They’re plenty of foods as well as components of foods out there that can help with the lowering of LDL (bad) cholesterol and the boosting of HDL (good) cholesterol. Here are some of the foods that alternative health practitioners recommend most. Lock up cholesterol with oat bran If you didn’t know already, oat bran is [...]
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is manufactured by the body, it is a normal component of the cells and blood, and it is essential to life itself. Cholesterol becomes a problem when the amount in the body, as noted by the level in the blood, becomes excessive.
Alluringly, plants, fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts are not sources of cholesterol. However, you can find it in high amounts in foods of animal origin such as meat, fish, chicken, milk, and particularly organ meats, eggs, and seafood’s. Therefore, eating too much of these foods prompts the body to over-manufacture cholesterol, which makes it problematic.
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is attached to a protein, called lipoprotein, which is carried in the blood. The different lipoproteins are classified according to their densities, very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), low density (LDL), and high density (HDL). HDL or “good cholesterol” transports fats out of the cells of the body and protects the artery walls from atherosclerosis. LDL or “bad cholesterol” is believed to be the number one suspect in the development of atherosclerosis. A person that has a high ratio of HDL to LDL is considered to have a good cholesterol level. In fact, however, the total amount of cholesterol in the blood forms a good index of the person’s susceptibility to atherosclerosis.
The amount of cholesterol in the blood stream varies from time to time and day to day in the same person, so for a precise determination; a cholesterol test should be done more than once. However, a single test provides a valuable target range. Generally, a level of 170 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood (170 mg per 100 ml) or below is considered a good or safe level. Nevertheless, no absolutely safe or normal value exists, for with any value above 125 milligrams per 100 milliliters, the risk increases. The average American has a cholesterol level of about 225 milligrams per 100 milliliters. With a value of 250 milligrams compared to 175 milligrams, the risk rises fourfold. With levels greater than 300, the risk of a coronary increases eight or more times.
Vitamin C for lowering cholesterol naturally Vitamin C is a very potent antioxidant. Many natural health practitioners suggest taking one thousand to four thousand milligrams daily. This will help to reduce the oxidation of LDL as well as prevent heart disease. Any type of vitamin C that you can get your hands on can be [...]
Contrary to popular belief, cholesterol is not just some evil mass. The things you usually hear about cholesterol goes a little something like this: You wake up in the morning and you eat a large breakfast of bacon, eggs and sausages. All that fat, which is converted to cholesterol in the body, then proceeds to [...]
