How to reduce cholesterol

How to reduce cholesterol

To reduce cholesterol:

First cut down on saturated fats. To do this:

1. Eat lean meat. Select lean cuts and ask your butcher to cut off the fat.

2. Drink skim milk instead of whole milk. Do the same for all dairy products. Note that vegetarians have a much lower cholesterol level (almost twice as low as average) which is perfectly understandable, since cholesterol is only found in products derived from animals.

3. Alcohol - in moderation. Not more than two glasses a day. However, it does appear that drinking a moderate amount of alcohol raises the number of HDL lipids (the good ones!), which break down cholesterol. (Moderation = two 4 oz. glasses of wine or two 12 oz.beers.)

4. Do regular exercise, for example walking.

5. Take Vitamin E. It reduces the risk of coronary disease.

6. Calcium brewer’s yeast, Vitamin C and Vitamin B-6 also combat the accumulation of cholesterol. And don’t forget lecithin, which helps fight excess cholesterol, arteriosclerosis, hypertension

Lowering Your High Cholesterol?

Lowering Your High Cholesterol?

Too much cholesterol in the blood can lead to heart disease and stroke America’s No. 1 and No. 4 killers. You can reduce your cholesterol by eating healthful foods, losing weight if you need to and being physically active. Some people also need to take medicine because changing their diet isn’t enough. Your doctor and nurses will help you set up a plan for reducing your cholesterol and keeping yourself healthy!

Most heart and blood vessel disease is caused by a buildup of cholesterol, plaque and other fatty deposits in artery walls. The arteries that feed the heart can become so clogged that the blood flow is reduced, causing chest pain. If a blood clot forms and blocks the artery, a heart attack can occur. Similarly, if a blood clot blocks an artery leading to or in the brain, a stroke results.

What should I eat?
1. Focus on low-saturated-fat, trans fat-free, low-cholesterol foods such as these:

2. A variety of deeply colored fruits and vegetables (4 to 5 servings of each per day)

3. A variety of fiber-rich grain products like whole grain bread, cereal, pasta and brown rice. (6 to 8 servings per day with at least half of the servings whole grains)

4. Fat-free, 1 percent and low-fat milk products (2 to 3 servings per day)

5. Lean meats and poultry without skin (choose up to 5 to 6 total ounces per day)

6. Fatty fish (enjoy at least 2 servings baked or grilled each week)

7. Nuts, seeds, and legumes (dried beans or peas) in limited amounts (4 to 5 servings per week).\

8. Unsaturated vegetable oils like canola, corn, olive, safflower and soybean oils (but a limited amount of tub or liquid unsalted margarines and spreads made from them)

What should I limit?
1. Whole milk, cream and ice cream
2. Butter, egg yolks and cheese and foods made with them
3. Organ meats like liver, sweetbreads, kidney and brain
4. High-fat processed meats like sausage, bologna, salami and hot dogs
5. Fatty meats that aren’t trimmed
6. Duck and goose meat (raised for market)
7. Bakery goods made with egg yolks, saturated fats and trans fats.
8. Saturated oils like coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil
9. Solid fats like shortening, partially hydrogenated margarine and lard
10. Fried foods

Excercise
a. Aerobic exercises are probably the best approach to lowering cholesterol.  Walking, cycling or swimming are good examples of aerobic exercise.

b. Your goal should be to exercise at least 4 days per week for cardiovascular benefit, 6 days per week if desiring weight loss.

c. Measure your pulse rate (if possible) before, during (midway), and after exercise.  The pulse can be found near your wrist (thumb side, called radial pulse) or on the neck (carotid).  Count the number of pulses in 15 seconds, then multiply by four (4) to give the number of pulses per minute.

d. If you choose walking as your exercise, you should gradually work up to 45 to 60 minutes per session (or per day: exercise has a cumulative effect).

CHOLESTEROL - HOME REMEDIES

CHOLESTEROL - HOME REMEDIES

High blood cholesterol develops in anyone regardless of age, sex, race, or ethnic background. Most people are unaware that their blood cholesterol levels are high until they learn it from their doctor through tests and investigations. Since there are no signs or symptoms, like high blood pressure, it is a potential threat to ones health.

Heart disease in present century is number one on the list of death mortality. It is caused by the clotting up of the blood vessels by a fatty substance called atheroma and is due to too much 'fat' in the blood. This process is called atherosclerosis and it can eventually lead to diseases like heart attack and stroke. There are two types of fats in the blood that commonly cause this condition. They are cholesterol and triglycerides. A special blood test conducted after fasting for at least 12 hours can tell the doctor if one or both of these fats are too high in a patient.

What is Cholesterol? 

Cholesterol is a white fatty substance formed mainly in the liver of animals including humans. There are three important categories of lipids:
The neutral fats
The conjugated lipids
The sterols

Cholesterol helps in the metabolism and manufacture of certain hormones such as testosterone and estrogen, and to help in the development of brain.

In humans, neutral fats are fatty acids esterified with alcohol, glycerol; most are esters containing three fatty acids and are called triglycerides.

Conjugated lipids consist of phospho-lipids and glyco-lipids. Adipose tissue contains stored triglycerides. Triglycerides, cholesterol, and phospho lipids are the major lipid components found in serum; these lipids exist in blood as macromolecules complexed with specialized proteins to form lipoproteins.

OPTIMUM RANGE 

It has always been very difficult to establish reference ranges for cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations; enormous variations exist among groups classified according to sex, race and income level, physical activity, dietary habits and geographic locations. It is also uncertain whether to consider the average as the normal.

Cholesterol level is determined partly by the genetic make-up and the saturated fat, and cholesterol in the diet.

POTENTIAL RISKS OF HIGH BLOOD CHOLESTEROL

The three major risk factors for coronary heart disease are:

1. High blood cholesterol
2. Cigarette smoking
3. High blood pressure

GOOD AND BAD CHOLESTEROL 

Cholesterol travels in blood in small packages called lipoproteins.All lipoproteins are formed in the liver and carry cholesterol through the body.Cholesterol packaged in low density lipoproteins (LDLs) is transported from the liver to other parts of the body where it can be used. LDL carries most of the cholesterol in blood, and if not removed from the blood, it can lead to a build up of fat and cholesterol in the arteries contributing to atherosclerosis. Therefore, LDL cholesterol is also known as bad cholesterol.

Cholesterol is also packaged in high-density lipoproteins (HDLs). HDL carries cholesterol back to the liver for processing. HDL helps to remove cholesterol from the blood preventing its accumulation along the arterial walls. Therefore, HDL cholesterol is also known as good cholesterol.

BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVELS  

Any level above 200mg/dl increases your risk for heart disease. If your cholesterol is 240 mg/dl or greater, you have more than twice the risk of someone whose cholesterol is 200 mg/dl.

If it is 300 mg/dl the risk is almost six times. When high cholesterol is combined with other major risk factors (either high blood pressure or cigarette smoking),  your risk for coronary heart disease increases even further.

If your cholesterol level is in the high category and you have high blood pressure, your risk for coronary heart disease increases and if you smoke, the risk increases almost twenty times.

Other factors that increase the risk of coronary heart disease include family history of coronary heart disease before 55 years of age, diabetes, vascular (blood vessel) disease, obesity and being a male.

How will lowering your high cholesterol help? 

Lowering high blood cholesterol level will slow fatty build up in the walls of the arteries and reduce the risk of heart attack and death caused by heart attack. If you reduce the cholesterol level by 15%, your risk of coronary heart disease could drop by 30%.

PRECAUTIONS 

The primary treatment for high blood cholesterol is to follow a diet that is low in saturated fat and low in cholesterol.

GUIDELINES FOR LOWERING HIGH BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVEL 

1. Eat less than 30% of your total daily calories from fat.
2. Less than 10%of your calories should come from saturated fat. No more than 10% of your calories should come from polyunsaturated fat. 10% - 15% of your calories should come from monounsaturated fat.
3. Eat less than 300 mg of cholesterol each day.
4. Eat 50% - 60% of your daily calories from carbohydrates.

DIETARY GUIDELINES 

1. To ensure an adequate balance of all the healthy foods carbohydrates, proteins, fats, fibre, vitamins and minerals, one needs to choose from a wide variety of food.
2. We need to keep our weight in check and to prevent obesity by cutting down on fats, sugar and alcohol. Try and reduce the quantity of servings and exercise regularly.
3. Cut down on fats by selecting fish, poultry and lean meats; cut excess fats and remove the skin. Restrict the use of butter or margarine and use minimum quantity  of cooking oil. Eat less of dairy products, fried food and snacks.
4. Restrict the use of sugar to minimum  by eating less sweet food like cakes, biscuits and soft drinks. Reduce the use of sugar in recipes and avoid canned fruits.
5. Eat more breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables. Increase the intake of complex carbohydrates such as rice and potato.
6. Drink less alcohol. Instead have more water.
7. Use less salt to avoid increase in blood pressure.

HOME REMEDIES 

Alfalfa-- Alfalfa contains all the elements necessary for the softening of the hardened arteries and cleaning up fatty deposits within the coronary arteries. The seeds of alfalfa are useful in sprouted form. They can also be taken in salads, sandwiches and in soup form.

Almond --  Almonds are highly nutritious nuts and contain monounsaturated fat, which is known to reduce cholesterol.

Apple-- Apple contains a high soluble fibre called pectin that helps lower cholesterol, in other words, it prevents the building  up of cholesterol in the walls of blood vessels, thus keeping the heart free from any ailments.  A diet rich in flavonoids (abundant in apples) lowers the risk of heart disease and may help prevent strokes. Apple murabba (Indian, sweet pickle made from apples) relieves mental stress and acts as a heart stimulant, thus keeping the heart strong.

Avocado-- Avocado has the same type of cholesterol lowering fat as almonds and olive oil. Raw avocados can be put in salads or spread on bread or crackers. Avocados also protect arteries against oxidative damage that makes cholesterol dangerous.

Bajra- Have chapattis made from bajra flour regularly as it has significant amounts of iron, lecithin and choline, which keeps cholesterol under control. It also keeps a check on the accumulation of deposits of any kind of fat anywhere in the body thereby controlling obesity.

Barley- Make chapattis with barley flour and bran or wheat flour mixed together and eat them daily. This reduces the blood cholesterol level. The fibers of the grain removes the fat deposits collected in the arteries over a long period of time, thus cleaning the arteries and valve around the heart.Barley also aids the suppression of cholesterol production in the liver and prevents dietary fats and cholesterol from being absorbed in the intestines.

Beans (dried) and seeds-  Legumes or beans are the best and safest food for reducing bad cholesterol. According to one test, beans improve the HDL-LDL cholesterol ratio by 17%. Take about 80 – 100 grams of dried beans or baked beans twice a day for best results. This also raises the good HDL cholesterol. Heart patients should have soya beans, sunflower seeds and wheat germ regularly.

Bengal gram (chick pea / chole)- Regular consumption of Bengal gram reduces the cholesterol level. Make chappatis from ground whole pulses mixed with wheat flour and take them regularly. This keeps the cholesterol level under control.

Brinjal-- The leaves of brinjal plant and brinjal itself cooked and eaten as a vegetable, reduces the cholesterol level in the blood, thus preventing heart diseases. Consume cooked brinjal regularly. The seeds of brinjal have certain properties that bind the cholesterol and take it out through the intestines, thus preventing the absorption of cholesterol in the blood.

Cabbage--  Eat cooked cabbage regularly. Cabbage contains vitamins B and C which strengthens the blood vessels, keeps the cholesterol level under control and prevents the walls of the arteries from getting thick, thus preventing any heart diseases. Cabbage also helps reduce palpitation of the heart.

Carrot-- Carrots contain high anti-cholesterol soluble fibre including pectin. This reduces the bad LDL cholesterol and raises the good HDL cholesterol. The fibre in two carrots can lower the cholesterol by 10- 20%. Beta-carotene in the carrots also raise good HDL cholesterol. Eat at least two raw and fresh carrots daily, thus keeping the heart free from any diseases. Carrots can also be taken in soup or juice form and they can also be eaten raw, cooked or boiled.

Coriander seeds (dhania)-- These seeds have cholesterol reducing property, thus, to reduce high cholesterol take a decoction made from boiling two teaspoonfuls of dry coriander seed powder in one glass of water. Take this twice a day for a few months to bring down blood cholesterol level.

Fenugreek leaves (methi) - Cook this as a vegetable and consume it regularly. It lowers the cholesterol level.

Fenugreek seeds (methi)--Soak 10-12 methi seeds in one fourth cup of water overnight and have both the seeds and the water, next day in the morning with a glass of water. This will reduce the cholesterol level. You can also boil some methi seeds in about one and a half cup of water, then strain this liquid, add 1 teaspoonful of honey and drink it. Do this daily. Both these remedies are useful for cardiac problems.

Fibre- One must incorporate more fibre in their daily diet as fibre reduces the absorption of cholesterol, thus preventing heart diseases. Some rich sources of fibre are unseived wheat flour, whole grains and pulses, fresh fruits and vegetables in raw form. Fruits and vegetables rich in fibre and vitamin C prevents platelet clumping that leads to formation of blood clots.

Garlic- Garlic is a powerful anti-coagulant food. It prevents blood clotting. It also prevents and treats atherosclerosis. Even if consumed in moderate amount, garlic will help thin the blood, thereby reducing formation of blood clots within the arteries.Take 2 - 3 raw cloves of garlic every morning. This reduces the high cholesterol level thus preventing heart diseases. There are certain compounds in garlic that lower cholesterol by reducing liver's synthesis of cholesterol. Bad cholesterol is the main cause for blocking the flow of blood through the heart. Garlic reduces this bad cholesterol thus protecting the heart and preventing atherosclerosis / arteriosclerosis.

Grapefruit-- The pulp of grapefruit contains a unique type of soluble fibre called galacturonic acid that helps lower blood cholesterol. It also aids in dissolving plaque or reverse plaque formation that is already clogging the arteries. But it must be noted that the juice of this fruit does not contain any fibre and hence it does not show any cholesterol lowering effects.

Grapeseed oil-- Oil extracted from grapeseed (which is used for mild dressing), is very effective in raising good HDL cholesterol.

Guava-Guava is a rich source of vitamins A, B and C. Its high fibre content aids in keeping the cholesterol level under control .

Ishabgul--  The seeds of this herb contain certain properties that reduce the blood cholesterol level, thus it is highly beneficial in the treatment of high blood cholesterol. The oil of the seeds also reduces the blood cholesterol level as it contains 50% linoleic acid and one teaspoonful of this oil should be taken twice daily for beneficial results.

Lady's finger (bhindi)-- Have bhindi soup daily, this will reduce the cholesterol level and will keep the heart healthy.

What is Cholesterol?

What is Cholesterol

Cholesterol,  is a fatty substance found in animal tissues. The human body produces cholesterol, but this substance also enters the body in food. Meats, egg yolks, and milk products, such as butter and cheese, contain cholesterol. Such organs as the brain and liver contain much cholesterol.

    Cholesterol is a type of lipid, one of the classes of chemical compounds essential to human health . Cholesterol makes up an important part of the membranes of each cell in the body. In addition, the liver uses cholesterol to make bile acids, which aid digestion. The body also uses cholesterol to produce vitamin D and certain hormones, including sex hormones.

    Cholesterol and triglycerides, another lipid, are two of the major fatty substances in the blood . Triglycerides may be used by cells for energy, or they may be stored for later use. Doctors often measure the amount of cholesterol and triglycerides in blood to help determine a patient's overall health. High levels of cholesterol, particularly if accompanied by high levels of triglycerides, increase the risk of heart disease.

Both cholesterol and triglycerides are carried through the bloodstream in large molecules called lipoproteins. There are two chief types of cholesterol-carrying lipoproteins, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). Cholesterol in blood can thus be identified as either LDL-cholesterol or HDL-cholesterol, depending on which lipoprotein carries it. High levels of LDL-cholesterol in blood are a primary cause of heart attacks. LDL can be found in the wall of heart arteries. Low levels of HDL-cholesterol also increase the risk of heart attack. Some scientists believe that HDLs help remove cholesterol from tissues.

    Factors that cause high cholesterol levels. The amount of cholesterol in the human body is controlled by cellular molecules that are called LDL-receptors. These molecules allow LDL-cholesterol to attach to and be used by the cell. LDL-cholesterol accumulates in blood in large amounts when the LDL-cholesterol in the body far exceeds the number of available LDL-receptors. This condition most commonly occurs in people whose diets are high in cholesterol or in saturated fats. Saturated fats are found primarily in animal fats and in certain vegetable fats, such as coconut oil and palm oil.

People also may have high cholesterol levels if they have an abnormal gene that prevents a full number of LDL-receptors from forming. This inherited disorder is called familial hypercholesterolemia. Other factors that can cause high blood cholesterol include a malfunctioning thyroid gland, kidney disease, diabetes, and the use of various medicines, including certain diuretics.

Cholesterol and heart disease

In adults, a cholesterol level of less than 200 milligrams per 1 deciliter (3 ounces) of blood is considered desirable. Above that level, the risk of heart disease increases dramatically. Adults also are at an above-average risk of heart disease if they have an LDL-cholesterol level of more than 160 milligrams per deciliter of blood or an HDL-cholesterol level of less than 35 milligrams per deciliter.

Several factors add to the risk of heart disease in people with high levels of LDL-cholesterol. These factors include a low HDL-cholesterol level, a family history of premature heart disease, and being a male over 44 years of age or a female over 54. Individuals with two or more of these factors have high risk of heart attack, particularly if they also have atherosclerosis (narrowing of the arteries because of fatty deposits).

Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol
This consists of first reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol in the diet. Poultry and fish are low in cholesterol. Cereals, fresh fruit, and vegetables contain no cholesterol. Regular aerobic exercise-such as bicycling, running, and swimming-can further lower the cholesterol level. Medication should be considered only for people who are at high risk of heart disease and who have been unable to control their cholesterol with diet. Medications shown to reduce cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease include cholestyramine, colestipol, gemfibrozil, lovastatin, and niacin.

Clinical research trials have indicated that lowering the amount of cholesterol in the blood can reduce the risk of heart attack in middle-aged men who had no history of heart disease. In men and women with atherosclerosis, reducing cholesterol in blood prevents further narrowing of the heart arteries.