What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is created by liver in our body, along with the food source that we eat such as eggs, meat, dairy products, and meats. We rely on cholesterol to keep our body function properly, but having too much of cholesterol will result in serious health issues, including heart disease or even atherosclerosis- hardening of arteries.
The body uses cholesterol to produce Vitamin D, hormones, and many of the bile acids that are required to digest fat in the stomach and intestines. However, to function properly, the body requires only a small amount of cholesterol to perform all of its duties.
Cardiovascular Disease and Cholesterol
When there are too much cholesterol in the blood, plaque starts to build-up against the artery walls. Over time, the accumulation of plague slows down the circulation of blood flow to the heart. Hardening of arteries or atherosclerosis will be developed when plaque continues to buildup which will eventually lead to heart disease, or at the worse case, even death if left untreated.
With the buildup of cholesterol on the inside of the arteries, and the restriction of oxygen-carrying blood, the individual might experience heart chest pain (angina). Anytime the flow of blood has been completely cut off to the heart, a heart attack could result. This is usually a result of a sudden closure in the artery caused by a blood clot that has been formed from the plaque.
Foods, Life-style & Conditions
There are many factors that can significantly affect cholesterol levels in the body. Based on these underlying conditions, the individual can experience various levels of cholesterol at any point in their life, even at a young age. These factors are:
An Unhealthy Diet - Consuming foods high in saturated fat tends to generate high levels of cholesterol. These foods include meats, animal organs (liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, and others), cheeses, dairy products, and eggs.
Overweight - Being overweight can be a major cause of high blood cholesterol. It has been proven that losing up to 10% of your body weight has been shown to lower harmful LDL cholesterol levels while increasing the good HDL cholesterol.
Lack of Regular Exercise - It has been proven that regular physical exercise can help raise good cholesterol level, HDL, and at the same time lower the bad cholesterol level, LDL.
Age and Gender- Part of the aging process plays a significant role in raising cholesterol levels when men and women after age 20. For women, cholesterol levels tend to lower then men until menopause, then their cholesterol level rises to about the same level as men.
Lifestyle change such as, avoiding bad cholesterol foods, quitting smoking and working out in a regular basis, is the most natural way for lowering cholesterol level. For those who have family record of high blood cholesterol, it is recommended to have their cholesterol levels tested once a year as this condition can be developed unnoticed without any symptoms or signs. Therefore, it is best to discover the problem before it's too late.
Cholesterol is created by liver in our body, along with the food source that we eat such as eggs, meat, dairy products, and meats. We rely on cholesterol to keep our body function properly, but having too much of cholesterol will result in serious health issues, including heart disease or even atherosclerosis- hardening of arteries.
The body uses cholesterol to produce Vitamin D, hormones, and many of the bile acids that are required to digest fat in the stomach and intestines. However, to function properly, the body requires only a small amount of cholesterol to perform all of its duties.
Cardiovascular Disease and Cholesterol
When there are too much cholesterol in the blood, plaque starts to build-up against the artery walls. Over time, the accumulation of plague slows down the circulation of blood flow to the heart. Hardening of arteries or atherosclerosis will be developed when plaque continues to buildup which will eventually lead to heart disease, or at the worse case, even death if left untreated.
With the buildup of cholesterol on the inside of the arteries, and the restriction of oxygen-carrying blood, the individual might experience heart chest pain (angina). Anytime the flow of blood has been completely cut off to the heart, a heart attack could result. This is usually a result of a sudden closure in the artery caused by a blood clot that has been formed from the plaque.
Foods, Life-style & Conditions
There are many factors that can significantly affect cholesterol levels in the body. Based on these underlying conditions, the individual can experience various levels of cholesterol at any point in their life, even at a young age. These factors are:
An Unhealthy Diet - Consuming foods high in saturated fat tends to generate high levels of cholesterol. These foods include meats, animal organs (liver, kidneys, sweetbreads, and others), cheeses, dairy products, and eggs.
Overweight - Being overweight can be a major cause of high blood cholesterol. It has been proven that losing up to 10% of your body weight has been shown to lower harmful LDL cholesterol levels while increasing the good HDL cholesterol.
Lack of Regular Exercise - It has been proven that regular physical exercise can help raise good cholesterol level, HDL, and at the same time lower the bad cholesterol level, LDL.
Age and Gender- Part of the aging process plays a significant role in raising cholesterol levels when men and women after age 20. For women, cholesterol levels tend to lower then men until menopause, then their cholesterol level rises to about the same level as men.
Lifestyle change such as, avoiding bad cholesterol foods, quitting smoking and working out in a regular basis, is the most natural way for lowering cholesterol level. For those who have family record of high blood cholesterol, it is recommended to have their cholesterol levels tested once a year as this condition can be developed unnoticed without any symptoms or signs. Therefore, it is best to discover the problem before it's too late.
About the Author:
Terry Howser has been a victim of high level of bad cholesterol ever since when he was a teenager and he is now dedicated to share his experience and knowledge on how to lower your LDLthrough his blog hoping to help others to manage their problems with high cholesterol levels.
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