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HIGH BLOOD CHOLESTEROL
WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL?
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that the body can make in the liver, or take in from the food we eat.Cholesterol and other fatty substances such as triglycerides - fatty molecules formed in the liver from the fat we eat or from other internal sources - are insoluble in water. Think of trying to clean a greasy pan without using washing up liquid - the fat congeals and floats to the surface. The body couldn’t possible cope with clumps of fat floating around, so cholesterol are disolved within particles called liporoteins and then carried to the tissues in the bloodstream. This is a very efficient system for getting these essential fatty substances to all the body’s cells that need it.
THE GOODIES V THE BADDIES
There are High Density Lipoprotein [HDLs]. HDLs occur naturally in the body. They are the “garbage collectors” three major types of lipoprotein;
1 Very Low Density Lipoprotein [VLDL]. VLDLs transport mainly from the liver to the body’s tissues. If you eat a lot of saturated fats, then you are likely to have lots of VLDL’s floating around in your bloodstream. High triglyceride levels are know to be a risk factor in heart disease.
2 Low Density Lipoprotein [LDL].LDLs are the main transporters of cholesterol to your tissues. If your diet is high in cholesterol, your liver will manufactore more LDLs to handle it, which means your LDls will be high. So LDLs are often termed “the baddies”, and high levels are a major risk factor in heart disease.
3High Density Lipoprotein [HDL]. HDLs occur naturally in the body. They are the “garbage collectors” picking up unused cholesterol in the blood, transporting it back to the liver for dismantling and converting into bile acids to help the digestive processes. A high level of HDLs is now thought to be very important for heart health, which is why HDLs are often refered to as “the goodies”.
Increase the fibre in your diet
Dieticians recommend that we should eat ay least 30 grams of fibre a day to help digestion and lower cholesterol. People tend to eat too many refined foods and miss out on the fibre that we would get from unrefined foods such as wholemeal bread, fruit and vegetables, pulses (see healthy eating fibre ) Introduce high fibre foods slowly into your diet to give your body time to adjust and you also need to drink more as fibre absorbs water.
Cholesterol-raising saturated fats
Saturated fats are found mainly in foods derived from animals - meat, poultry, shellfish and dairy products. Coconuts and palm oils, although they are plants, are also high in saturated fats. Only 10%of your fats should come from saturated fats
Lowering cholesterol levels
changing the types of food you eat can help reduce your overall cholesterol levels low or reduce them if they are too high and also increase the levels of HDLs Eat more fruit and veg it doesn’t matter if its fresh,frozen or canned. Oily fish such as salmon,mackeral, sardines., the odd glass of red wine actually helps lowers LDL
REGULAR AEROBIC EXERCISE IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAYS OF CONTROLLING CHOLESTEROL
EXERCISE
Diet can certainly help control your blood lipids (fats), and that is why a low fat, high fibre eating plan is now recommended. But exercise has a very important part to play in controlling cholesterol. Studies now show that regular aerobatic exercise for at least 90 minutes per week can raise your HDLs considerably. Other major factors in controlling cholesterol levels are, weight control, not smoking and moderate alcohol consumption
High cholesterol levels in the blood is associated with narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis), high blood pressure and heart disease. But reducing your cholesterol level need not mean restricting your diet,by eating the right foods, you can encourage your body to shed excess cholesterol
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