CHOLESTEROL

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Cholesterol 

The Inuit people rarely suffer from heart disease. One explanation for this may be the high amount of fish, notably salmon, in their diet, which reduces the level of blood cholesterol. Though the Finish people's diet, close relatives, is 40% fat. Southern Italian's diet is 40% fat. In Finland Heart Disease is a big killer, in Italy, it is very low. The Finish eat saturated fat, the Italians, Olive Oil.

   Cholesterol      

A white waxy, crystalline sterol found throughout the body, especially in fats, blood, nerve tissue, and bile; it is also provided in the diet by foods such as eggs, meat, and butter. A high level of cholesterol in the blood is thought to contribute to atherosclerosis -  hardening of the arteries.

Cholesterol is an integral part of all cell membranes and the starting point for steroid hormones, including the sex hormones. It is broken down by the liver into bile salts, which are involved in fat absorption in the digestive system, and it is an essential component of lipoproteins, which transport fats and fatty acids in the blood. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol - LDL-cholesterol, when present in excess, can enter the tissues and become deposited on the surface of the arteries, causing atherosclerosis. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol - HDL-cholesterol,  acts as a scavenger, transporting fat and cholesterol from the tissues to the liver to be broken down. The composition of HDL-cholesterol can vary and some forms may not be as effective as others. Blood cholesterol levels can be altered by reducing the amount of alcohol and fat in the diet and by substituting some of the saturated fat for polyunsaturated fat, which gives a reduction in LDL-cholesterol.

A 1999 US study of children with high levels of cholesterol found no evidence that controlling cholesterol levels through diet is harmful. Another 1999 US study suggested that cholesterol-lowering drugs are as beneficial for older men and women as they are for the middle-aged. HDL-cholesterol can be increased by exercise.

   We need HDL's - Not LDL's 

 High cholesterol - Cholesterol is a type of fat -   Lipid

Lipid - Any of a large number of esters of fatty acids, commonly formed by the reaction of a fatty acid with glycerol . They are soluble in alcohol but not in water. Lipids are the chief constituents of plant and animal waxes, fats, and oils. Phospholipids are lipids that also contain a phosphate group, usually linked to an organic base; they are major components of biological cell membranes

Cholesterol is mainly made by the body. It is essential for good health and is found in every cell in the body. However, a high cholesterol level in the blood, called  hyper-cholesterolaemia, is generally coupled with an increased risk of various problems, such as Coronary Heart Disease - CHD, and stroke.

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Stroke or cerebro-vascular accident or Apoplexy   -   The Interruption of the blood supply to part of the brain due to a sudden bleed in the brain - cerebral haemorrhage,  or embolism or thrombosis. Strokes vary in severity from producing almost no symptoms, to proving to be rapidly fatal. In between are those, that are often recurring,  that leave a wide range of impaired function, depending on the size and location of the event.

 Why is high cholesterol such a problem?

The main risk associated with high cholesterol is Coronary Heart Disease - CHD, or Coronary Artery Disease. This is caused by blood vessels -  veins & arteries, becoming narrowed due to furring or clogging with fatty deposits called plaques, high cholesterol contributes to this problem. Clogged blood vessels become narrowed and blood flow to the heart, is reduced. This can result in Angina - chest pain or, if any particular vessel is completely blocked, a heart attack. The muscles around the heart can only function with constant blood flow, if this stops the muscles affected die, and can never be brought back to life.

Coronary Artery Disease - Latin  - corona meaning crown, from the arteries encircling the heart, seen by early scientists.

Condition in which the fatty deposits of atherosclerosis form in the coronary arteries that supply the heart muscle, narrowing them and restricting the blood flow. These arteries may already be hardened - arteriosclerosis. If the heart's oxygen requirements are increased, such as in exercise, the blood supply through the narrowed arteries may be inadequate, and the pain of angina results.

A heart attack occurs if the blood supply to an area of the heart is cut off, for example because a blood clot - thrombus,  has blocked one of the coronary arteries. The subsequent lack of oxygen damages the heart muscle - infarct, and if a large area of the heart is affected, the attack may be fatal. Coronary artery disease tends to run in families and is linked to smoking, lack of exercise, and a diet high in saturated - mostly animal fats, which tends to increase the level of blood cholesterol. It is a common cause of death in many industrialized countries; older men are the most vulnerable group. The condition is treated with drugs or bypass surgery.

Coronary artery disease is the biggest single cause of premature death in the UK. & USA

   We need HDL's - Not LDL's 

ONIONS - Allium cepa, a herbaceous biennial plant, with the onion being its edible bulb. The onion is probably native to south western Asia but is now grown throughout the world, chiefly in the temperate zones. The plant belongs to the lily family, Liliaceae, most members of which have developed a below ground storage system, such as a bulb or tuber. Other members of this family include such ornamental plants as the tulip, hyacinth, and lily-of-the-valley and also such edible plants as the leek, garlic, and chive.

The common onion has one or more leafless stalks that reach a height of 0.75–1.8 m   OR 2.5 feet, and terminate in a cluster of small greenish white flowers. The leaf bases of the developing plant swell to form the underground bulb that is the mature, edible onion. Most commercially cultivated onions are grown from the plant's small black seed, which is sown directly in the field, but onions may also be grown from small bulbs or from transplants. Onions are among the hardiest of all garden-vegetable plants.

Onions are among the world's oldest cultivated plants. They were probably known in India, China, and the Middle East before recorded history. Ancient Egyptians regarded the spherical bulb as a symbol of the universe, and its name is probably derived from the Latin unus, meaning “one.” The Romans introduced the onion to Britain and, in the New World, American Indians added a highly pungent wild onion to their stews. Curative powers have been attributed to onions throughout the centuries; they have been recommended for such varied ailments as colds, earaches, laryngitis, animal bites, powder burns, and warts.

Onions are used widely in cooking. They add flavour to such dishes as stews, roasts, soups, and salads, and are also served as a cooked vegetable. The onion's characteristic pungency results from the sulfur-rich volatile oil it contains. Release of this oil during peeling brings tears to the eyes, but many cooks claim that tears can be avoided by peeling onions under running water.

Onions vary in size, shape, colour, and pungency. Warmer climates produce onions with a milder, sweeter flavour than do other climates.

Know Your Onions - onions contain a variety of other naturally occurring chemicals known as organosulfur compounds that have been linked to lowering blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

Some Nuts are good for you and lower Cholesterol.

 Types of Cholesterol

It is a body fat, or lipid. It is an important part of a healthy body, being a building block for steroids such as sex hormones, hormones of the adrenal cortex, and others. It is also the basis of the body’s manufacture of bile salts.

Cholesterol is mainly produced in the liver, and has a further use in forming cell membranes and other needed tissues. It is transported around the body in the blood attached to a protein. This fat-protein combination is called a lipoprotein.

We need HDL's   -   Not LDL's

Chocolate has been proven to actually be good for you, though it must be dark and the darker the better. Like most things it is just not chocolate, but a myriad of chemicals. In fact it is now fashionable to buy the chocolate-nibs, that is the pure unprocessed cocoa seed.

We need HDL's - Not LDL's 

Lipoproteins can be high density  -  HDL , or low density - LDL,  or even very low density - VLDL, depending on how much protein there is in relation to fat.

 LDL   -  Low Density Lipoprotein

About 70% of cholesterol is transported as LDL. This is mostly fat and not much protein. LDL causes cholesterol to be deposited in the arteries. Elevated levels of LDL are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

 LDL is referred to as bad cholesterol.

 HDL  - High Density Lipoprotein

About 20% of cholesterol is transported as HDL, which is mostly protein and not much fat. HDL actually helps prevent cholesterol building up in the arteries. Low levels of HDL are associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

  HDL is referred to as good cholesterol. 

Women tend to have a higher HDL cholesterol level than men.

If your total cholesterol level is too high, it can be one risk factor for health problems, as due to the Western diet, it will generally mean too many LDL's. Nevertheless, it's important to consider the relative amounts of HDL and LDL.

  A high level of HDL, and a low level of LDL is desirable.

Triglycerides

Triglycerides are a another type of fat, which mainly come from the fats in food. Food calories that are eaten, and not used straight away are converted into triglycerides, and transported to fat cells for storage. Fat cells, or that spare-tire we moan about, is our body's way of storing unused energy, for use in leaner times. Our problem, if it is a problem, is that for the West there are no lean times, for most of us.

Although most triglycerides are stored as fat tissue, that yellow stuff sucked out during liposuction, some low levels are found in the blood. They are carried in the blood as very low density lipoproteins, and are proportionate to the amount of unused food calories we eat. 

The anomaly here, and the reason you are reading this Webpage, is that whenever triglycerides are increased in the blood, the HDL good cholesterol lessens.

So is the increased risk of health problems, seen with higher triglycerides in the blood, actually due to the triglycerides themselves, or because of the  reduction in good cholesterol?

Answers, on a postcard!

Of course a worsening problem is when you, due to your diet, have a raised level of blood triglycerides together with high level of LDL's, as this can further increase the hazard of heart disease.

  What causes High Cholesterol? 

There are many factors that may contribute to a high blood cholesterol, and are aspects that we must make note of, and balance within our diet and life-style, so that our body functions better and we can live longer.

A diet that is high in saturated animal fats and therefore high in cholesterol. - Try to actively reduce animal fats in your diet. Trim fat off meat before you cook. Pour away in an empty container any liquid fats that have been produced during cooking. When hardened, note how much you have saved and throw it away.  Grill meats and or cook in Rapeseed Oil    -  

Lack of good exercise may increase LDL's or bad cholesterol and actually decrease HDL, the good cholesterol. -  Try to at least walk with a sprint in your step, as often as you can. Stretch your body as often as you can. If you can exercise enough to lose your breath and speed up your heart, with no erroneous affects, everyday, it is better for you.

Family History - It is all in the genes, we are at a higher risk of possible high cholesterol if we have a close male relative under 55 or a female under 65 affected by coronary heart disease.

It is all in the genes

And the Diet

Being Overweight -  This may increase LDL's or bad cholesterol and reduce HDL's, the good cholesterol.  We are overweight for many reasons, but ultimately the main one, is that we are indulging in imbibing more food-calories or energy, than our body is using. Stop imbibing!

Food calories that are eaten, and not used straight away are converted into triglycerides, and transported to fat cells for storage. The anomaly here is that, as we had said it is all in the genes; 10,000 years ago, those who could not lay down a good fat store on their body, would have probably died during a cold foodless Winter. The fatties would have been the survivors then, and the skinnies would have looked, well thin. Today, as our bodies have not evolved to cater for the excess food we imbibe everyday, we all are much fatter than a million years of evolution prepared us for.

Age and gender - cholesterol generally rises with increasing age, and men are more likely to be affected than women. Drink plenty of fresh clean water. Try not to get old!

Drinking alcohol excessively  -     One or two glasses of wine or beer might actually be good for you, more than this is excessive, and will work against you; you will have to balance a reduced life-span, against a social life-style. 

A glass or two of Red Wine each day,  is beneficial for the circulation, it helps to actually reduce blood levels of cholesterol in the circulation. It also acts like Aspirin, and is an anticoagulant, reducing the stickiness of red blood cells, not thinning it, as some believe.

   We need HDL's - Not LDL's 

How is Your heart?

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 How our food affects blood cholesterol

Actually, only around a fifth of cholesterol in our bodies, comes directly from the diet - the other 80% is produced by the liver. This balance is what nature designed in a perfect World. But a diet high in saturated fats can cause the liver to produce more LDL's, that very bad cholesterol.

The amount that diet influences cholesterol levels, is again in our genes, and thus is different from person to person. Some people who eat high-fat diets have high cholesterol levels; others may have normal levels of cholesterol.

The main risk associated with high cholesterol is Coronary Heart Disease - CHD, or Coronary Artery Disease. This is caused by blood vessels -  veins & arteries, becoming narrowed due to furring or clogging with fatty deposits called plaques, high cholesterol contributes to this problem. Clogged blood vessels become narrowed and blood flow to the heart, is reduced. This can result in Angina - chest pain or, if any particular vessel is completely blocked, a heart attack. The muscles around the heart can only function with constant blood flow, if this stops the muscles affected die, and can never be brought back to life.

 Measuring Cholesterol 

In the UK, cholesterol is measured in units called millimoles per litre of blood, usually shortened to mmol per litre or mmol/l. Therefore, in the UK, it is desirable to have a total cholesterol level under 5 mmol/l, and an LDL level under 3 mmol/l.

The USA uses the units milligrams per decilitre of blood, mg per dl.  Over the last 40 years total cholesterol levels have fallen from 222 milligrams to 203 milligrams - this is for both men and women. The largest drop has been in older people. For those over 60, the drop has been from 232 to 204 for men, and 263 to 223, for women.  Since the end of the 1980s Statins, cholesterol-lowering drugs, have been prescribed. It is definitely not the USA lifestyle that has brought about a drop in cholesterol levels, it is the statins. Over the last 15 years the number of adult Americans using statins has risen from 3% to 10%

An estimated 106.9 million American adults have total blood cholesterol levels of 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) and higher, which is above desirable levels. Of these, 37.7 million have levels of 240 mg/dL or higher, which is considered high risk.

In order to approximate the risk of a person getting Coronary Heart Disease, doctors look at the ratio between total cholesterol in the blood, and HDL the good cholesterol.

This is called the TC : HDL ratio.

A lower ratio is desirable, indicating that the level of HDL is high.

Measuring cholesterol involves a simple blood test. A sample may be taken  by using a needle and a syringe, or by using a finger prick. Home-testing kits are not recommended because they are not very reliable. Also, cholesterol is just one of the risk factors for heart disease. It should ideally be measured under medical supervision so that other important issues are taken into account, such as blood pressure, age, family history, and whether or not you smoke or drink too much.

 Treatment

The main point of lowering cholesterol levels is to reduce the risk of heart disease, that tends to come with this factor. What particular treatment depends on a the balance of negative aspects you may or may not have.

The two ways to treat high cholesterol are first is to change your lifestyle, diet, weight index, increasing exercise, and quitting smoking and excess alcohol.

The second is to combine lifestyle changes with cholesterol-lowering medicines, such as Statins.

 Diet

Healthy eating, as it is called, can diminish cholesterol in your system. Food should be lower in fats, especially saturated fats.

Biscuits, cakes, pastries, buns, rolls, red meat, hard cheese, butter and foods containing coconut or palm oil, all have a propensity to be high in saturated fats.

It is said that meats like Venison and Ostrich do not have cholesterol.

Large amounts of cholesterol are found in a some foods, including eggs and offal such as liver and kidneys. Although dietary cholesterol does not usually supply much to blood cholesterol, it is still advisable to limit these foods to three servings a week if you have high cholesterol levels.

It is important to eat plenty of fibre, especially soluble fibre, which is thought to lower cholesterol, from fruit and vegetables, beans and oats. Aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetable each day. Drink lots of water.

Some oils, Sunflower are not that good for you, but Olive Oil and Rapeseed Oil are two of the best oils that help lessen cholesterol. One the most expensive, and the other the cheapest.

There is good evidence that foods containing substances called plant sterols or stanols, in combination with a low fat diet, can help to lower cholesterol.

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