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.
Cholesterol is being used to create Vitamin D, hormones, and some of the bile acids which are required to digest fat in the stomach and intestines, but the body only requires a small amount of cholesterol for this purpose.
Cardiovascular Disease and Cholesterol
Plaque will begin to buildup when there are excessive cholesterol in the blood that can easily line the inside of the arteries. Over time, the plaque begins to accumulate and restrict the flow blood to the heart causing atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which will eventually lead to heart disease or, if left untreated, even death.
With cholesterol build-up on the artery walls and the restriction of blood that carries oxygen, the individual might experience heart chest pain (angina). When the blood flow has been completely cut-off to the heart, a heart attack could result. This is usually a result of a sudden block in the artery caused by a blood clot which is 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:
Bad Eating Habit - Eating foods rich in trans fats such as, margarine, cream cheese, fried foods, processed foods, commercially baked foods, will result in high levels of cholesterol.
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 Exercise - exercise has many benefits for the heart. Not only regular strenuous exercise can improve cardiovascular fitness, but it also enhance the blood supply to the heart. Exercise has effects on metabolism and some factors related to blood clotting, which reduce the risk of heart attack.
Your Age and Gender- Cholesterol naturally begins to rise as metabolism begins to slows down at age after age 20. In men, cholesterol level generally stabilized after age 50. In women, cholesterol level stays relatively low until menopause, then it rises to about the same level as in 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.
Cholesterol is being used to create Vitamin D, hormones, and some of the bile acids which are required to digest fat in the stomach and intestines, but the body only requires a small amount of cholesterol for this purpose.
Cardiovascular Disease and Cholesterol
Plaque will begin to buildup when there are excessive cholesterol in the blood that can easily line the inside of the arteries. Over time, the plaque begins to accumulate and restrict the flow blood to the heart causing atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, which will eventually lead to heart disease or, if left untreated, even death.
With cholesterol build-up on the artery walls and the restriction of blood that carries oxygen, the individual might experience heart chest pain (angina). When the blood flow has been completely cut-off to the heart, a heart attack could result. This is usually a result of a sudden block in the artery caused by a blood clot which is 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:
Bad Eating Habit - Eating foods rich in trans fats such as, margarine, cream cheese, fried foods, processed foods, commercially baked foods, will result in high levels of cholesterol.
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 Exercise - exercise has many benefits for the heart. Not only regular strenuous exercise can improve cardiovascular fitness, but it also enhance the blood supply to the heart. Exercise has effects on metabolism and some factors related to blood clotting, which reduce the risk of heart attack.
Your Age and Gender- Cholesterol naturally begins to rise as metabolism begins to slows down at age after age 20. In men, cholesterol level generally stabilized after age 50. In women, cholesterol level stays relatively low until menopause, then it rises to about the same level as in 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 for more than 20 years and he is now dedicated to share his experiences and knowledge on how to lower your cholesterolthrough his blog hoping to help others to overcome their problems with high blood cholesterol.
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