unit.

If you go to the doctor or hospital to have your cholestrol test you will generally have a fasting blood test. This simply means that you will be asked not to eat anything for about 12 hours prior to the blood test so that all the food you have eaten has been digested. You may have had fasting tests before if you have ever had your blood sugar checked.

There are no side effects to having a cholestrol test, it is a simple blood test.

The nurse or doctor will either draw blood from a vein with a needle and syringe or use a thumb/finger prick test. Your blood plasma will then be analyzed and commonly you will be given a Total cholestrol reading and a Total cholestrol to HDL cholestrol (good cholestrol) ratio which assesses your risk of heart disease.

A healthy Total cholestrol reading is between 190-210mg/dl or between 4.9 and 5.4 mmol/l. If your cholestrol test shows that you have a Total cholestrol above this level then you will be diagnosed as having high cholestrol.

The Total cholestrol to HDL cholestrol ratio is used to get a better idea of your risk of heart disease. A healthy TC:HDL ratio is 3.5:1 or below, a medium risk ratio is above 5:1 and you are at a high risk of heart disease if your ratio is above 8:1.

If you are diagnosed with high cholestrol your doctor will then discuss treatment. In the beginning this will involve a change of lifestyle – healthy diet and exercise. If this is not effective or your cholestrol is very high then you may be prescribed cholestrol lowering medication.

Home cholestrol tests

You can now purchase a cholestrol test kit for use in your own home. Some of these kits work by pricking your finger with the lancet provided, dropping a bead of blood onto the stick or strip, waiting a few minutes and then comparing the colour of the test strip with the colour chart. This will give you an idea of your Total cholestrol reading.

Other kits will test both your Total cholestrol and your HDL cholestrol to give more information about your risk of heart disease.

Follow the kit instructions carefully and make an appointment with your doctor if you find you have border-line or high cholestrol. Your doctor will probably repeat the test and then advise you accordingly.

How To Lower Blood Pressure and Cholesterol By Losing Weight

High bloodpressure (Hypertension) and a high cholesterol level in the blood are both risk factors of cardiovascular disease, strokes and many other serious diseases. Cholesterol can build up in the arteries causing narrowing of the arteries and high blood pressure causes a strain on the blood vessels of the vascular system which can damage and narrow them too. Narrowing of the arteries reduces blood flow to vital organs like the heart and brain and also clots can form. If this happens we can suffer a heart attack or stroke. Being overweight increases our blood pressure and increases our cholesterol levels. It is important we know how to lower blood pressure and cholesterol by losing weight to protect our health.

So, do you know how to lower blood pressure and cholesterol by losing weight?

To lower your blood pressure and cholesterol levels you need to change your lifestyle. Ways to lose weight and increase exercise:-

Join a gym – Get assessed by a personal trainer in a gym who can devise a program of exercise specifically for your needs.
Start an exercise regime of your own – Aerobic exercise is important in reducing blood pressure, reducing cholesterol and shifting a few pounds. Aerobic exercise is exercise that exercises the cardiovascular system – the heart and lungs. Walk briskly or jog, cycle, do aerobics, skipping, kick boxing and roller blading. Do aerobic exercise at least 3 times a week for at least 20-30 minutes. Some doctors now recommend exercising 5 times a week for good health.
Reduce calorie intake – Eat lower calorie foods, cut down on treats like junk food and biscuits, choose lower calorie alternatives to your normal food.
Eat more fruit and vegetables – Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

Other tips on how to lower blood pressure and cholesterol by losing weight:-

Reduce your intake of saturated fat and trans fat which raise cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Saturated fat can be found in meat and dairy foods such as cheese and butter. Trans fat can be found in commercially processed foods such as biscuits and cakes, and also foods containing coconut and palm oils. Use polyunsaturated or mono unsaturated fats instead like olive oils and polyunsaturated margarines. Change to low fat or fat free milk or use cholesterol lowering milks which contain plant sterols known to reduce cholesterol levels.
Change your cooking methods. Instead of frying or deep fat frying in fat you should grill, steam or microwave food.

The above information tells you how to lower blood pressure and cholesterol by losing weight. Eat foods that contain good nutrition and exercise regularly to keep healthy.

Is Milk Good For A Person With High cholestrol

There has been much talk recently about whether milk is good for people with high cholestrol. Some are blaming the widespread use of homogenised milk for the rise in cholestrol levels and increase in heart disease which seem to have happened since homogenised milk became the most common milk stocked in supermarkets. People are searching for answers to questions such as “Is milk good for a person with high cholestrol?”and “Is homegenised milk good for us?”

What is homogenisation?

For your information, homogenisation is a process in which milk is forced through very fine filters at high speed to break up the fat or cream in the milk. The fat is broken up into minute fat globules which mix in with the milk. This process results in milk that is smooth and which doesn’t have a layer of cream on top.

Does homogenised milk cause an increase in our cholestrol levels? Is milk good for a person with high cholestrol or not?

Dr Kurt Oster, a cardiologist in the US, started researching milk and its effect on cholestrol in the 1960s. He found that the fat in milk contained a substance called Xanthene Oxidose. In normal milk both the fat and Xanthene Oxidose are digested by the body and either used for nutrients or excreted. However, Dr Oster found that the fat and Xanthene Oxidose particles in homogenised milk were so small that they could pass through the intestine walls into the bloodstream. Xanthene Oxidose from cow’s milk fat can attack the tissue in the artery walls causing legions. As these legions heal they can harden into calcified plaque which then narrows the arteries and cholestrol is able to stick to the plaque which narrows the arteries even more. Narrowing of the arteries is called atherosclerosis and is a major cause of heart disease.

So, is milk good for a person with high cholestrol?

Whole milk, especially homogenised whole milk, is not good for a person with high cholestrol as it contains saturated fat which can raise cholestrol levels and the substance Xanthene Oxidose. It is best to drink fat-free (skimmed) milk which is lower in saturated fat but still has the goodness of calcium, Vitamin D and other valuable nutrients. It is also possible to buy cholestrol lowering milks which are fat-free and contain plant sterols which lower cholestrol. Soya milk is also known to lower cholestrol. Research has shown that drinking three glasses of soya milk a day can significantly lower your cholestrol. Soya milk can be used wherever you would use normal milk – in drinks, on your cereal and in cooking.

The question should not be “Is milk good for a person with high cholestrol?” but instead “What milk is good for a person with high cholestrol?”.

Diets for High cholestrol

If a blood test has shown that you have high cholestrol, the first thing you need to do is to change your lifestyle. High cholestrol causes atherosclerosis, narrowing of the arteries, which in turn leads to heart disease. Research has shown that by making simple changes to our daily life we can cut our heart disease risks by 80%.

So what changes do we need to make:-

Changing to a healthier diet which is lower calorie, low in saturated fats and higher in fibre. Such diets for high cholestrol can have a dramatic effect on cholestrol levels.
Lose weight – weightloss significantly reduces our risks.
Start exercising – aerobic or cardiovascular exercise can be effective in lowering cholestrol levels.
Take supplements – Vitamin B3 (Niacin)can increase HDL or “good” cholestrol levels, Omega 3 fatty acids increase HDL (good cholestrol) levels and reduce LDL (bad cholestrol) 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.
Consume wheat grass and oat products.

People who have been diagnosed with high cholestrol, or who have a family history of high cholestrol levels, should follow diets for high cholestrol.

How to change your diet for high cholestrol

Eating a high fat diet is definitely one cause of high cholestrol but not all fats are bad. Some fat in the diet is vital because our body needs it for energy and for cell building. It is the type of fat that matters when we are considering the best diets for high cholestrol.

Saturated fats and trans fats are the fats that are known to elevate cholestrol levels.

Saturated fats are found in whole fat milk, butter, cheese and fatty meats.

Trans fats (also known as hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated fats) are found in commercially produced cakes, cookies and pastries as well as fast food.

However, there are good fats. Mono unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats can actually be good for our hearts and cholestrol.

Mono unsaturated fats are found in avocados, some oils like rapeseed and olive oil, and some nuts.

Polyunsaturated fats are found in oily fish such as salmon and sardines, some spreads and health drinks.

So, how can we reduce our intake of bad fats and increase our intake of good fats and follow diets for high cholestrol?

The trick is to simply replace saturated or trans fats with good fats. Here are some tricks and tips:-

Instead of using butter use a polyunsaturated spread or be Mediterranean and drizzle olive oil on your bread – delicious.
Cook with olive oil
Use lean meat or trim the white fat off cuts of meat
Replace whole fat milk with half fat milk or fat free milk.
Look at food labels for saturated fat and hydrogenated fat and buy low fat versions instead.
Cut down on fast food and processed food.
Replace cakes and cookies with fruit or vegetable snacks.
Grill, microwave, steam or poach food instead of frying it.
Eat oily fish once or twice a week (replacing your normal meat) to get essential Omega 3 fatty acids

Other changes we need to make when considering diets for high cholestrol are to increase our intake of fibre by eating wholegrain foods, pulses and fruit and vegetables.

Tips for increasing fibre:-

Replace some of the usual meat you eat with pulses in casseroles or soups
Replace white bread, pasta and rice with wholegrain/wholemeal versions
Replace your normal snacks for fruit and vegetable snacks which are also low calorie
Add fruit to breakfast cereals, add salad to your sandwiches, make smoothies, add more vegetables to casseroles and sauces, make vegetable soups, slice vegetables and serve with low fat dips, serve fruit as dessert.

As you can see these are simple changes we can make to our diets to make them suitable diets for high cholestrol. These changes can lower cholestrol levels without the need for further treatment, they are worth trying.

Search on the Internet for low fat recipes or buy yourself a low fat or low calorie recipe book to give you some inspiration.