Cholesterol - Good and Bad
CHOLESTEROL is a soft, waxy and fat-like substance in the body which is essential.
Our body needs cholesterol to manufacture sex hormones, digestive juices, Vitamin D, nerve endings and brain cells in children. All animals, including human beings, need cholesterol to survive.
Animal fats are the only sources of cholesterol. Vegetables do not have any cholesterol. Milk and milk products, poultry, egg, fish, mutton and other sources of animal meats provide cholesterol.
Liver is the biggest source of cholesterol in the human body. It manufactures about 2000 mgm of cholesterol daily. This amount is enough for us.
A vegetarian eats about 200-400 mg cholesterol daily through milk and milk products like cheese and ghee while a non-vegetarian consumes 400-600 mg daily. The lesser one eats such things the better it is for the body.
As per the latest guidelines of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Cholesterol in Adults (ATP III) constituting the National Cholesterol Education Programme, the normal values are:
Total cholesterol — less than 200 mg;
LDL cholesterol — less than 100 mg;
HDL cholesterol — more than 40 mg;
Triglycerides — less than 150 mg.
The amount of cholesterol that is not burnt by the body starts getting deposited in the cells and causes fat deposition in various parts, mostly the abdominal area. Cholesterol deposition in blood vessels can cause narrowing of blood vessels and their blockage. This can result in a heart attack, brain stroke and paralysis.
Cholesterol does not mix with blood as oil and water do not mix; so it is transported through the blood attached to a special type of protein, the lipoprotein, which is done in liver. There are two types of cholesterol:Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL carries and deposits cholesterol in the blood vessels that can lead to the clogging of the vessels (to heart and brain) and so it is called "bad cholesterol".
HDL carries cholesterol away from the blood vessels to the liver for its breakdown, destruction and excretion, thus removing it away from the blood stream and so is known as "good cholesterol" as it cleanses the body. We want the bad cholesterol levels to be low while wanting the good cholesterol levels to be high.
Triglycerides are fats devoid of any cholesterol. The stored fats of both plants in oil seeds and nuts and animals in depot fats are triglycerides. Triglycerides and cholesterol together constitute the total lipids.
Ways to reduce triglycerides: reduce total fat intake; take less white sugar, sweets, soft drinks; reduce alcohol intake; exercise regularly to burn triglycerides; increase the consumption of foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids which are found in fish, wheat, bajra, soyabeans, pulses and legumes, fenugreek (methi) green leafy vegetables and mustard oil.
And do all this: reduce the intake of saturated fats like butter, ghee, coconut oil, reduce foods having high cholesterol like eggs, meat; reduce whole milk and milk products; decrease the intake of nuts like cashew; nuts, pistachio (pista); avoid sweets, white sugar, chocolates, pastries, sweet soft drinks, tea and coffee; and reduce intake of tobacco; eat plenty of fibre-rich foods. Fruits and vegetables like apples, onion, garlic, soyabeans, amla and banana are known to reduce LDL cholesterol levels; avoid sedentary life and do regular exercises to burn the excess cholesterol in the body; keep blood pressure and blood sugar under check; regular exercises raise the level of good cholesterol; reduce total fat intake. People with high triglyceride levels have lower HDL; reduce the intake of trans-fatty acids like vanaspati "ghee" and margarine as they reduce HDL; reduce the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing oils like coconut, palm oils, ghee etc; certain foods like onions, apples, bananas, garlic, soluble fibre, isabgol and red wine raise HDL levels.
Useful tips: Watch your weight-the more overweight you are, the more cholesterol your body produces; bring your weight down; cut down on fats, especially saturated fats like ghee, butter and cheese; olive oil is good and certain foods like almonds and peanut oil are high in monosaturated oils which may lower blood cholesterol; consume fewer eggs; egg yolk is rich in cholesterol(4 eggs per week are the maximum allowed by doctors to keep cholesterol in control); eat more beans and legumes as they contain a water soluble fiber, pectin, that throws out cholesterol from the body; eat more fruit; fruits also contain pectin in plenty and grapefruit especially is beneficial in this regard; tea is good for lowering cholesterol; spirulina, brass, barley, rice bran and activated charcoal also combat high cholesterol; corn bran and garlic are very helpful in lowering cholesterol; nutritional supplements like vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium and niacin in B group of vitamins lower cholesterol; carrots can lower cholesterol due to pectin in them; fish that contain Omega-3 amino acids lower cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. Try two six-ounce servings of fish a week; chocolate, apple and red wine raise good cholesterol; onion and garlic are good for lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol.
Nuts like almonds (badam) lower LDL (bad) cholesterol; skimmed milk should be drunk in plenty; exercise can decrease the buildup of blockage of cholesterol inside the arteries and raise the level of HDL, the good cholesterol; don't smoke; relax and exercise.
Our body needs cholesterol to manufacture sex hormones, digestive juices, Vitamin D, nerve endings and brain cells in children. All animals, including human beings, need cholesterol to survive.
Animal fats are the only sources of cholesterol. Vegetables do not have any cholesterol. Milk and milk products, poultry, egg, fish, mutton and other sources of animal meats provide cholesterol.
Liver is the biggest source of cholesterol in the human body. It manufactures about 2000 mgm of cholesterol daily. This amount is enough for us.
A vegetarian eats about 200-400 mg cholesterol daily through milk and milk products like cheese and ghee while a non-vegetarian consumes 400-600 mg daily. The lesser one eats such things the better it is for the body.
As per the latest guidelines of the Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Cholesterol in Adults (ATP III) constituting the National Cholesterol Education Programme, the normal values are:
Total cholesterol — less than 200 mg;
LDL cholesterol — less than 100 mg;
HDL cholesterol — more than 40 mg;
Triglycerides — less than 150 mg.
The amount of cholesterol that is not burnt by the body starts getting deposited in the cells and causes fat deposition in various parts, mostly the abdominal area. Cholesterol deposition in blood vessels can cause narrowing of blood vessels and their blockage. This can result in a heart attack, brain stroke and paralysis.
Cholesterol does not mix with blood as oil and water do not mix; so it is transported through the blood attached to a special type of protein, the lipoprotein, which is done in liver. There are two types of cholesterol:Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). LDL carries and deposits cholesterol in the blood vessels that can lead to the clogging of the vessels (to heart and brain) and so it is called "bad cholesterol".
HDL carries cholesterol away from the blood vessels to the liver for its breakdown, destruction and excretion, thus removing it away from the blood stream and so is known as "good cholesterol" as it cleanses the body. We want the bad cholesterol levels to be low while wanting the good cholesterol levels to be high.
Triglycerides are fats devoid of any cholesterol. The stored fats of both plants in oil seeds and nuts and animals in depot fats are triglycerides. Triglycerides and cholesterol together constitute the total lipids.
Ways to reduce triglycerides: reduce total fat intake; take less white sugar, sweets, soft drinks; reduce alcohol intake; exercise regularly to burn triglycerides; increase the consumption of foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids which are found in fish, wheat, bajra, soyabeans, pulses and legumes, fenugreek (methi) green leafy vegetables and mustard oil.
And do all this: reduce the intake of saturated fats like butter, ghee, coconut oil, reduce foods having high cholesterol like eggs, meat; reduce whole milk and milk products; decrease the intake of nuts like cashew; nuts, pistachio (pista); avoid sweets, white sugar, chocolates, pastries, sweet soft drinks, tea and coffee; and reduce intake of tobacco; eat plenty of fibre-rich foods. Fruits and vegetables like apples, onion, garlic, soyabeans, amla and banana are known to reduce LDL cholesterol levels; avoid sedentary life and do regular exercises to burn the excess cholesterol in the body; keep blood pressure and blood sugar under check; regular exercises raise the level of good cholesterol; reduce total fat intake. People with high triglyceride levels have lower HDL; reduce the intake of trans-fatty acids like vanaspati "ghee" and margarine as they reduce HDL; reduce the intake of polyunsaturated fatty acid-containing oils like coconut, palm oils, ghee etc; certain foods like onions, apples, bananas, garlic, soluble fibre, isabgol and red wine raise HDL levels.
Useful tips: Watch your weight-the more overweight you are, the more cholesterol your body produces; bring your weight down; cut down on fats, especially saturated fats like ghee, butter and cheese; olive oil is good and certain foods like almonds and peanut oil are high in monosaturated oils which may lower blood cholesterol; consume fewer eggs; egg yolk is rich in cholesterol(4 eggs per week are the maximum allowed by doctors to keep cholesterol in control); eat more beans and legumes as they contain a water soluble fiber, pectin, that throws out cholesterol from the body; eat more fruit; fruits also contain pectin in plenty and grapefruit especially is beneficial in this regard; tea is good for lowering cholesterol; spirulina, brass, barley, rice bran and activated charcoal also combat high cholesterol; corn bran and garlic are very helpful in lowering cholesterol; nutritional supplements like vitamin C, vitamin E, calcium and niacin in B group of vitamins lower cholesterol; carrots can lower cholesterol due to pectin in them; fish that contain Omega-3 amino acids lower cholesterol and increase good cholesterol. Try two six-ounce servings of fish a week; chocolate, apple and red wine raise good cholesterol; onion and garlic are good for lowering bad cholesterol and increasing good cholesterol.
Nuts like almonds (badam) lower LDL (bad) cholesterol; skimmed milk should be drunk in plenty; exercise can decrease the buildup of blockage of cholesterol inside the arteries and raise the level of HDL, the good cholesterol; don't smoke; relax and exercise.
Dr V.M. Kaul
For Ayurveda, Ayurvedic Medicines and high quality Herbal Supplements visit www.ayurvediccure.com
posted by Health Blog @ 5:01 AM
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