Are you aware of the fact that besides the bad cholesterol that produces many medical conditions there is also healthy and good cholesterol? Your body has 2 kinds of cholesterol. HDL, which is the good cholesterol and LDL, the bad cholesterol. We have been told for many, many years that having a high level of HDL was thought to be very good for your health. We were told that having a high level of good cholesterol was going to give us a large amount of protection against heart conditions. As of late there has been some information on how to lower all cholesterol levels, not just your LDL cholesterol level, which is the bad cholesterol.

Those that thought that HDL cholesterol levels which are high can protect you from heart problems are now saying that this cholesterol level is actually also causing us concern as a risk of heart disease. The risk however, is only if you have a low HDL cholesterol level. So as we are told to lower both cholesterol levels is actually wrong advice. It has also been found that even if the LDL cholesterol level are in normal levels, people that had the good cholesterol levels a little lower were now at risk of having an artery problem. Normal HDL cholesterol levels are when you have minimum 35 mg/ Dl. The actual HDL cholesterol is truly needed for the work that it does. The HDL cholesterol is actually a very complex molecule the more we study it.

This HDL cholesterol is the combination of lipids, protein and cholesterol. It helps to clean out the walls of your blood vessels, which is a very important and a much needed factor to maintaing good health. The HDL cholesterol actually cleans out the excessive cholesterol that is sitting in your blood. So this means that the good cholesterol will clean out the bad cholesterol that is found in your blood. The bad cholesterol or better known as the LDL cholesterol then travels to your liver to be filtered. So this explains why one cholesterol level must be higher to help the other cholesterol level become lower and all the while protecting you from having heart problems.

If you need to raise your HDL cholesterol levels you will need to have healthy eating habits and an exercise routine in place. By doing some type of daily exercise for 30 minutes a day and eating properly you will help to keep your cholesterol levels at the right levels.

Reducing The Ldl Cholesterol, Raising The Good Cholesterol

In all the news reports we hear these days about cholesterol, LDL, HDL, VLDL, triglycerides, etc. etc, it can be hard to keep track of which type of cholesterol is “good” and which is “bad.”.

In this article, we’ll try to expand your knowledge of what LDL cholesterol is – the type that’s often referred to as “bad” cholesterol – and why it’s considered dangerous to heart health.

First, it will probably help to take a quick refresher on exactly what cholesterol is and how it functions in your body.

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that circulates in the blood. The body manufactures cholesterol naturally, mostly in the liver. We get more from the food we eat. But because cholesterol is incapable of traveling through the bloodstream alone, it must attach itself to a protein. This combination is called a “lipoprotein.”

LDL is an abbreviation for “low density lipoprotein.” This is the so-called “bad” cholesterol you hear about. One of our cardiologist acquaintances says it’s easy to remember if you think of it as “low down and lousy.” LDL tends to stick to the walls of your arteries, accumulating in the form of something called plaque. This is the material that causes hardening of the arteries and leads to heart attacks or a stroke.

HDL stands for “high density lipoprotein.” HDL is good not only because it does not create arterial plaque, but also because it attaches to LDL and carries it to the liver, which removes it from the body. The higher the level of HDL you have in your bloodstream the less LDL you are likely to have, and the lower your risk of heart disease will be.

A lot of the LDL cholesterol in our diet comes from fats in the foods we eat: especially two types of fats. These are called saturated fats and trans fats. You find these unhealthy fats in meat that comes from animals (especially the red variety), certain oils (like those used for frying in fast food restaurants), prepackaged and processed foods, and baked goods.

When you avoid these foods and focus on healthier alternatives like fruits, vegetables, and certain nuts and grains, you can lower your LDL and decrease the likelihood that you’ll ever have heart disease.

If you’re generally not familiar with medical terminology, it may be difficult to remember which type of cholesterol is good and which is bad. Try to keep in mind that LDL stands for low density and HDL stands for high density. Where cholesterol is concerned, low density is bad and high is good. Our cardiologist friend has a saying that might make it easier: “Low has got to go…”

By maintaining a healthy ratio between your HDL and your LDL, you lower your risk of cardiovascular “events” like heart attacks and stroke. Exercise is also important. Many studies have shown that getting your heart rate up with vigorous physical activity helps your HDL cholesterol flush the LDL out of your system.

When you have your cholesterol tested, your doctor will probably explain your numbers in terms of total cholesterol, HDL and LDL levels. Ideal HDL is 60 mg/dL or higher. Your ideal LDL level should be 100 mg/dL or lower. Your doctor may also give you the relationship between LDL and HDL as a ratio. The lower the ratio of LDL over HDL, the better.

Many individuals usually don’t start having their cholesterol checked regularly until they approach middle age. But doctors and medical researchers now say you should get into the habit earlier – even in your teens or 20′s. This is because so many young people today grow up eating calorie-rich, high fat diets. Meanwhile, they’re getting less and less exercise. Doctors are seeing cholesterol levels rise in younger people much sooner than they should, and this is a cause for worry.

Reduce Bad Cholesterol

Now you have changed your diet but your cholesterol is still high, where do you go from here? Even though your diet is a contributing factor to your LDL cholesterol, your weight is also an important factor that adds to your cholesterol levels. By carrying around excess weight you are putting yourself at risk for all sorts of health problems including high cholesterol. It’s time to get off your lazy butt and exercise. Exercise not only has been proven to lower LDL cholesterol but it actually increases HDL or good cholesterol. Not only does it strengthen the heart and lungs, it decreases the risk for heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure. Just by losing that extra 10 pounds you can reduce your cholesterol as well as reducing your risk for potential health problems in the future. Thirty to 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day has is recommended to see a change in your LDL and HDL levels.

And if these changes are still not enough for you, you may want to quit smoking. Smoking restricts the blood vessels that deliver blood throughout the body. If you blood vessels are already restricted due to plaque build up you are increasing your risk for heart attack or stroke by smoking. Once you stop smoking there is an immediate change in blood pressure and HDL levels and that’s regardless of the reduced risk of cancer and heart disease. Another option would be to limit your alcohol intake. Although there has been some signs that minimal alcohol intake can increase HDL levels its not enough to start drinking or drink every day. Plus there is no proof that drinking alcohol lowers LDL cholesterol. Therefore drinking alcohol should be limited to 1 drink a day to avoid the risk of other health problems such as liver disease.

Remember there are so many options out there for you to reduce your cholesterol levels. Consult your doctor if you decide to change your activity level or protocol. If you are taking medication for high cholesterol, always check with your doctor before you stop taking it. For concerns about diet plans or exercise routines speak with a nutritionist or personal trainer.

http://www.universalhealthinfo.com/Reduce_Bad_Cholesterol.html

There’s good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Either way, we just can’t seem to avoid having too much of it. There’s simply no way that everyone can resist the temptation of tasty food. Think of the deep-fried chicken from your favorite fast food joint, or Christmas dinner’s pork roast, coated lavishly with mouth-watering gravy; the macaroni and cheese, cake, and ice cream in a friend’s birthday party. Even breakfast wouldn’t seem like breakfast at all without eggs and the dairy products that grace the table every morning.

The tastier foods are almost always high in cholesterol content. And it’s certainly tragic that such foods are either our favorites or staples in our diet, if not both. We can’t help but indulge; as some would say, it’s only the natural human reaction. But indulgence, at the same time, is dampened by the fact that cholesterol is notorious for its adverse effects to the heart and blood.

High cholesterol levels lead to atherosclerosis, the steady buildup of plaque along the insides of our arteries. Cholesterol and other fats are among the substances that make up plaque. Collectively, they restrict the flow of blood and the transfer of nutrients and oxygen from our bloodstream to the rest of the body. It’s the first stage in most, if not all, heart-related complications.

It’s no surprise then that heart disease is the leading cause of death in most Western countries. In the United States alone, 30% of deaths is attributed to heart ailments. Other deficiencies of the cardiovascular system are proven factors in even more mortalities.

But don’t contemplate about turning vegetarian just yet. Depriving yourself completely of your favorite foods isn’t the only means to lower cholesterol levels. Substances like statins, fibrates, niacin and bile acid resins are taken as medication to reduce the amount of cholesterol in the body. None of them, however, can remove calcified plaque from our blood vessels.

Enter chelation therapy, the solution that can address calcified plaque. Chelation is a form of treatment that administers substances that bind with and remove metals from the blood. Known as “chelators,” some of these substances can also remove calcified deposits from places where no one wants them to be – our blood vessels, obviously.

The chelator ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid (EDTA) is commonly used to prevent or reverse atherosclerosis. A synthetic amino acid, EDTA is either injected intravenously into the bloodstream or taken orally in the form of a liquid or gel capsules. Many of the latter have been developed and distributed since chelation therapy – and EDTA in particular – was discovered as an alternative measure against atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.

The pioneering formulation for oral chelation combined EDTA with unprocessed honey, royal jelly and choice vitamins and minerals. This formula, now branded as the Original Oral Chelation (OOC), made it easier for EDTA to be assimilated into the bloodstream.

Incidentally, an improved variant of the OOC became the first effective formulation against high blood cholesterol and calcified plaque. The formula (called OC-MAX, a nod to the initial OOC) is an integration of EDTA, sodium hexametaphosphate (SHMP), serrapeptase enzymes (Serrazymes), and fats from plants, called plant sterols. Plant sterols reduce cholesterol absorption and production; the chelators EDTA, SHMP and Serrazymes make sure that calcified plaque, metals, and other metabolic and chemical toxins are flushed out of the body through the urine.

A good diet is still a must if anyone wanted to have healthy cholesterol levels. But supplements like what oral chelation offers further ensure that cardiovascular diseases and other problems related to high blood cholesterol don’t threaten your lifestyle, and even your life itself.

Fiber – It Can Maintain Normal Blood Sugar and Lower Cholesterol Levels

A diet rich in fiber has been shown to lower cholesterol and normalize blood sugar in diabetics. Many diabetics can maintain their blood sugar, and as a result, reduce their diabetic and cholesterol medications or stop taking them altogether, by eating lots of high fiber foods.

A recent study published in the May issue of The New England Journal of Medicine found that blood sugar levels were reduced by 8.9% on a high fiber diet. It also lowered cholesterol and triglycerides.

Fiber comes from the cell walls of plants. Additionally, fiber and water work together to keep the bowels regular.

Unfortunately, the majority of high fiber foods also contain a high amount of carbohydrates, and if you are diabetic, those will increase your blood sugar levels dramatically.

Below are lists of low-carb foods that are also high in fiber, along with the approximate number of grams of fiber they contain.

The fiber content shown is for a quantity of 1/2 cup.

Low-Carb Fruits

• Blackberries, 4.9 grams
• Avocado, 3.8 grams
• Medium-sized Apple, 3.6 grams
• Raspberries, 2.6 grams
• Blueberries, 2.1 grams
• Cherries, 1.5 grams
• Strawberries, 1.4 grams

Low-Carb Vegetables

• Brussels Sprouts, 3.1 grams
• Broccoli, 2.7 grams
• Greens, cooked, 2-4 grams (beet greens, collards, kale, spinach, and turnip greens)
• Mushrooms, canned, 2.0 grams
• Green Beans, 1.4 – 2 grams (broad beans, pole beans, and snap beans)
• Asparagus, 1.8 grams
• Okra, 1.6 grams
• Zucchini, 1.3 grams
• Yellow Summer Squash, 1.3 grams
• Cauliflower, 1.4 grams
• Onions, 1.3 grams
• Celery, 1.1 grams
• Peppers, 1.1 grams

Including more of the above foods in your diet will help in lowering cholesterol levels.

You should make changes to your diet to include more high fiber foods, and do it gradually. Just add a few grams at a time so that your digestive system can adjust.

It’s best to increase the amount of fiber in your diet over several weeks. This prevents problems with stomach-aches, bloating, gas, and diarrhea.

The message is, increase the amount of fiber in your diet!

Cholesterol is a wax-like product that is present in the cell membranes of body tissues and is carried in the blood plasma. It is a sterol; a combination of alcohol and steroid and is also called atherosclerotic plaque. The body must have cholesterol in order to form and sustain cell membranes, help with the production of bile and helps with the metabolism of fat soluble vitamins. Over time, cholesterol builds up on the artery walls and this condition is known as atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis was thought to be an affliction of the elderly until the 1950′s when American pathologists were sent to Korea by the Pentagon to study the bodies of servicemen who died during the conflict. They autopsied around 2000 soldiers and found that about seventy five percent had waxy, yellow deposits on the walls of their arteries; a stunning statistic considering the average age of the soldiers was 21. Their findings astonished the scientific community as it highlighted the onset of heart disease in the very young. bad andHDL Cholesterol There are two separate types of cholesterol; low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). HDL is commonly known as ‘good’ cholesterol and LDL is labeled as ‘bad’ cholesterol. LDL has been markedly linked with heart disease, whereas HDL is thought to reduce the chance of a heart attack. It has been estimated that approximately 25% of Americans are at risk from heart disease due to atherosclerosis, and around one tenth have such high levels that doctors are left no choice than to prescribe cholesterol reducing drugs. Foods that Lower LDL Cholesterol There are a number of foods which are believed to noticeably lower LDL cholesterol. Fiber-rich foods are said to be particularly beneficial and will not only lower ‘bad’ cholesterol, but also help the bowel to function properly, lowering the risk of colon and bowel cancer. There are many other foods that can help the body fight back against these dangerous deposits.

• high fiber foods, particularly oat bran, barley and wheat bran.
• Beans and pulses are high in fiber and low-fat. They also contain lecithin, a nutrient that reduces cholesterol.
• Avocado contains prolific amounts of monounsaturated fat, which helps to reduce bad cholesterol and has many other health benefits including anti-cancer properties
• Raw carrots are rich in pectin that is renowned for minimizing cholesterol. There are a number of fruits that also contain pectin, including; apples, citrus fruits, strawberries, raspberries and other red or black berries
• Shitake mushrooms are widely used by the Japanese and include a material called lentinan, which not only lessens cholesterol, but is also thought to be anti-cancerous and may help to increase the immune system
• Garlic is a super food and is well known for its blood-thinning properties. It also contains a substance allicin which is thought to prevent the body from retaining bad cholesterol and research has shown that the equivalent of one clove per day can lessen ldl cholesterol by ten to fifteen% in the majority of people
• Root ginger has been used in Chinese medicine for centuries and has numerous health benefits. It can be added to stir-fry’s (using healthy sesame oil) and other vegetable dishes
• Nuts are naturally high in omega-3 fatty acids and are known to significantly reduce blood cholesterol; walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds are especially beneficial
• Sesame seeds are high in phytosterols. These compounds are said to substantially lessen LDL cholesterol. Other foods containing phytosterols include; celery, lettuce, asparagus, spinach, tomatoes, ginger, squash and strawberries
• Safflower, canola, soybean, and olive oil are monounsaturated and are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Research indicates that they can decrease atherosclerotic plaque by up to 15% when eaten regularly
• Salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel contain considerable amounts of omega-3 fatty acids
• Prunes are a wonderful source of antioxidants and fiber, which is known to minimize bad cholesterol
• Alfalfa sprouts contain a substance called saponin, which is thought to slow the formation of atherosclerotic plaque in the arteries

If you have high cholesterol or a family tendency towards atherosclerosis it is best to avoid processed and prepared foods, fried food, food containing animal fats or animal products, high-fat dairy products and food containing either saturated fat or trans fats. Research has revealed the key to lowering bad cholesterol is a healthy, balanced diet that incorporates plenty of soluble fiber and at least 5 servings of fruit or vegetables a day. This combined with regular cardio exercise should help keep the heart healthy and provide many other health benefits as well.

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Guggul Gum was used in the beginning to treat obesity and now today it is used as a natural way to help lower cholesterol. It is also known to lower your blood pressure. Guggul is used primarily in an extract form and the active ingredients in Guggul Gum are resin, volatile oils, and gum.

Poliocosanol comes from sugar cane wax and is considered to be both a safe and effective product in lowering your bad cholesterol levels naturally. Not only will it lower your LDL cholesterol levels but also it can prevent oxidation of LDL cholesterol, as well as it helps to keep your healthy blood flowing through your veins with ease.

Garlic is another natural herb that is used to prevent and treat high cholesterol. It is easy to get your hands on and is relatively cheap. People are concerned with the smell on their breath but that should be the least of their concerns if they are sufferers of high cholesterol. You can also get garlic in tablet form if bad breath is a real concern for you. Just remember that cooking with it is easy and there are ways to freshen your breath. Other natural cholesterol lowering products are fish oil, beta-sitosterol, and psyllium. All of these natural products are known to be very helpful products that are an alternative form of medicine, and which can aid in various ways to lower your cholesterol levels. Mixing any of these methods while practicing a healthy diet and maintaining a proper exercise routine level can be the best way to lower your cholesterol and should keep your cholesterol at a healthy level.