Cholesterol Levels In The Body

Cholesterol is a natural substance made by the body. Most of the Cholesterol in our blood stream (75%) is produced by the Liver and (25%) from foods we eat. It is well known that elevated Blood cholesterol levels are not good for health, but the right levels play a vital role in maintaining cell membrane and synthesizing hormones.
Usually high Cholesterol does not produce any symptoms and one may not know that Cholesterol is high. Too much Cholesterol can build up in arteries, causing Artherosclerosis or hardening of the arteries. This restricts blood flow through the arteries and can lead to serious medical problems such as Heart attack or Stroke. It is recommended that all adults above the age of 20 years should get their Cholesterol levels checked every four to six years. It is done with a Blood test that measures three things.
1. High Density Cholesterol (HDL) - Good cholesterol
    HDL is considered good because it works up to keep LDL (Bad cholesterol) from building up in
    arteries. The higher the HDL the better. HDL levels of 60 mg/dl and higher can help reduce risk
    of heart disease. Conversely, HDL levels of 40 mg/dl and lower are considered a high risk factor
   for developing heart disease.     
2. Low Density Cholesterol (LDL) - Bad Cholesterol - Tends to deposit on the walls of the arteries
    White blood cells combine with LDL Cholesterol, forming artery - narrowing plaque, which
    restricts blood flow. The optimal level of LDL Cholesterol for most people is 100 mg/dl or lower.
    If  having heart disease, one may need to survive of 70 mg/dl or lower.    
3. Triglycerides - A type of fat found in the blood. Levels of Triglycerides are 150 mg/dl and lower.       Levels higher than that can increase risk of heart disease and metabolic syndrome which is also a
    factor for heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Its risk factors are - Obesity, Diabetes, smoking,
   Alcohol, Inactivity/ lack of exercise.

To calculate Cholesterol ratio, Divide total cholesterol number by HDL score. For example, if total
cholesterol score is 200 and HDL is 40, then 5 to 1 is worked out. The lower the ratio, lower risk
risk of heart disease. The optimal ratio is 3.5 to 1.
High Cholesterol foods are - Saturated fats and trans fats such as oils, fatty meals, full fat dairy products, egg yoks and many fast foods.
Diets high in Fiber can reduce LDL "Bad Cholesterol" and also may help in weight loss. Foods high
in fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains beans and legumes. Several nutritional supplements
are also beneficial in improving cholesterol levels.  




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