Beat Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a lipid found in the cell tissue of all animals, and it is moved around the body in blood plasma, there are even traces to be found in the membranes of plants and fungi. You see it is something that is supposed be in our bodies and poses no great harm to us when kept at the correct levels. In fact cholesterol is a vital part of the internal workings of the body.

It is a required building block for hormones, including the sex hormones and also hormones from the adrenal cortex. As well as this it adds insulation to nerve fibres, so cholesterol is not all bad.

Cholesterol is produced by the liver which converts it from the fatty foods we eat, and can be broken down in to 3 different types:

  1. Low density lipoprotein (LDL). This is often thought of as the bad cholesterol, as it can be the cause of arterial disease by causing a harmful build up that becomes greater than the amount that cells can use.
  2. High density lipoprotein (HDL). This is considered to be good cholesterol, as it is believed to help lower the chances of arterial disease. It helps to collect unused cholesterol and trasnsport it back to the liver, where it is broken down and in to waste product.
  3. Triglycerides are the third type of cholesterol, and are also a fatty substance that can be found in the bloodstream. These have been detected in many fatty, meat and dairy products that we eat. People who are overweight and have a sugary or fatty diet or drink high levels of alcohol will have an increased risk of having a high level of Triglycerides in the body.

It is proven that men are far more at risk from the effects of cholesterol than women. The treatment for high cholesterol usually starts with a change to your diet. By creating a balanced healthy diet, the amount of cholesterol in the body can be controlled. In most cases this is combined with an increase in weekly exercise and physical activity.

There are a number of foods that are suited to helping reduce cholesterol levels, in the carbohydrate group these include cereals, wholegrain foods, rice and pasta. There are also protein based foods that are capable of fighting cholesterol, these include lean meats (chicken) and oily fish (mackerel and sardines) and there are many types of spreads and cooking oils available that are low in unsaturated fat.

If you are at all concered about cholesterol, make an appointment with your physician to get it checked. It is a very simple blood sample, but if it left to get out of control, you will have to a much harder job of bringing it back under control and will need the help of cholesterol lowering drugs.

If you are worried by cholesterol but do not wish to go down the route offred by conventional medicines, then there are alternatives. Start by taking control before the worst happens, there are many recsources available that will help you plot your future well-being. One of these is a publication called Beating Cholesterol which includes extensive information about keeping cholesterol in check.

For those of you further down the road, that now have raised cholesterol, you should have a look at a publication that helps people to lower cholesterol without the use of drugs. Click to find out more about the Drug Free Cholesterol Cure.