Cholesterol: A Basic Introduction

If you are reading this, then odds are you are worried about cholesterol.  Whether you are concerned because you have read statistics that suggest high cholesterol may be bad for you or whether you are worried because you or someone you know has been diagnosed with having high levels of “bad” cholesterol, the fact is that we could all stand to learn more about this important health issue.  

In fact, many health experts now think that high cholesterol levels are among the greatest health problems that face us today.  In this guide, you will learn how to take control of your health.  By the end of this guide, you will know:
•What Cholesterol is and why it is important

•What too high cholesterol can do and treatments that can help you lower your cholesterol

•What exact steps you can take to live a heart healthy life

•The secrets that can make healthy cholesterol achievable

•How to speak to your doctor about cholesterol

•The myths that can affect your health

•What to eat for a healthy heart

You can use this guide as you wish, reading it all in one sitting or reading just the sections you find interesting or most useful.  A helpful glossary at the end of this guide can help you understand the basic terms and can refresh the ideas you will learn as you read the following pages.  The ideas in this guide will help you lower your cholesterol in as little as thirty days.  Use as many of the tips and suggestions as can and apply all the tips and advice that you find useful.  

This guide has especially not been organized to tell you what to do in the first two days, the next week, and so on, because cholesterol is not a step by step process.  Several things may contribute to high cholesterol, and several things can help lower it.  The steps that must be taken also vary with each person.  This guide does not dictate - it simply gives you the tools you need to develop your own 30 day program for a healthy cholesterol level.

Please be advised that while the advice and tips contained here can be very useful, if you feel that you may have high cholesterol, please consult a doctor.  Your doctor can help you in devising a cholesterol lowering plan and can also help you determine which health tips may be most effective for your own particular situation.

So get reading for lower cholesterol and a better heart!


Understanding Cholesterol

In order to understand why it is important to lower cholesterol, it is necessary to first understand what cholesterol is. Cholesterol is a fatlike waxy substance and is produced by the liver. Although cholesterol has purposes and is important to overall health and body function, too much cholesterol in the body has damaging effects.

Cholesterol forms every cell within the body. When the cholesterol level is appropriate, it plays a life-giving role in many functions of the body. When cholesterol is at a good level it works to build and repair cells, produces hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, and produces bile acids which are proven to aid in the digestion of fat.

With too much cholesterol in the body, though, the levels build up and cause damage by clogging your arteries. This puts you at serious risk for disease such as heart and stroke. In fact, the major cause behind heart attacks and strokes is clogged arteries resulting from high levels of cholesterol.

When you eat saturated foods such as dairy, meat and eggs your cholesterol elevates. On the other hand when you eat foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains you can maintain optimal health as they do not contain cholesterol.

High cholesterol can be avoided! With a nutritious diet, the 50% of all adult Americans with high cholesterol can regain their health and lower their risk of disease by 2%. This is done simply from reducing cholesterol by 1%.

Cholesterol can be managed for life with success! It is recommended that you visit your physician on a regular basis to keep a keen eye on your levels. As we progress with “30 days to lower cholesterol” you will learn healthy, alternative ways to manage your cholesterol without having to rely on medications.

The purpose of this guide is to inform, educate and provide healthful options.


Understanding the Types of Cholesterol
 
While most people talk about “cholesterol levels” there is in fact more than one type of cholesterol.  In fact, there are several different body functions and several different substances that make up our understanding of “cholesterol.”

As with some fats, cholesterol cannot be dissolved in the blood.  Instead, molecules called lipoproteins carry cholesterol to and from cells. Molecules are made from an outer layer of protein and an inner core of both cholesterol and triglycerides, which is another form of fat.

Lipoproteins equip the cholesterol to move around the body. The two main types of lipoproteins are:

1) High Density Lipoproteins (HDL.)

    • HDL transports cholesterol from cells back to the liver.

•HDL is either reused or converts to bile acids and disposed. This is known as "good" cholesterol. You want to ensure that your levels of this cholesterol remain high for optimum heart health, since having too low levels of HDL - even when other cholesterol levels are normal - may lead to heart problems.  As you work to lower your “bad cholesterol” it is important to also take steps and to keep your HDL levels normal.

• HDL aids to ensure protection from the risk of heart attack and/or stroke. HDL consists of more protein than triglycerides or cholesterol, and aids to remove LDL from your artery walls.

2)    Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL.)

•LDL carries approximately 60_70% of cholesterol around the body and are known as “bad" cholesterol.

• Studies show conclusively that high cholesterol leads to much higher risk of heart attack and/or stroke. Other factors involved in this risk are age, gender, smoking, family history of heart disease, and diabetes mellitus.

Obviously, when we speak of having “cholesterol levels” we mean more than one number.  To maintain optimum health, you will need to know your levels of both LDL and HDL and will need to work hard to keep both levels in healthy ranges.

 
Understanding the Causes of High Cholesterol

Besides diet, other causes of high cholesterol are lifestyle, gender and the heritage of the individual.

For some, even maintaining cholesterol at the right levels and being fit and thin will still not prevent the development of high levels of bad cholesterol. Due to heart risk factors besides diet, some people require a very aggressive approach which includes cholesterol lowing medication.  We will address this issue as we progress in “30 days to lowering cholesterol.”

Lifestyle issues and high cholesterol:
 •When we opt for convenience in eating over nutrition, we are setting ourselves up for problems. Eating fast foods and convenience foods results in eating too many fats and salts, which can raise our bad cholesterol levels. In addition, a more sedentary lifestyle also contributes to unhealthy levels of cholesterol. If you want to see a graphic representation of this, consider renting the documentary movie “Supersize Me.”  This documentary details the attempts of one man to live on fast foods and little exercise alone.  The results on his cholesterol and body health in just 30 days are truly frightening.

•A visit to a nutritionist or dietician can help us all better understand eating for the right reasons and for optimal health. It is never too late to start on this path.

•Regular exercise will effectively lower cholesterol and will maintain your body strength to function best. Just 20 minutes of aerobic exercise, including walking, each day will lower cholesterol. Exercise does not have to be a large time or money commitment.  Simple activities that get you moving and that you enjoy enough to repeat are almost always adequate.

Diet:
•An important consideration in eating is choosing lower fat.

•Buy cooking oils that are unsaturated. Use low fat cooking sprays to replace heavy oils whenever possible. Reduce your overall use of oils even further by using cooking techniques that require little or no oil.

Age and Gender:
•Cholesterol levels increase with age. Women generally have a lower level than men from age 50 to 55. Once a woman starts menopause, the cholesterol level starts to increase.

• While there is not much that you can do about your age, you can make sure that age does not threaten your heart health by sticking to a healthy lifestyle and diet and by getting your cholesterol levels monitored.

 Heritage:
•Genetics play a key role in a person's health and this includes the amount of cholesterol you might have.

•Find out if your family battles with high levels of cholesterol and then bring this to your doctor’s attention right away. If you have a family history of heart disease and high cholesterol levels, work harder and start earlier in adopting a healthy lifestyle and eating plan.

Your Arteries and Cholesterol
 The job of your arteries is to pump blood. The Dorsal Aorta or the main artery branches out into many smaller arteries. Each body system has arteries which are responsible for providing the oxygen rich blood that keeps us alive.

Too much cholesterol in the blood - especially bad cholesterol - prevents arteries from working their best.  High levels of bad cholesterol may even prevent arteries from functioning at all, since cholesterol can actually lead to blockages in your arteries.  For this reason, it is critical then that we keep arteries free of bad cholesterol for optimal health.

Arteries are constructed of a tough exterior and a soft, smooth interior.  Each artery has three specific layers:
• The outer layer

• The middle (muscular) layer

• The inner layer.

Each are made up of epithelial cells. The middle layer is elastic and very strong. It helps pump the body's blood. The inner layer is smooth and allows the blood to flow easily. As the heart beats, the arteries expand and are filled with blood. The heart relaxes and produces enough force to push the blood through. In a healthy person, this system works effectively and the blood can carry oxygen and other essentials throughout the body.

Disease fills the arteries with fatty deposits and this becomes a dangerous obstacle to good health. High cholesterol levels fill arteries with thick substances that prevent your body from working well. Your heart becomes starved of required blood. If this happens often enough you can suffer a heart attack or a stroke. 

The main cause behind heart disease is this thickening of the fatty deposits in the arteries, and the main reason behind the blocking of arteries is high levels of bad cholesterol.  This means that if you want to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes, you need to keep your cholesterol levels in a healthy range. 

Even having “borderline” cholesterol levels - or bad cholesterol levels that are elevated but not considered “very bad” - can increase your chances of heart disease or stroke.  No matter what your current health, eating a better diet and getting exercise can help keep you healthy.

Consider: Heart disease is one of the leading killers in North America. Lowering your cholesterol levels through a heart-healthy diet and exercise regimen is one of the best ways to prevent heart disease.  Why wouldn’t you want to take the simple steps necessary to lower your cholesterol and enjoy a better and possibly longer life?