Low Cholesterol Diet

Adopting a low cholesterol diet can be simple with just a small guidance which can be offered by this article. Blood cholesterol can be a fairly complicated issue and in most cases, people prefer using natural means to lower its levels like a low cholesterol diet. We know that heart disease risk increases when LDL levels are high, especially above 200. There are a few things that people basically agree on when it comes to ways to decrease these numbers. Some useful information is listed below.

High cholesterol causes

High cholesterol can be genetic and this should be one of the things that you should know. People’s livers process cholesterol different from other people, so it is normal for some people to be more sensitive to fast increases in cholesterol levels. Also, conditions such as hypothyroidism and diabetes can exacerbate high cholesterol levels. Diseases we are genetically predisposed to can be influenced by diet. When it comes to this subject, more and more experts agree by the day.

Cholesterol and obesity go hand in hand. To consume a healthy, low cholesterol diet is very important to individuals that have high levels of cholesterol. Individuals can reduce their cholesterol levels through the help of a low fat diet such as a vegetarian diet or a Pritikin diet.

What is a low cholesterol diet?

Well, first of all it might be useful to know what cholesterol is. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is produced by the liver, but is also present in many foods we eat such as animal products. Your body can be led to producing more cholesterol than is necessary by eating too many foods that are high in saturated fats such as palm oil and eating too many animal based foods. In order to be healthy, everyone needs some cholesterol in his or her body. However, when those cholesterol levels become too high, it can become problematic.

Excess amounts of LDL or low-density lipoprotein ends up as plaque on artery walls. LDL carries cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body. The risk of heart disease is increased by the formation of plaque. HDL carries the cholesterol away from the arteries. This substance is also known as high density lipoprotein or “good” cholesterol. Next to these two abbreviations, you will see numbers when you have a lipid profile done. When you have this lipid profile done, the results are good if the LDL level is lower than 200 and the HDL levels are higher than 45.

Low Cholesterol Diet in Secondary Prevention of Coronary Disease

Going on a low cholesterol diet is not something to be taken lightly. A low cholesterol diet is indeed a lifestyle change, that not only you, but perhaps your entire family can go on. A low cholesterol diet is important for many people around the world who are at risk for heart disease and other medical conditions associated with heightened cholesterol. The diet is just as much about all the wonderful foods you can eat as it is about those foods you want to find alternatives to.

People have experienced over several generations that the body not only likes, but requires the vitamins, minerals, proteins, oxygen, enzymes, and hormones that are in these non-cooked, living super foods. Whether you simply would like to add more living super foods to your diet, or want to change your lifestyle in a more meaningful way, living super, natural foods are what you need to look at for these changes to happen.

Super foods

Super foods are getting a lot of publicity in the media today and that is because they are very vitamin and nutrient packed and they have lots of antioxidants that help prevent against illnesses and disease. They are effective in providing oxygen to the cells, detoxifying tissue, supporting thyroid functions, and providing the body with a natural source of commonly known vitamin and minerals such as calcium, sodium, and potassium, as well as trace nutrients some of which we have yet to be "discovered" or understood. Super foods are nutritional powerhouses high in phytonutrients-chemicals that occur naturally in food. Super foods are extremely rich in health promoting plant compounds like phytonutrients, co-factors, antioxidants, enzymes and much more.

For the best metabolism boosting results make sure you introduce super foods to your existing healthy diet and you will notice the benefits. Always buy your food in season and local if you can as they are grown in the same environment as you live and your body can use them much better than other foods. You will notice that these foods will make you feel better as soon as you start eating them. Keep on trying and experimenting with different foods until you find what is best for your body. Eating only super foods will not do you much good in the long run. The 10 healthiest super foods are blueberries, citrus fruits, garlic, tomatoes, brocoli, oats, salmon, spinach, nuts, and yoghurt.

Exercise

Exercise is important though in keeping healthy and is normally good for keeping the high cholesterol levels down as well. Exercise itself doesnt directly lower cholesterol, but will strengthen the heart and entire circulatory system. Exercise has so many benefits - maintaining function, controlling weight, lowering blood pressure, fighting depression, etc. A scheduled exercise program of aerobic exercises, strength training or even yoga can go a long way in toning up the lazy muscles. Ensure that you follow the exercise routine systematically and regularly.

Conclusion

The objective of every cholesterol diet is the same, though: to reduce circulating levels of low-density lipoproteins (LDL, the bad kind of cholesterol) and increase high-density lipoproteins (HDL). If you are in a high risk group, such as if you have diabetes, a no-cholesterol diet is even better than a low cholesterol diet. Bringing your diet and your cholesterol level under control with a low cholesterol diet is the best thing you can do to save your heart.

Adopting a low cholesterol diet is the other proven and highly recommended way for people to reduce cholesterol to healthier levels. The key to long term success with a low cholesterol diet is to continually monitor the cholesterol and saturated fats in the food you eat, to make sure no bad stuff gets back in. Probably the most important thing to do when shopping for food as part of a low cholesterol diet is learning to read labels. As always when dealing with health factors, you should consult a physician before self-prescribing a diet plan, exercise regime, or any dramatic life altering solution.

Cholesterol and our Body

Cholesterol is not the one that imposes threat for our health. It is bad cholesterol we should avoid. They are usually common among adults because they are related to ailments like diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension. And these ailments are quiet common with adults rather than our younger generation. So if we're talking about lowering cholesterol, it means stopping the growth of bad cholesterol in our body.

Two kinds of cholesterol are present in our body. One of this is bad cholesterol. This type of cholesterol is a low-density lipoprotein and is harmful because it can cause atheroma. A condition where our arteries clog, atheroma can cause fat streaks in our arteries or plaque them. If we don't pay attention to them, our body accumulates lots of macrophage white blood cells. This could happen to a child even before turning the age of 10. Actually, the early signs of this could start at the age before 5 years. And while we grow up, this could slowly collect in our veins. Mostly, the real symptoms appear after a more dangerous ailment like heart attack or stroke. And in this case, it is already too late for the patient to recover. The effects of this may not cause fatality to patients but it can cause long term disability.

It is surprising to know when you go to a lab test, and find out your cholesterol level. Your cholesterol level will not reflect in what you see in your body. You may look healthy and yet have a very high cholesterol level in your body. This build-up of cholesterol in our body is caused by small intakes of cholesterol everyday that compiled for years as we grow up.

It's not really puzzling on how bad cholesterol builds up in our body. It's in the food we eat everyday that contains high levels of fats. If you're fond of eating foods packed in canned goods, better check for the labels if it contains high levels of cholesterol through the fat value it has. This is not just the point to ponder when you want to be cautious of cholesterol in your body.

Cholesterol is not created right away from the diet we eat. It undergoes through a process and metabolizes first in our body. It is not mainly composed of only our diet alone. There are other contributing factors that make it as a whole cholesterol. But you must take into account that there is also good cholesterol present in this universe which helps in the body's function like producing bile and regulation of vitamins that are fat soluble, like Vitamin K, D, E, and A.

Cholesterol has also an effect on the production of body hormones in our body. After it is consumed in our body, it produces excess lipids in our liver and gall bladder in the form of crystal particles. The reason it becomes a bad cholesterol, is it is not water soluble, meaning it just circulates over and over in our body and converts to bad cholesterol (low density lipoproteins). For people with healthy metabolism, bad cholesterol is less likely to happen because the fats don't accumulate well in the body. Bad cholesterol is the ones that comes in small sizes and get trapped in our veins and clogs. The good ones are those that come in large quantities.

Lowering cholesterol means avoiding those that are composed of animal meats and fats, specifically pork and beef. It is not in the genes or a hereditary factor. It maybe easy to put this in mind but it takes discipline to avoid these foods when being served.

Andy Rhodes is the author of The-Lower-Cholesterol-101.com, a site where you can learn what experts say on how you can lower your cholesterol by selecting cholesterol-free foods. Find how to lower your cholesterol through your diet. Andy's contact information can be found at andy@lower-cholesterol-101.com

10 simple tips how to eat everything not without getting weight

It is not possible to grow thin?
You sit on every possible diets and regularly visit a sports hall, and superfluous kgs all in any way do not wish to say goodbye to you? Probably, business in the following:


1. You have not breakfast. Scientists have established: the more plentifully a breakfast, the less person eats within day. It is better to prefer albuminous food as a variant, to eat a boiled egg or low-fat cottage cheese in the morning. Then in the afternoon you long will not feel famine.

2. Dieticians have established, that at the people eating on three apples in day, the weight of a body more quickly decreases. The reason that in this fruit is a lot of êëåò÷àòêè and waters because of which other meal it is required less.

3. Hate employment in a sports hall? There Is rather pleasant and not ordinary way to burn superfluous calories. This singing! Sing in a shower, in the machine, on family holidays. A sincere way to struggle with excess weight ...

4. In the childhood our dinner, as a rule, began with soup. Scientists have established, that it is rather useful for a figure. Soup fills a stomach with a liquid and gives sensation of satiety. Therefore, if to begin with it a dinner, it will want to eat after less.

5. Do not like to rise and do early çàðÿäêó? Also it is not necessary! Simply perform on road for work this simple exercise. Íàïðÿãèòå muscles of buttocks, keeping a pressure for 10 seconds. Weaken. Again íàïðÿãèòå in 10 seconds. Carry out exercise of 10-15 times.

6. Get a useful habit to speak by phone standing. In general, think up as much as possible affairs which can be carried out " on legs ". Rise because of a table as soon as there is an opportunity. In fact a sedentary way of life - one of principal causes of excess weight and other, not less serious problems with health.

7. Scientifically the fact in evidence - a high-grade dream helps to support weight in norm. All business in a hormone ëåïòèíå, overwhelming feeling of famine. It on 15 % contains at people whom eight hours per day while at those who sleeps only five hours per the day, the raised maintenance in an organism of a hormone ãðåëèíà sleep a minimum, causing famine more.

8. Wish to grow thin? Forget about the lift. Minute of rise on a ladder in normal quiet rate is equal on power inputs to ten minutes of walk by fast step.

9. Probably, the problem of excess weight is connected by that you do not give attention to the use of calcium. Alternative to polyvitamins - fish day!

10. Eat with pleasure! It is proved, that those who eats on the move and between times, those who enjoys food eat as a result more, than.

Source: http://pills-blog.blogspot.com/

Lower Your Cholesterol For A Healthier Life

By: Dawn Robertshaw

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that the body needs to function normally. Your body uses cholesterol to produce certain hormones and make vitamin D. It also produces bile acids that digest fat. But your body only needs a small amount of cholesterol to perform these functions. Too much cholesterol in your bloodstream will start to adhere to the artery walls and form blockages. These blockages are the cause of heart attacks and strokes.

It is important that you keep your cholesterol at a healthy level. While high cholesterol can be hereditary, a lot of our cholesterol problems come from the food we eat and lack of exercise.

The best way to lower your cholesterol is to lose weight. Being overweight interrupts the bodys metabolism causing the body to hang onto too much fat. Following a low fat, low cholesterol diet and getting more exercise will help you lose weight and lower your cholesterol.

Here is a guide on what foods to eat and what foods to limit:

Food you should eat:-

* 5 servings per day of a variety of fruits and vegetables.
* 6 servings per day of whole grain breads, rice and pasta. Oatmeal is especially beneficial.
* 2 to 4 servings of fat free or low fat milk products.
* 6 ounces of lean meats or skinless poultry per day.
* Beans and peas.
* Nuts and seeds in limited amounts.
* Unsaturated vegetable oils. But limit the amount of margarine and spreads made from them.

Foods to Limit:-

* Whole milk, creams and ice cream.
* Butter, egg yolks and cheese.
* Untrimmed fatty meats and organ meats.
* Processed meats such as Bologna, hot dogs, salami and sausage.
* Bakery goods made with saturated fats and egg yolks.
* Coconut oils, palm oils and palm kernal oil which are saturated fats.
* Solid fats such as shortening, partially hydrogenated margarine and lard.
* Fried foods.

Lowering cholesterol does not mean that you cut out all the fats. You just exchange them. The above guidelines should help you determine how to do this.

There is a lot of focus on cutting back on the fats in the food we eat but did you know that there are beverages that can help lower cholesterol? Studies have shown that green tea has a lot of powerful antioxidants that help lower cholesterol and can even lower blood pressure.

Orange juice contains folic acids that help lower homocysteine levels in the body. High homocysteine levels can cause cholesterol to change into oxidized low density lipoprotein which can damage the arteries. It can also make blood clot easier and increase the risk of blockages.

Grape juice is loaded with certain antioxidants that help prevent red blood cells from clumping together to form clots.

Research has proven that having 1 to 3 ounces of wine a day can lower your risk of heart attack. But do not drink it if you have an alcohol dependency problem or high blood pressure.

Keeping your cholesterol at a healthy level takes some effort on your part. Lose weight, exercise, quit smoking and eat healthily. This may seem like a lot to some but you only have one heart. It is your responsibility to take good care of it.

Article Source: http://www.abcarticledirectory.com/

The Essential Facts to Keeping Healthy

Current health studies show that our population is growing bigger and getting fatter each year. More than 50% is overweight! Obesity has now reached pandemic proportions and has become a serious problem to our personal health, making it a burden on our health system.

There are many health problems and diseases associated with being overweight and obese, for example: skeletal problems, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and sleep apnea to name a few. Studies have also shown that a relationship exists between excessive bodyweight and increased mortality. Increasing one's body weight by 10kg will directly affect their lifespan by decreasing their living years. Obesity is a serious problem, however it can be fought and its effects reversed.

There are a variety of ways of combating obesity and preventing / reversing the health complications that arise from it. Obesity prevention can occur through a number of factors including 1.Dieting 2.Lowering Fat and Cholesterol. 3.Exercise.

1.Diet

Dieting can be extremely difficult, as a matter of fact, in the long term, more diets fail than succeed. So what is the secret to a sustainable and successful diet plan? The answer is lifestyle change. Change the way you eat and change the way you live. If you are seriously thinking of dieting, then think about the foods you eat on a daily basis and substitute them with healthier alternatives. Substitute the fast foods you would normally eat with fresh meats, cereals, fruits and vegetables. Keep score of your daily calorie intake and remember to exercise for at least 30 minutes per day.

2. Lowering Fat and Cholesterol

Inactivity, poor diet and lack of exercise lead to an increase in body fat and a rise in cholesterol. Cholesterol is a type of fat that is essential to the human body, however an excessive buildup of cholesterol in the blood and arteries can lead to serious health complications. Cholesterol is a major contributing factor in the cause of coronary artery disease which can lead to heart attacks. There primary cure for lowering the cholesterol levels is through dieting and reducing the amount of fat in your diet. A change of lifestyle and eating habits is also needed to have an overall impact in reducing and sustaining cholesterol. Below is a list of high cholesterol producing foods that should be avoided:

*Dairy intake – Reduce you high fat dairy consumption by substituting high fat cheeses and milks with low fat ones. You will find many 99% fat free dairy products are now on offer in supermarkets.

*Avoid meats that are high in visible fats and substitute them with lean cut meats and skinless chickens.

*Use healthy cooking oils and margarines. Choose oils that are low in saturated fats such as virgin olive oils and margarines that include plant sterols which help the body absorb less cholesterol.

*Minimise your fast food intake such as pizzas, burgers, fish and chips, and deep fried foods in general.

When combating high cholesterol, changing poor eating habits is only part of the solution, you also need to reduce the amount calories you consume on a daily basis, and that can only be solved through proper dieting and exercise. If unsure about your cholesterol level, it is always advisable that you seek the medical attention from your local physician.

3. Exercise

Exercise is a vital and essential part to our wellbeing. Whether riding a bike or walking 30 minutes a day, mobility is the key to a healthy lifestyle. Regular physical exercise is essential in preventing many bodily disorders including coronary heart disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. Exercise is also vital in the building of healthy bones, muscles and in bolstering the human immune system.

Dieting, exercise and healthy eating plans are essential factors in maintaining strong and healthy bodies. They are all however interrelated and should be practiced in conjunction with one another; reducing a high cholesterol level depends on healthy eating habits and proper dieting. A proper diet should also be supported with regular and frequent exercise in order to achieve weight loss and an overall healthy lifestyle.

Article Source: http://www.abcarticledirectory.com/

Heart Attack Prevention Tips

While some have to fight the battle of the bulge for mere shallow reasons, there are those who do all the dieting and exercising to reduce their cholesterol levels just to stay alive. And while cholesterol is an important component of the membranes of cells, playing an important part in maintaining brain synapses as well as in the immune system, it is also the largest cause of heart attack and stroke.

While it is great that most people who are suffering from high levels of cholesterol go to their dieticians to have their daily eating habits tweaked by following a strict meal plan in order to help them lower their cholesterol levels (hopefully back to normal levels), some people have really gone overboard, but if you feel compelled to lower your cholestorol, consult with your doctor, most doctors are fine with prescribing cholesterol reducing drugs.

Together with a healthy diet and regular exercise, the drugs can make quite a difference in your cholesterol levels, at least enough that your levels can be considered safe.

There are four kinds of cholesterol reducing drugs:

1. Bile acid

Sequesterants are cholesterol reducing drugs that aim to bind with the bile that is being produced by one's liver. The bile helps out in our digestion as well as in the absorption of fats from the intestine. This cholesterol reducing drug blocks out the digestion of fats from the bile to help prevent the formation of cholesterol. Various cholesterol reducing drugs in this category are the following:

- Colestipol
- Colestid
- Coleseyalam
- Welchol
- Cholestyramine
- Questran

2. Statins

Popularly known as statins, the HMG-CoA inhibitors are cholesterol reducing drugs that prevent the enzyme called 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-conenzyme, a reductase, from converting fat into cholesterol. This cholesterol reducing drug is seen as the most effective one in the market today and does some added good to one's body as 2003 reports claim that people with heart failure but no coronary artery diseases receive great benefits from this in as early as 14 weeks.

Popular drugs from this cholesterol reducing drug group include:

- Simvastatin
- Zocor
- Cerivastatin
- Baycol
- Fluvastatin
- Lescol
- Lovastatin
- Mevacor
- Prevastatin
- Pravachol
- Atorvastatin
- Lipitor

3. Fibric Acid

The cholesterol reducing drug called fibric acid and its derivaties are less effective than the statins when in comes to lowering one's cholesterol level.

Popular drugs under this kind of cholesterol reducing drugs are:

- Clofibrate
- Atormid-S
- Gemfibrozil
- Lopid
- Fenofribrate
- Tricor

4. Niacin

Niacin, or vitamin B-3, also is effective in lowering cholesterol levels. Although the normal vitamin dose of niacin is only set at 20 mg for each day, the dose required to reduce cholesterol levels is at least 500 mg each day. Niacin helps reduce cholesterol by inhibiting very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) secretion in the bloodstream.

Article Source: http://www.abcarticledirectory.com/

Keep Your Cholesterol low

Everybody knows that cholesterol has much to do with heart disease. Dangers of high cholesterol is not what you have to worry much if you know what cholesterol is and how it affects you.

1. Cholesterol And Heart Disease

Your blood cholesterol is a major factor in the risk of suffering from heart disease. In fact, the higher your cholesterol level, the greater the chances you have of getting a heart attack. Heart disease is the leading cause of death among men and women in the United States. Every year more than a million Americans suffer heart attacks, and half of that number die from heart disease.

2. How Does Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease?

When your body has too much cholesterol, it builds up in the walls of your arteries. This causes your arteries to harden. Your arteries, as a result of this, narrow down or get blocked. This reduces the flow of blood through your body. Oxygen is carried throughout your body by blood. If an inadequate supply of oxygen to your heart occurs because of reduced blood flow, you may experience chest pains. And if the blood supply is completely cut off, the result is a heart attack.

Unfortunately, high blood cholesterol has no symptoms. So it is hard to gauge the status of your arteries. Whether or not you suffer from heart disease, lowering your cholesterol is important to maintain good health.

3. What Affects Cholesterol Levels?

I. Diet

- Oils, Eggs, Margarine and Butter
- Saturated fat
- Fatty foods

II. Weight

Being overweight is also a factor for heart disease. There is a correlation between weight and cholesterol levels. Following that, losing weight can help lower cholesterol levels.

III. Physical Activity

If you are not physically active and have a sedementary lifestyle, you have a greater risk for heart disease. Regular exercise can help lower cholesterol level, and has many untold physical benefits. Consult a doctor about a training regimen that suits you. Overexertion is equally bad for the health.

IV. Age and Gender

Cholesterol levels rise as men and women get older. Before menopause, women have lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same age. After menopause these levels have been observed to rise.

V. Heredity

High cholesterol levels are sometimes inherited from your ancestors. If your family has a history of heart disease you may want to consult a doctor regarding possible preventive medicine.

4. Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes (TLC)

You can lower your cholesterol through the help of TLC. It is a set of activities that can help lower your LDL (the bad part of cholesterol). The main parts of TLC are:

I. Diet

- Eat low-fat, low-cholesterol meals
- Eat fruits, vegetables and high-fiber grains
- High fiber foods are very effective at 'sweeping' away cholesterol

II. Weight Management

- Don't be overweight
- Consult a chart to see the recommended weight value for your height, gender, and age
- Scan your body to determine its fat percentage. Healthy bodies will contain fat!

III. Physical Activity

- Exercise for 30 minutes per day
- Always consult a medical professional regarding this regimen
- Health is wealth

Article Source: http://www.abcarticledirectory.com/

Discover The Ancient Cholesterol Lowering Secrets of Gugulipid

What is Guggul?

Gugulipid is an ancient herb that comes from the gummy resin of the mukul myrrh tree, and has been used in India’s traditional Ayurveda medicine dating back thousands of years.

How can Guggul benefit you?

Traditionally, gugulipid was used to treat obesity and arthritis. Although still used for these same purposes, over recent years, many clinical trials have also proven its efficacy in lowering bad cholesterol (LDL) and raising good cholesterol (HDL). Moreover, it is one of the few substances that can also decrease triglycerides. Expensive prescription statin drugs, by contrast, do not lower triglycerides. And having high triglycerides in conjunction with elevated cholesterol appreciably raises the risk for heart disease than just high cholesterol alone.

Other benefits are its ability to prevent plaque from forming in arterial walls, which can lead to heart attacks if unchecked. Moreover, it acts as an anti-coagulant by inhibiting blood platelets from clumping together, and, therefore, affords protection against blood clots.

Gugulipid also harbors antioxidant properties; antioxidants scavenge free radicals, which are highly reactive substances that damage cells, leading to premature disease and aging. Its ability to alleviate arthritis stems from anti-inflammatory properties, the same of which have even shown it to be more effective than tetracycline when used orally as a treatment for acne.

Precautions

In rare cases, gugulipid has been known to cause minor gastrointestinal problems, including nausea and gas. Pregnant women should avoid this herb, and anyone with a medical condition should consult a physician before supplementation.

My Opinion

Gugulipid seems to be a very promising supplement for those who are looking for a safe alternative to statin drugs in lowering their cholesterol. Oftentimes, those who are trying to reduce their cholesterol are also looking to shed some excess weight, so the weight loss benefits of gugulipid would only serve to enhance its ability to lower one’s risk of heart disease overall. The only other known natural substance that has been studied more for its efficiency in lowering cholesterol is policosanol, an extract from sugar cane wax.

Overall, I believe gugulipid is a supplement well worth checking out.

http://www.nutritional-supplement-info.com/gugulipid.html

Lower cholesterol level naturally

It can be devastating to find that you have high cholesterol. There are so many dangerous health risks involved with having high cholesterol and lowering it quickly becomes a number one priority for both you as the patient and for your doctors, often starting with high levels of medication. But all medications have side effects and cholesterol medications are no different than any other category of medicine. There must be a better way to lower your cholesterol, rather than turning to high doses of drugs!

The patient must first understand exactly why reducing cholesterol is so important, and then look at the natural ways to reduce cholesterol . First, when your cholesterol is lowered, you greatly reduce your overall risk of having serious cardio vascular conditions, such as a heart attack or a stroke. Also, lowering cholesterol reduces the formation of new plaque in your arteries, as well as reducing the existing plaque you have. Finally, the plaque buildup in your arteries is in danger of rupturing, causing serious problems and lowering the overall cholesterol prevents this complication.

The first thing to do to naturally improve your health by lowering cholesterol is to reduce the amount of calories that are in your diet from fat. Around thirty percent of the calories you consume should come from fat and no more. Also, avoid over eating any form of food, as your body turns unneeded foot indo fat, which raises your cholesterol rate.

There are several holistic medications, or herbal remedies, you can take to lower the level of the "bad", or LDL cholesterol, in your body. One option is guggulu, which is taken from the mukul myrrh tree. This herb helps lower both blood pressure and cholesterol. It is taken as an extract.

Policosanol is a second option for herbal cholesterol remedies. This herb comes from the wax in sugar cane and is highly effective in lowering LDL in the blood stream. Also, there are relatively few side effects to policosanol.

Pantethine is a great herbal cholesterol treatment option because while it works to reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol, it also increases the levels of HDL, which is the type of cholesterol your body needs. The side effects of most cholesterol medications are non-existent with pantethine.

Garlic and fish oil are two natural items you can take to improve your overall heart health. Garlic seems to have properties that help reduce the build up of arteriosclerosis. Fish oil contains helpful fats that lower cholesterol, particularly in women and also help prevent blood clots. For those who do not take much garlic and fish in their natural diet, these substances can be taken in capsule form.

Exercise is key to overall heart health. While it may not have a direct correlation to cholesterol, exercise does keep the body from building up too much fat, which will eventually lower the level of LDL in the blood stream. Also, studies seem to indicate that those who are smokers and quit the habit also see a lowered risk of cholesterol. These supplements and simple precautions can make great strides in keeping you healthily for many years to come!

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to http://cholesterol.guide-for-you.com/

Cholesterol Test: Screening To reduce risk of Heart Attack

Cholesterol testing is used to estimate risk of developing heart disease. High blood cholesterol can indicate hardening of the arteries and an increased risk of death from a coronary event.

A cholesterol test is recommended for adults once every five years, as a routine part of preventative health care. This screening is frequently done in conjunction with other tests, including low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides (lipid profile).

Cholesterol testing is done more frequently (a couple of times per year) for people who have been told to change their diet or who are taking drugs for management of undesirable levels. In this scenario, testing can track whether efforts are paying off.

What Test Results Mean

Desirable: below 200 mg/dL (low risk of heart disease)

Borderline High: 200 to 240 mg/dL (moderate risk)

High Risk: above 240 mg/dL (high risk)

If a cholesterol test reveals that you are “borderline high,” your doctor may decide to order a lipid profile to determine whether the high cholesterol is the dangerous LDL or the beneficial HDL.

What happens if cholesterol testing comes back as “high risk”? In this scenario, your doctor will order a lipid profile plus other tests to try to determine what has caused or is causing your high cholesterol.

If you trying to reduce levels, expect another cholesterol test. Repeated tests may be needed to see whether your cholesterol is decreasing. Your doctor will set a target value and this will most likely be based on your LDL.

Cholesterol Testing

Men over 40
Women over 50
Postmenopausal women
Overweight people
Smokers
Diabetics
Those with high blood pressure
People who have inherited risk factors

If a cholesterol test reveals unsatisfactory results, dietary changes can help and it is a good idea to consult with a nutritionist or a dietician who can help you to determine which foods to choose and how to cook using low-fat methods.

In the aftermath of cholesterol testing, there are other things you can do. Making exercise part of your regular routine can help, as can quitting smoking and reducing the amount of coffee you drink.

The benefits of plant compounds are increasingly being recognized. A natural supplement containing specific ingredients can help you in your efforts to normalize and lower undesirable cholesterol levels.

Vitamin E oil is a natural anti-oxidant, helping to prevent atherosclerosis. Green tea extract can help protect against heart disease. Beneficial polyphenols and catechins are abundant in green tea.

Lecithin oil is beneficial for people suffering from high cholesterol levels. It helps to suspend globs of fat in the body, thereby aiding in excretion. D-limonene is found in orange peel oil. It helps to dissolve cholesterol gallstones and can reduce cholesterol in a manner similar to tocotrienols.

Other substances such as policosanol, beta-sitosterol, chromium, selenium, inositol and pumpkin seed oil are found in natural supplements.

A cholesterol test and the results obtained can a warning of what may lie ahead. Implementing protective measures can reduce your risk and prevent future problems.

You need to discuss any dietary changes and use natural substances with your doctor, when attempting to adjust cholesterol levels. If your levels are on the higher side, cholesterol testing is one of the best things you can do for your health.

Athlyn Green is an avid health enthusiast with an interest in natural remedies for treatment of health disorders. She has contributed to a section of http://www.healthy-cholesterol-guide.com dedicated to natural treatments for high cholesterol and heart disease prevention.

Drinking Green Tea Might Prevent The Absorption of Cholesterol

There are many studies being conducted on the effects of drinking green tea and how it can benefit the body. Along with its possible antioxidant qualities, there are also studies pointing to the possibility that green tea can help you maintain and even lower your cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol comes in two forms, ‘good’ or HDL-cholesterol and ‘bad’ or LDL-cholesterol. Doctors are very concerned about the balance of these two types of cholesterol. Ideally, there should be more good cholesterol than bad. Also, there should only be very small amounts of the bad cholesterol in your blood.

Imbalances in your levels of cholesterol can lead to many diseases, one of which is atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a hardening of the arteries caused by damage caused by high levels of bad cholesterol and other factors.

Studies revealed that green tea consumption in rats appears to lower their levels of bad cholesterol and even prevents them from getting high cholesterol when they are on high cholesterol diets. This has significant implications for the use of green tea in humans to prevent high cholesterol and heart disease. There are still more studies and research to be done before researchers can confirm that green tea indeed has such benefits.

Researchers have also studied how green tea was able to protect rats on high cholesterol diets from getting bad cholesterol. In 2000, a study came out that shed some light on how green tea is able to keep LDL-cholesterol levels down in laboratory rats. Doctors Teddy T.C. Yang and Marcel W.L. Koo studied the effects of Lung Chen tea consumption on a group of laboratory rats with high cholesterol diets.

Lung Chen tea is also known as Long Jing tea. It is a green tea, meaning that the leaves are unoxidized. Whereas other green tea leaves are steamed, Lung Chen tea is pan fried to stop the oxidation process. This tea is usually found to contain the highest levels of antioxidants, called catechins, of all teas. It’s typically very expensive and has a sweet flavor.

The doctors fed a group of male laboratory rats different diets according to their group status. The first group got a regular diet of Purina Rat chow and unlimited amounts of tap water. This was the control group. The other rat groups were given a 1% cholesterol diet with 0.5% cholic acid. Those in the cholesterol group were divided further into groups receiving 1%, 2% and 4% solutions of Lung Chen Tea to drink. One group didn’t receive any of the tea, but did receive the high cholesterol diet.

After eight weeks, the doctors collected two day’s worth of fecal matter from each of the groups and examined the contents. After nine weeks, they collected blood samples and examined the rat’s livers.

Immediately, they noticed that the rats in the high cholesterol group that didn’t get any Lung Chen tea had gained the most weight, while the rats in the 2% and 4% Lung Chen tea groups had actually lost a small amount of weight compared to the control group which remained on the rat chow.

Also, the blood samples revealed that while all the rats on the high cholesterol diet had a higher cholesterol level than those in the control group, the rats that had received the 2% and 4% solutions of Lung Chen tea had the lowest cholesterol levels of those in the high cholesterol group. It appeared that the Lung Chen tea protected them, which is what other studies previously had shown.

When the doctors examined the fecal content of the rats, they found that the groups with the 2% and 4% solutions of Lung Chen tea had higher levels of lipid and cholesterol excretion than those in the high cholesterol diet without any tea. This means that the Lung Chen tea is working to keep the cholesterol levels in the blood down by keeping it from being absorbed in the intestinal tract. Doctors theorize that this may be one of the mechanisms by which Lung Chen tea and possibly other green teas operate to help protect the body from high cholesterol diets.

Of course, this is only a study in rats and still needs to be examined in humans, but there is definite evidence that drinking green teas can help you maintain lower cholesterol levels.

Jon M. Stout is the Chairman of the Golden Moon Tea Company. Golden Moon Tea carefully selects the finest rare and orthodox teas, which are processed slowly and handcrafted with extreme care. At their website, you can learn more about their current http://www.goldenmoontea.com/ offerings, including their exceptional green tea