Control Cholesterol

2009-05-28T04:08:00.000-07:00

Meaning of Cholesterol

It is a normal constituent of blood.
Fatty substance.
Most important function of cholesterol: to help carry fat throughout the body using the blood vessels as the paths.
Factors that determine the cholesterol level in your body: your genes and the food you eat.
If your body has excessive fat in the form of cholesterol to move, it can then accumulate in your blood vessels leading to heart attack or stroke.

Types of Cholesterol

Most of cholesterol is made by the liver.
When you consume the fatty foods, fat goes to the liver after getting absorbed in the intestine.
There it gets combined with two types of lipoprotein packets: LDL (low density lipoprotein) and HDL (high density lipoprotein).
Cholesterol circulates in the blood in the form of LDL and HDL.
Things work well till your liver does not make extra LDL. But when it does, this extra LDL is released into your blood stream to create havoc if not controlled in time.
LDL is bad cholesterol and HDL is good cholesterol.
LDL sticks to the blood vessel walls. HDL transports the stuck LDL back to the liver for removal from the body. Thus HDL helps to keep the blood vessels clean.

High Cholesterol is Detrimental to Health

Anyone can develop high cholesterol irrespective of gender or age.
High cholesterol is a silent disease.
It gives no warnings or symptoms and cannot be detected until heart attack or stroke takes place unless some one frequently gets done the cholesterol check tests.
It is one of the three major risk factors for coronary artery disease, the other two being high blood pressure and smoking.
Good news is that one can take appropriate steps and bring down the cholesterol level.

Levels of Cholesterol

Total Cholesterol

Desirable: less than 200
Borderline: 200-239
High: 240 or higher

LDL Choleterol

Optimal: less than 100
Near optimal: 100-129
Borderline: 130-159
High 160 and higher

HDL Cholesterol

More than 40

Aim to Keep

Total cholesterol below 200
LDL below 130 (below 100 in heart patients)
HDL above 40
Triglyceride (another form of fat) less than 200

Levels of Cholesterol and Risk Level of Developing Heart Disease

Cholesterol level 200: Minimum risk of developing heart disease
240: Twice the risk
300: Six times risk
300 plus blood pressure or diabetes or smoker: 20 times the risk

Suggested Frequency of Cholesterol Check

First check after age 30
If cholesterol at desirable level: check once every 5 years
If cholesterol at borderline level: check once every 2-3 years
If cholesterol at high level: check more frequently
If cholesterol high plus other risk factors like high blood pressure, diabetes or smoker: check still more frequently (Refer: Quit Smoking http://quit-smoking-plan.blogspot.com/ and Anger Management http://controlling-anger.blogspot.com/)

Ways to Reduce Cholesterol

Food: low in saturated fats, more fibers, no deep fried food, control on caffeine and alcohol, preference for vegetarian diet, cooking oils containing unsaturated fats (use non-stick cookwares),
Exercises: walking, jogging, swimming etc and maintain ideal weight (Refer: Walking http://walking-plan.blogspot.com/ and Exercises http://exercises-plan.blogspot.com/)
Medicines: as prescribed by the doctor

Indicative List of Food to be Avoided

Organ meals: liver, kidney, brain etc
Beef, pork, veal, clams, oyster, lobster, shrimp, sausages, salami, chicken skin etc
Whole milk, condensed milk
Sweets particularly made from milk products
Cream cheese, butter etc
Egg yolk
French fries
Mayonnaise, salad dressing
Ghee, hydrogenated oils, coconut oil, palm oil etc
Cream biscuits, croissants etc
Pastries and puddings
Chocolates and toffees
Coconut and other nuts (exception: almonds and walnuts)
Ice cream

Indicative List of Permissible Food

Cereals and pulses
Potatoes
Rice
Fruits, vegetables and salads
Egg white
Almonds and walnuts (unfrosted and unsalted)
Skim milk
Cottage cheese
Curd or yogurt (from skim milk)
Chutneys and pickles (without oil)
Fruit juices, controlled intake of tea and coffee
Controlled intake of chicken (without skin) and fish (not fried).

Some Misconceptions

I am young and exercise and so I do not have to ever worry about high cholesterol: wrong
I am a female, so no high cholesterol: wrong
I am slim and so chances of high level of cholesterol are nil: wrong
My family has no history of heart problems and so my cholesterol will never be high: wrong
My report shows normal level of cholesterol and now I am free to eat any thing my heart desires: wrong
All cholesterol free food is un-interesting: wrong

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