LDL Cholesterol - The Heart's No.1 Enemy

By Ned Dagostino

Cholesterol is a vital element for our health and
well-being. There are two basic types of cholesterol: HDL
cholesterol is good for our health, LDL cholesterol is bad
for our health.

The LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels are
maintained within a normal range by the body's natural
regulatory mechanism. Sometimes this regulatory mechanism
malfunctions, or maybe the body is flooded with cholesterol
by ingestion. In any case the blood cholesterol level
exceeds the normal range. This leads to a serious condition
which can lead to severe health problems.

LDL means 'fatty proteins of low density'. This in turn
means that LDL cholesterol tends to be loose and thick. LDL
cholesterol circulates with the blood and sticks to the
inner walls of the blood vessels, forming plaque and
gradually reducing the vascular passage. This condition is
called arteriosclerosis which results in atherosclerosis,
meaning degeneration of the blood vessels.

Blood backs up from this point leading to high blood
pressure which severely stresses the heart. Worse, small
bits of the LDL cholesterol blockage can get dislodged and
flow down with the blood. If these bits of LDL cholesterol
enter a capillary, which is a very fine blood vessel, the
capillary gets blocked starving the areas served by the
capillary network of vital blood. If this happens in the
brain, then areas of the brain just shut down leading to a
form of paralysis called a 'stroke'. If the blood flow to
the heart itself is cut off, a heart attack occurs possibly
leading to a fatality. These are just two situations which
can occur when LDL cholesterol exceeds the normal limit.
There are a great number of similar situations, collectively
called cardiovascular disease, which are directly linked to
the excessive LDL cholesterol level.

Heart disease can be prevented, or the risk of getting it
can be reduced, if we follow some very simple health
guidelines. The first is to counterattack the invasion of
LDL cholesterol into the body. LDL cholesterol gains entry
into the body with the food we eat. So you should mount a
watch on the kind of food you eat. Saturated fats are heavy
with LDL cholesterol and must be shunned. You can and should
include the healthy fats into your diet (e.g. omega-3 fats
found in fish) because they actively help to reduce the bad
LDL cholesterol. lots of water helps the circulatory and
excretory functions of the body, which at once improves
health and eliminates the bad LDL cholesterol.

Change your cooking medium from heavy saturated fats to
unsaturated fats and oils. Virgin olive oil is good for your
heart. These dietary changes will be very beneficial in your
battle against heart disease.

Cigarette smoking is bad for health. It harms the body in
more than just one way. Smoking increases the level of LDL
cholesterol. So quit now and your LDL cholesterol will be
gone tomorrow! The steps outlined in this article are very
easy to implement. You will avoid the risk of heart disease
if you follow them.

Medical research shows that stress leads to LDL cholesterol
buildup. Lowering your stress level will lower your blood
LDL cholesterol too. The moral of the lesson is that you
should relax more often, give up those activities that add
to your stress, and pick up those activities that reduce
your stress.

To sum up, LDL cholesterol can be controlled by eating foods
which are free of saturated fats, exercising, quitting
smoking and ridding yourself of stress. The worst thing you
can do is to panic about high LDL cholesterol levels. This
article is meant to educate you about the cause and
prevention of heart disease, not scare you. Use what you
have learnt in this article to control the LDL cholesterol
situation. Once that is under control, you can say that the
risk of heart disease is under control.

So, have you had your cholesterol tested lately?

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LDL Cholesterol And Heart Disease

Cholesterol is a substance that is found in our blood. It is
usually associated with other substances, notably the
lipoproteins named LDL and HDL. The association with HDL is
good for our health whereas the association with LDL is bad.
Let us find out how these associations actually affect our
health and how we can guard against their adverse effect on
our health.

HDL cholesterol is beneficial to the body and must be
transported to all parts of the body by the bloodstream,
whereas LDL cholesterol must be eliminated from the body via
the very same bloodstream. The body has a mechanism to
regulate the levels of LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol
in the blood. Bad eating and lifestyle habits cause the
cholesterol levels to exceed the normal healthy bounds thus
overloading the regulatory mechanism. If this condition
continues for a long time our health is jeopardized.

LDL cholesterol tends to stick to the inner walls of the
blood vessels it moves through. The coating reduces the
blood flow through the affected vessels. This means poor
circulation which translates to poor health. The coating may
increase to an extent where the blood vessel is severely
constricted. This condition is known as arteriosclerosis.

If this situation carries on for a long time, the blood flow
is obstructed and the blood pressure increases leading to
overloading of the heart. The plaque can accumulate to such
an extent that it completely blocks the blood vessel, or it
may get dislodged from one location and lodge itself in a
narrower blood vessel, like a capillary, creating a blockage
there. Blood supply is choked off at that point, and leads
to blood starvation in the region beyond the blockage.

If this blood starvation occurs in a critical area of the body,
as for example in the brain, then we get a crisis. The
affected area of the brain shuts down and this leads to a
'stroke' wherein the body experiences paralysis in those
areas controlled by the area of the brain which has shut
down. If the blood vessels of the heart are affected by
blockage, then we get a critical situation known as a heart
attack. All this is due to an excess of LDL cholesterol in
the blood.

The best way to recover from this situation is to help the
body to regulate the amounts of HDL and LDL cholesterol. We
can do this by changing over to a low-fat diet, free of
foods that are rich in LDL. Some fats, like the omega-3 fats
found in fish, are actually helpful in reducing LDL
cholesterol. So we should include fish in our diet. Drink a
lot of water to increase blood circulation and excretion.

Check the medium your food is cooked in. Stop using
polyunsaturated vegetable oils because they change to
trans-fats on heating, and trans-fats are harmful for
health. Use olive oil instead, because it is a good cooking
medium. Just this much is good enough to bring about a
drastic reduction of LDL cholesterol.

Smoking actually helps to elevate the LDL cholesterol level
in the blood. Give up smoking and see the LDL cholesterol
beat a hasty retreat. Follow the other steps in this article
to ensure your freedom from a dangerous heart condition.

A stressful lifestyle adds fuel to fire if you have an
excessive LDL cholesterol level. Tension adds to the high
LDL cholesterol situation, whereas a tension free lifestyle
actually goes a long way to decreasing the LDL cholesterol
level.

If you (or a near one) suffer from a high LDL cholesterol
level, don't get all stressed about it. That will be
counter-productive. You should be positive instead. You can
do a lot to bring the LDL cholesterol levels down to normal.
Start having a good, healthy and balanced diet. Increase the
amount of your activity. Start exercising, and continue to
do so regularly. Stop smoking altogether. Not only will your
bad cholesterol level get itself back to where it belongs,
but your exposure to heart attack and stroke will disappear
as well.

How To Keep Bad Cholesterol In Check

Cardio-vascular diseases top the list of major diseases the
world over. Medical experts opine that a high cholesterol
level in the bloodstream is the single major causative
factor in this group of diseases. So what causes high levels
of cholesterol in the blood, and what can you do to prevent
that from happening to you? Let's find out.

There is good cholesterol and there is bad cholesterol. The
good cholesterol is called HDL and is required for healthy
tissue growth and general health. The bad cholesterol is
called LDL and accelerates tissue degeneration, leading to
general poor health and some specifically dangerous
conditions. The body itself regulates the level of both
these types of cholesterol in the blood. You can unknowingly
work against the body in this critical function and fall
into the clutches of various real dangerous illnesses, or
you can choose to act wisely and help the body to regulate
these substances so that you are healthy naturally.

A high level of cholesterol is no disease in itself. The
actual diseases are born out of this condition. When there
is an excess of bad cholesterol in the blood, the
circulatory system gets stressed and consequently the heart
is strained. This leads to clogging of the arteries, a
condition known as atherosclerosis. That apart the heart
also begins to falter, a condition known as cardiac
arrhythmia. High blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack
are results of the condition brought on by high levels of
LDL in the blood. So keeping LDL in check will protect you
from these diseases. If you already have any of these
problems, keeping a check on LDL will reduce their severity.

The first step is dietary vigilance. Reduce those foods that
contain a dangerously high amount of cholesterol. Fatty
foods and animal products are notorious for their
cholesterol content. Such foods are oils, dairy produce,
poultry produce, and meats. Reduce your intake of sodium and
foods containing a lot of sodium because it is known to be
responsible for aggravating the cholesterol level in the
blood.

A sedentary lifestyle is equally bad news. Inactivity makes
the circulatory system sluggish, and the evacuation of LDL
is impaired. So the LDL accumulates to dangerous levels. The
American Heart Association has advised a minimum of thirty
minutes of exercise every day to keep heart disease at bay.
You are free to do it in one spell or to spread it over two,
three or more spells. Be regular in exercising. Thirty
minutes every day means thirty minutes every day, come rain
or shine! Maintain a comfortable exercise schedule. Don't get
carried away and strain yourself. Jogging, going for long
walks, cycling, and swimming are favored exercises. Make
exercise a part of your lifestyle. Be moderate, be
comfortable, be sensible!

Cigarette smoking is favored by a large number of people.
This habit is definitely injurious in general and especially
for people who suffer from elevated cholesterol levels. Even
exposure to secondary smoke can aggravate the level of bad
cholesterol in the blood. So stop smoking yourself, and
avoid frequenting places filled with cigarette smoke.

Hereditary and genetic factors may also be the prime cause
of high cholesterol levels in the blood. Sometimes it's not
what you eat that causes high cholesterol levels. It's just
the way you're built that does it! The body has natural
mechanisms to control cholesterol. If these mechanisms
break down then you're going to see high cholesterol levels
in your blood. Consult your physician and he will prescribe
appropriate medication which suits your personal
requirements.

Excessive levels of LDL in the bloodstream can have dire
consequences on your health, your lifestyle, and your
longevity. Before you are forced to make drastic changes in
your lifestyle by your doctor, it is better that you prevent
the situation from getting out of hand while you can do so
at your convenience. You may have to alter or moderate your
lifestyle a bit now. Make exercise a part of your schedule.
Go easy on fats and animal produce. Don't smoke. Choose good
health over bad health - keep those LDL levels in check!


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