Thursday, September 1, 2011

High Cholesterol: How To Lower Cholesterol Levels

High cholesterol symptoms - what are the causes and risks of abnormal cholesterol levels, do you know? Firstly, we needed to know what cholesterol actually is before we can understand the causes, the symptoms, the risks, and the treatment of it. Cholesterol is a fatty substance needed by our bodies for normal daily functions. It is produced naturally by our bodies in the liver. Although our bodies need this fatty substance, a high cholesterol level can have serious side effects. In fact high levels can even be deadly.

Therefore, once you have been diagnosed with a cholesterol level that is too high, you need to take the necessary steps to lower it immediately. The fact of the matter is this - high levels of this substance in your body causes a build up of another substance in the arteries known as plaque. When there is a build up of plaque in the arteries, this put you at greater risks for possible heart attacks and/or strokes.

Causes of high cholesterol levels


Meat especially has a certain amount of cholesterol because it came from an animal that has a liver. Which means that the animal made its own cholesterol which is present in its flesh. Therefore, constantly eating meat and other foods high in cholesterol, will give you and I an excess in this substance. An individual will not only develop high cholesterol their alone. There are other contributing factors to this health problem as well.

Being diagnosed with a cholesterol level that is above normal, forces an individual to look more closely at his/her diet. As I mentioned before, our bodies produce its own cholesterol in the liver; therefore, we do not need to add anymore. What do I mean? Well, this fatty substance is located in the different variety of foods that we consume in our diets. And for this reason, we end up adding to our cholesterol count.
These other factors include bad habits such as smoking which can also lead to high cholesterol, diabetes, and hypertension.

High cholesterol foods to avoid
In order for you to lower high cholesterol or avoid it altogether, you need to minimize your intake of certain foods in your diets. To avoid having cholesterol levels that are above the normal range, we have to minimize our intake of the animal fat. In addition, we have to also minimize our intake of diary products.
The reason for this reduction is due to the fact that - items such as milk, cheese, and ice cream have a certain amount of cholesterol present in them. If you eat eggs, you must know that there is also a good amount of the substance it them as well; therefore, you should reduce your intake of this product also.

Medically, there are no high cholesterol symptoms. And for this reason, many individuals do not know that they have a level of cholesterol that is way above normal. To determine the cholesterol count of an individual, a doctor or physician will have them do a cholesterol test. The test is a Lipoprotein Profile which is actually a blood test that will determine the cholesterol numbers of that patient.

Managing high cholesterol
Once the patient's numbers are determined, the doctor may recommend that they go on a low cholesterol diet. This new diet will include certain foods that will help the patient lower their total cholesterol count. Lowering cholesterol levels begin with your shopping list for your local food store. When you shop, you must read the labels of the various foods that you pick up. I find this to be very time consuming but if your health is important to you as mind is to me, you will make the time.
Your food cart should have food in it that are low in saturated fats and low in cholesterol. When you manage or obtain the necessary treatment for high cholesterol, you are taking a very important first step to a healthier heart. In addition, to being on a low cholesterol diet, an increase in physical activity will also increase your body's production of HDL (the good cholesterol) and reduce your LDL (the bad cholesterol).
If you smoke, stop because getting rid of this bad habit alone can lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) by a significant amount. Although an individual may listen to their doctor and follow the recommended methods and lifestyle changes - there are times when taking these necessary steps are not be enough. For this reason, you may have to take drug medications to treat your high cholesterol condition. I know for many of us - my self included, taking drugs is not an option. Therefore we should take the necessary steps from the get go and eat the right type of foods to avoid high cholesterol levels.


Diabetes is a chronic disease that has affected millions of people worldwide. Diabetes is a disease that affects the entire body - from the head to the feet. We all need to come together and fight this illness. For more information on diabetes, visit us at http://www.diabetes-health-talk.com 


Source: http://www.articlealley.com/high-cholesterol-how-to-lower-cholesterol-levels-2341740.html

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