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Health
Centre - What
is Cholesterol?
What
is Cholesterol?
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Cholesterol is a wax-like
substance produced mostly
in the liver. There are
two main types of cholesterol
that appear in the blood
stream; HDL (good) cholesterol
and LDL (bad) cholesterol.
Having high levels of HDL
(good) is good for us as
it helps maintain a healthy
heart.
LDL (bad) cholesterol
however is the type that
clogs up the walls of the
arteries thus leading to
coronary heart disease.
Eating the wrong foods,
such as lost of fat, can
cause high blood cholesterol
levels, which in turn causes
the blood vessels to narrow
and, if left, get blocked.
This build-up in the arteries
can take years to develop
but as the blood vessels
get narrower so the flow
of blood to the heart muscle
is reduced which in turn
can lead to a heart attack. |
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Lowering cholesterol levels
is most important as today's
'diet' and lack of exercise
are causing levels to increase
vastly. To know whether
you should be managing your
cholesterol levels you need
to ask yourself these questions:
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Is any member of your
family having to watch
their blood cholesterol
levels?
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Have you had your blood
pressure taken recently?
Is your blood pressure
at an unhealthy level?
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Have you been diagnosed
as having heart problems?
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Is there a history of
heart disease in your
family?
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Are you a smoker?
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Are you overweight?
If
you answered
YES to any
of the above questions then
you should be looking to
visit your GP to check whether
or not you should be reducing
your cholesterol levels.
These days' doctors recommend
a healthy diet - one that
is low in fat (especially
saturated fat) and salt.
But one that contains plenty
of fruit, vegetables and
fibre, which will help prevent
cholesterol build-up. There
are five types of fat and
fatty substances:
Polyunsaturated
In moderation these can
help lower blood cholesterol
and maintain a healthy heart.
Vegetable oils such as sunflower
and corn contain polyunsaturated
fats, as do products made
from them, such as spreads
that are labelled "high
in polyunsaturated fats".
Another good source for
polyunsaturated fat is oily
fish like mackerel, pilchards
and sardines.
Monounsaturated Fats
These can be found in high
quantities in olive oil
and rapeseed oils and avocado
pears. Whilst they do not
increase blood cholesterol
levels, some experts believe
that they may help to reduce
them.
Saturated and Trans Fats
Medical experts recommend
we should reduce the amount
of saturated and trans fats
we eat, as a diet high in
these two fats increases
blood cholesterol levels.
Unfortunately a lot of our
favourite foods have high
quantities of these fats.
Products such as animal
meats, hard margarines and
lard all contain high quantities
of these two fats, as do
some dairy products such
as full-fat milk, cheese
and butter.
Plant Sterols
Plant Sterols are a natural
ingredient present in vegetable
oils and therefore occur
in small amounts in our
diet. There are spreads
are now available in the
supermarkets that contain
larger amounts of Plant
Sterol. Using these spreads
as part of your normal healthy
diet can dramatically reduce
cholesterol levels. As with
all dietary changes you
have to stick with it to
be successful in reducing
and maintaining lower cholesterol
levels.
Healthy Heart Maintenance
Diet is only part of the
changes needed to obtain,
keep and maintain good health
and a healthy heart. Being
active is also a very important
element in being healthy.
You need exercise in some
way at least 30 minutes,
5 days a week at moderate
intensity. Three of the
best all round forms of
physical activity are walking,
swimming and cycling. Remember
though to start any fitness
regime slowly, building
it up gradually, especially
if you've not taken any
exercise for some time,
are over 40, have been ill
or have joint problems.
As recommended throughout
this site, always consult
your medical practitioner
before making any drastic
changes to your diet, fitness
regime or life-style.
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