Is cholesterol good or bad for us, in excessive amounts the cholesterol (a fat waxy like substance) you have in your blood can lead to blocked arteries causing heart attack or stroke. Too much cholesterol in your blood builds up in the walls of your arteries, over a period of time a buildup of this fat waxy like substance will cause hardening of the arteries whereupon the arteries become blocked and the blood supply to the heart slows down. Your blood also carries oxygen to the heart, if inadequate blood and oxygen does not reach this vital organ chest pain may be experienced and when the supply is completely cut of you will experience a heart attack.
Knowing what your cholesterol levels are can go a long way in helping you to modify or correct any imbalances in your diet which have led to excessive amount of cholesterol in your blood. Cholesterol levels are measured in milligrams (mg) of cholesterol per deciliter of blood. HDL which is good cholesterol protects your against heart disease, a high HDL reading a good, a level less than 40mg/dL is low and can be considered a risk factor as it increases your risk of developing heart disease. HDL levels of 60 mg/dL or more help to lower your risk for heart disease.
Types of Cholesterol:
- LDL (low density lipo-protein)
- HDL (High density lip-protein)
- Tryglycerides – another form of fat in your blood)
Total Cholesterol levels
- Desirable levels – Less than 200 mg/dL
- Borderline High – 200-239 mg/dL
- High – 240 mg/dL and above
LDL Cholesterol levels (bad cholesterol)
- Optimal – Less than 100 mg/dL
- Near optimal or above optimal – 100 – 129 mg/dL
- Borderline high – 130 – 159 mg/dL
- High – 160 – 189 mg/dL
- Very High – 190 mg/dL and above
HDL Cholesterol levels (good cholesterol)
High-density lipoproteins. These lipoproteins are often referred to as HDL, or “good,” cholesterol and act as cholesterol scavengers, reducing excess cholesterol in your blood and taking it back to your liver where it’s broken down. The higher your HDL level, the more likely you will have less bad cholesterol in your blood.
CHOLESTEROL NOT ALL BAD
Some people become paranoid about their cholesterol levels and go to extremes to keep their cholesterol levels as low as possible, this isn’t a good thing either, don’t forget all of our sex hormones and steroid hormones which help us cope with inflammation, injury and stress are derived from cholesterol. We need adequate amounts of bad cholesterol (LDL) for the production of progesterone and DHEA. Research by many scientists has shown that low cholesterol, particularly LDL (bad cholesterol) is strongly associated with death from cancer and shortened lifespan in older people.
Before you go on cholesterol lowering medications educate yourself. Statins (cholesterol lowering) drugs work by blocking an important enzyme the body uses to make cholesterol, just because a drug is being marketed by the pharmaceutical companies as safe and effective doesn’t necessarily mean it is safe for you, it is vital that you, before commencing a prescribed medication do as much research as possible on the drug before commencing. Pharmaceutical companies are not infallible and we are very often the guinea pigs.
What can I do about my cholesterol?
- Be mindful of what you consume, check labels for foods that contain excessive amounts of cholesterol, after a while you will know what type of foods arr bad for you and checking food labels will cease to be so important
- Exercise is important, try to get adequate amounts of exercise on a daily basis
- Find ways to deal with stress in a healthy way
High cholesterol is not always brought about by what you eat, it could be hereditary, I myself am a vegetarian and consider that I am quite careful with my diet, yet I have borderline high cholesterol (LDP), one doctor did say to me that he had never seen someone with such a high good cholesterol (HDL) and stated that this would probably offset the bad cholesterol and according to the Mayo clinic studies this seems to be the case. I am not stressing about the high cholesterol, it may be hereditary and besides I need adequate amounts of both types of cholesterol.
Before You Start Taking, Or If You Are Taking Lipitor, Crestor, Zocor, Mevacor, Provachol, Altocor, Lesacol… or any other statin medication – STOP!!
You Need To Read Dr. Lundell’s Alarming Bulletin Immediately, Because…
Dropping Your Cholesterol Levels Will NOT Lower!
Your Risk Of Heart Disease, Attack, Or Strokes!
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Good cholesterol About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as ?good? cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL) also increase the risk of heart disease. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it’s passed from the body. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup.
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