The Cholesterol Facts
The word is out on cholesterol. It's in the newspapers, magazines, radio and television. Doctors, medical researchers and dieticians talk about it. But do we really know what cholesterol is? We will give you the goods on cholesterol: what it is, what it does and how to avoid it.
First, let's talk about heart health. The good news is that for the most part, we can control the health of our heart vessels. If your genetics are such that unhealthy blood vessels run in the family, your cholesterol knowledge and determination to keep your LDL low can give those genes a run for their money.
Cholesterol: The Good, the
Bad, the Ugly
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in the blood stream
and in the body's cells. Essential for good health, cholesterol
serves several functions, such as the formation of cell
membranes and particular hormones. Our bodies can't survive
without it. Not only do we get cholesterol through our foods,
but the liver manufactures it from fat and sugar at a rate of
50,000,000,000,000,000 molecules per second! There are two types
of cholesterol: low density cholesterol (LDL) and high density
cholesterol (HDL).
LDL Cholesterol
When your doctor says to lower your cholesterol, LDL is the one
to target. LDL is bad for the body because it has a tendency to
end up in the blood vessels and coagulate in the arteries. Think
of the muck that collects in pipes. The more muck, the less
water that is able to pass through. When cholesterol attaches
itself to the walls of the arteries and calcifies, it makes the
passageways of the arteries hard and much smaller. This slows
down blood flow and can cause clots to form.
HDL Cholesterol
HDL is the good cholesterol. Think of bad cholesterol and good
cholesterol in terms of cops and robbers. Bad cholesterol robs
the body of true wellness and good cholesterol removes the bad
cholesterol from the walls of the blood vessels and arteries.
Then the good cholesterol transports the bad cholesterol back to
the liver so that it can be removed from the body through the
process of excretion. A healthy person should have a balanced
ratio of HDL and LDL.
It's important to understand that the cholesterol molecule isn't
intrinsically good or bad. What determines whether cholesterol
is good or bad isn't the molecule itself, but the type of
protein particle that is transporting the cholesterol in the
blood stream.
The Do’s and Don’ts on Cholesterol
Here's what you can do to help decrease your LDL's and increase
your HDL's, keep your cholesterol levels balanced and your heart
healthy.
1. Eat your colors. Even if your LDL
is a little on the high side, there's at least one way to defuse
its danger. Antioxidants, the food chemicals that help protect
the body's cells from oxidation, aid the body in its fight
against a slow destruction. Food sources known to fight what is
called free radical damage actually limit the harm that LDL can
do to our vessels. Vitamin E, vitamin C, beta carotene, garlic,
red wine, red grape juice, soybean constituents and any fruit or
vegetable are great antioxidant-rich foods. While many fruit
juices have antioxidants in them, they don't contain fiber. If
you have a choice between a fruit juice and a whole fruit, pick
the whole fruit. Fruit and vegetable fiber is an important
combatant against high LDL.
2. Reduce homocysteine. Homocysteine is a protein and it
can be an enemy of good health at high levels. It encourages
blood clotting, LDL oxidation and works against the benefits of
high levels of good cholesterol. But have no fear. B vitamins
(especially folic acid) help quell homocysteine. Good food
sources of B vitamins are: leafy green veggies, orange juice,
dried beans and fortified cereals. Multivitamin supplements with
folic acid and B vitamins also help control homocysteine in most
people.
3. Watch what you drink. Heavy drinkers of caffeinated
coffee (nine cups a day) have up to 25 percent higher
homocysteine levels. However, drinkers of caffeinated black tea
can lower homocysteine levels, possibly because tea contains
folic acid. Many researchers believe that this may help to
explain why studies have linked heavy coffee consumption to
increased heart problems and tea consumption to reduced heart
problems.
4. Know your fats. Remember, not all fats are bad. The
cardiovascular system's greatest nemesis is saturated fats or
animal fats found in many meat and dairy products. These fats
can raise bad cholesterol levels in the body and make the blood
more sluggish and prone to clotting, which can constrict
arteries so less blood and oxygen get to the heart and brain.
Avoid fatty meats and stick to lean poultry and fish. Another
artery enemy is trans fat, which is found in hard margarine and
the hydrogenated oils in processed foods. It's best to stay away
from saturated fats and trans fats and choose heart healthy fats
like olive oil, canola oil, borage oil, avocado and fish oil.
5. Keep your mind and your arteries open. Scientists
stress the importance of vascular function. Healthy vascular
function allows blood to flow smoothly to the heart and brain.
This is mostly accomplished by nitric oxide, a chemical released
in the cells of blood vessel walls. You want to eat foods that
stimulate the release of nitric oxide already present in the
body. Studies have identified the best blood-vessel openers as
red skinned peanuts, apple skin and pulp, tea (especially green
tea), cinnamon, red wine and purple grape juice. The same
chemicals in these foods also help reduce blood clotting and LDL
oxidation. Also, fish oils and vitamin C help support healthy
blood flow.
6. Eat or drink soy. Soy products are also linked to
reduced cholesterol because of their isoflavone content. The FDA
recently approved a health claim label for soy products
containing soy protein. It states that daily consumption of as
little as 25 grams daily will help maintain healthy cholesterol
levels.
7. Don't forget your soluble fibers. Foods such as
barley, high fiber raisins, whole wheat bread, sesame seeds,
nuts and oats are super rich in soluble fibers. How do these
work? They slow down the entrance of cholesterol into the body.
When you have a choice between refined foods versus whole foods,
the decision is easy ... choose the whole foods. Say "no" to
white rice, white potatoes and semolina pasta.
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