What is Cholesterol?
In our fat-filled fast food world, it’s often difficult to slow down for a minute and consider the considerable amount of damage we do to our bodies. As our waist swells, we can obviously tell we’ve been putting too much fat into our bodies, but often we overlook just what our diets do to our heart and arteries. Cholesterol, a wax-like fatty substance that hardens into an artery clogging plaque, is similar to germs in that our bodies both need it and desire to be cleansed of it. Bad cholesterol narrows the pathways that carry blood back to the heart, whereas good cholesterol actually serves to clean up and eliminate bad cholesterol.
Risks and symptoms
Many people who have not been vigilant in monitoring their cholesterol levels throughout life may have no clue their bodies contain unhealthy amounts of the substance. This is because there are no actual physical symptoms associated with cholesterol; the risks, however, are very serious medical conditions that carry with them unpleasant symptoms. Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, High Blood Pressure, Diabetes and Peripheral Vascular Disease have all been linked to high cholesterol. It is recommended that adults above the age of 20 have their cholesterol checked at least once ever five years.
Prevention and Treatment
There are many factors that contribute to the likelihood of experiencing cholesterol related health issues. A diet that doesn’t seek to marginalize foods with high saturated fat levels is certainly one, but keeping your weight down in general and maintaining a regular regimen of exercise are really the most effective ways to reign in cholesterol levels. Unfortunately, our susceptibility to cholesterol itself, as well as the complications that arise as a result of it, tends to increase with age. Extra efforts should be made to balance good and bad cholesterol amounts if high cholesterol has been prevalent in your family history, as it has been determined that cholesterol problems are hereditary.
If it has become clear that you need to work on lowering your cholesterol, the best place to start is by eating low cholesterol foods. Your daily average cholesterol intake, according to The American Heart Association, should be less than 300 milligrams, and those with heart disease should keep it below 200 milligrams. The key is to avoid foods with high levels of saturated fats or dietary cholesterol. If you smoke cigarettes, consider trying to quit if you have cholesterol problems. Smoking lowers the levels of good cholesterol in your body, and it is that good cholesterol that helps wash away the bad. Keeping in mind those good cholesterols, a good exercise routine will be crucial in lowering your bad cholesterol, as exercise greatly increases your body’s production of good cholesterol. In serious cases, your doctor may even decide to prescribe to you one of the more popular cholesterol medications, such as Niacin, Fibric Acid derivatives, Bile Acid resins or Statins. Ultimately it is up to you and your willingness to make important lifestyle changes.
Sources:
Cholesterol Management Health Center, “Cholesterol Guide,” WebMD
