Cholesterol The Truth And Myths Exposed
Cholesterol what is it? It's a soft, waxy substance found among the fats in your body. Your body needs it because it's uses it to produce cell membranes, even some hormones, in addition to other body functions. But a excess level of cholesterol in the blood is a significant risk factor for coronary heart disease.
Fats including cholesterol do not dissolve in the blood. Which means that they have to be carried around the body by special chemical carriers called lipoproteins. There are a several of these lipoproteins within the body but the important ones on this case are known as high density lipoproteins also known as HDL and low density lipoproteins (LDL).
The low density lipoprotein (LDL) is the main carrier of cholesterol in the blood. If there is too much LDL cholesterol it can accumulate and can block the walls of the atreries which provide oxygen to the heart and brain. Cholesterol with other substances form a plaque which hardens blocking the flow of blood.
This condition is known as atherosclerosis. A clot that forms near this plaque can block the blood flow to part of the heart muscle and cause a heart attack. If a clot blocks the blood flow to part of the brain, a stroke results.
Between one-third to one-fourth of blood cholesterol is carried by HDL.Medical experts think HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body.
Some experts believe HDL removes excess cholesterol from plaques and thus slows their growth. HDL cholesterol is known as "good" cholesterol because a high HDL level seems to protect against heart attack.
Cholesterol is produced in 2 ways .The body predominantly the liver creates around 1,000 milligrams daily.
Cholesterol can also be found in food. Foods produced from animals such as meats, poultry, some seafoods, fish and dairy products (including eggs) are all providers of cholesterol. Primarily foods stuffs from plants such as fruits, grains, nuts and seeds are cholesterol free.
Typically the body makes all the cholesterol it needs, so people don't need to consume it at all. Saturated fatty acids are the main culprit in raising blood cholesterol, which in turn increases your risk of heart disease.Trans fats also raise blood cholesterol.
But dietary cholesterol also plays a part. The average American man consumes about 337 milligrams of cholesterol a day; the average woman, 217 milligrams.
Part of the excess cholesterol is broken down and removed by the liver. But the recommended daily intake as stated by The American Heart Association is 300 mg or less a day. If you show any signs of heart disease this should be reduced further to less than 200mg.
Still, everyone should remember that by keeping their dietary intake of saturated fats low, they can significantly lower their dietary cholesterol intake. Foods high in saturated fat generally contain substantial amounts of dietary cholesterol.
People with severe high blood cholesterol levels may need an even greater reduction. Since cholesterol is in all foods from animal sources, care must be taken to eat no more than six ounces of lean meat, fish and poultry per day and to use fat-free and low-fat dairy products. It's also a good idea to substitute animal sources of protein with high-quality proteins from vegetable sources such as beans.
IMPORTANT: If you are unsure of your cholesterol level have it checked by your medical practitioner or you can buy a home test kit.
About the Author, Tanya Grey:
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