Hey there, viewers!
Whenever we talk about heart health, cholesterol is usually mentioned.
A lot of people think cholesterol is bad for you.
Is this true?
Well, yes and no.
It’s a fairly complex topic.
While high cholesterol can lead to health problems, it’s a certain type you need to
watch out for.
In today’s video, we’ll be discussing cholesterol in detail.
What is it?
Should you be afraid of it?
What kind of cholesterol is the bad kind?
How do you increase good cholesterol and lower the bad?
Can you lower cholesterol levels through your diet?
We’ll be talking about all of these AND more...
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is one of the words you hear when talking about health, especially when it comes
to the heart.
You’ve probably been told that high cholesterol is bad for your heart, and you need to bring
down the levels.
Well it’s a little more complicated than that.
Technically speaking, cholesterol is a kind of lipid.
This is a substance that is fat-like and is produced naturally by your liver.
Cholesterol is actually a very important substance, as it helps create cell membranes, vitamin
D and several important hormones.
Cholesterol is supposed to circulate in your bloodstream.
But since it does not dissolve in water, cholesterol cannot travel on its own.
To help with that, your liver also produces something called lipoproteins.
These are a combination of fat and protein.
There are two major types: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).
The health issues related to cholesterol are caused by LDL cholesterol, or “bad cholesterol”
as it’s referred to.
When you’re told your cholesterol levels are high, the doctor is referring to LDL cholesterol.
If your blood has too much LDL cholesterol, it can lead to heart attacks and strokes.
Considering there are no symptoms to diagnose high cholesterol, it’s necessary that you
get regular check-ups done.
Do you get your cholesterol checked often?
What results did you get last time?
What are you doing to improve your cholesterol?
Sound off in the comment section, and start a conversation with our Bestie community...
LDL cholesterol, or “bad cholesterol” LDL’s mainly responsible for carrying cholesterol
to your arteries.
When there’s too much LDL, it could end up forming cholesterol walls around your arteries.
This is known as cholesterol plaque.
What this plaque does is make your arteries more narrow.
This in turn means there’s less blood flow, and increases the chances of blood clots.
The danger of a blood clot is it can block your heart’s artery, or even the brain itself.
This leads to a heart attack or stroke.
It’s said that a third of American adults have high levels of LDL cholesterol.
It’s imperative that you get your cholesterol levels checked so you’re not falling into
this category.
HDL cholesterol, or “good cholesterol” The main advantage of HDL cholesterol is that
it acts to remove the harmful effects of LDL.
HDL can either return LDL cholesterol back to the liver, or get rid of it from your body
completely.
This way, HDL cholesterol makes sure there’s no formation of cholesterol plaque, resulting
in less chances of blood clots, heart attacks or strokes.
That’s a relief, right?
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Getting your cholesterol levels checked According to experts, everyone over 20 years
of age should check their cholesterol levels once every four to six years.
As you grow older, the frequency of check-ups needs to increase as well.
If you have a history of high cholesterol, your doctor might suggest more frequent check-ups.
The way your doctor checks cholesterol is by using a lipid panel.
This measures the levels of LDL and HDL in your blood.
The total cholesterol value you get is a combination of both the LDL and HDL types in your bloodstream.
When your LDL cholesterol is too high, or your total cholesterol is at a higher-than-normal
level, your doctor will diagnose you with high cholesterol.
In the case of high total cholesterol, it’s important to take the proper measures.
This is on the chance you have very high LDL, and very low HDL.
Causes of high cholesterol One of the obvious reasons for high cholesterol
is eating foods that have high cholesterol content.
If you're constantly eating saturated and trans fats, your chances of high cholesterol
go up.
Other factors involve lifestyle choices.
If you’re an active smoker, you increase the chances of high cholesterol in your blood.
If you’re constantly sitting on your butt, doing no physical activity, that can also
be one of the reasons.
Another aspect that can affect your cholesterol levels is your genetic makeup.
If your mom or dad suffered from high cholesterol, chances are you’ll have the same problem.
Some genes have an instruction manual that tells your body how to process cholesterol
and fats.
One of the rare cases related to genetics and cholesterol is…
You ready?
Familial hypercholesterolemia (hyper-cholesterol-emia).
Phew!
This particular disorder doesn’t allow your body to get rid of the LDL.
According to research, those with this genetic disorder display total cholesterol levels
of more than 300 mg/dL (milligrams per decilitre), and LDL levels of over 200 mg/dL.
For reference, high cholesterol is diagnosed when you have total cholesterol above 200
mg/dL, and LDL levels of over 130 mg/DL.
High cholesterol can also be acting as the collateral effect of other health conditions
you have, such as diabetes and hypothyroidism.
Before we move ahead, here’s another video you might want to watch.
Your body’s immunity also plays an important role in boosting your health.
Watch and learn about 7 natural ways to boost your immunity.
Now back to our discussion on cholesterol.
Risk factors for high cholesterol There are certain risk factors you need to
check up on to make sure you don’t fall into the high cholesterol category.
For instance, if you’re overweight or obese, the chances are very likely you also have
high cholesterol.
Similarly, people who don’t exercise, or eat healthy are very much at risk of high
cholesterol.
An unhealthy lifestyle will cause your LDL to skyrocket.
So try your best to switch up your daily routine.
Lowering cholesterol through diet There are a few dietary changes you can do
to lower your cholesterol.
Eating foods such as chicken, fish and legumes can be helpful.
These are all lean sources of protein.
Your diet should always include lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains.
These foods are rich in fiber, which can help bring down cholesterol.
You must also skip out on fried food.
Sorry, fast food lovers.
Instead, eat baked, broiled or steamed.
It goes without saying that fast food and junk food are complete no-no’s.
Some foods are particularly high in cholesterol and bad fats.
These include red meat, organ meats, egg yolks and high-fat dairy products.
If you’re always eating processed foods made with cocoa butter, palm oil or coconut
oil, you’re raising your cholesterol levels without even knowing it.
Deep fried foods such as fried chicken, potato chips and onion rings should be avoided.
Cookies and muffins can also be a bit of a problem when it comes to controlling your
cholesterol.
Fish is particularly helpful when reducing your cholesterol.
This is thanks to its omega-3 fatty acids, which bring down your LDL.
If you’re not keen on seafood, there are other options like walnuts, almonds and avocados,
which are rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Eating them will also help reduce your LDL levels.
Your cholesterol levels are directly linked to your heart health, particularly heart attacks.
But there are other things you need to know if you want to prevent heart attacks.
For instance, your body gives off tiny little signs months before an actual heart attack
strikes.
There are plenty of foods you can eat to prevent one.
Let’s have a look at a couple more videos, shall we?
Check out 8 Signs Your Body Gives You A Month Before A Heart Attack.
You can also try our video on Foods That Clean Your Arteries & Can Prevent A Heart Attack.
Go ahead, click one.
Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to avoid a heart attack.
Are you trying to bring your cholesterol levels down?
Let us know in the comments below!