Cholesterol and Heart

Copyright (c) 2006 Alvin Toh

It is important to maintain a healthy cholesterol level
irrespective of your age. Coronary heart disease is the
main cause of death in America. There are several
contributing risk factors to heart disease and cholesterol
is one of them that can be controlled. Not all cholesterol
is bad, so a good understanding and knowledge of the facts
about cholesterol can help you to live a healthier life.

Cholesterol is a fat-like, waxy substance found in the
body's cells and bloodstream. You can get cholesterol in
two ways. Cholesterol is produced by your liver. It is also
found in animal products with high saturated fat such as
meat, seafood, poultry, and dairy products. Processed foods
are another culprit as they contain trans-fatty acids that
can raise cholesterol.

Cholesterol is essential to maintain healthy bodily
functions such as producing bile that aids with digestion,
protecting nerve fibers, building cell membranes, creating
hormones, and synthesis of vitamin D. Too much of it,
however, is not healthy for the body. It can clog our
arteries, thus leading to heart attack or stroke.

There are two types of cholesterol, high density
lipoproteins (HDL) and low density lipoproteins (LDL). HDL
is also called the good cholesterol because it can protect
the heart while LDL is the bad cholesterol because it can
clog arteries. We need these 2 types of cholesterol in our
bodies but in the right balance. The health concern of
cholesterol refers to excessive amount of LDL and
insufficient amount of HDL in the body.

Excessive LDL cholesterol in our bodies builds up in inner
walls of arteries that supply the heart and brain. It forms
a plague that clogs the arteries. A clot that blocks the
blood flow to the heart or brain can cause a heart attack
or stroke.

Why is HDL considered as good cholesterol? It carries the
bad cholesterol, LDL from the arteries to the liver to be
excreted from the body. As high level of HDL protects
against heart disease, you want more of HDL than LDL in
your body.

The link between cholesterol and heart disease has been
established in numerous studies. High cholesterol level is
a main risk for coronary heart disease. Cholesterol can be
managed through a heart-healthy diet, regular exercise,
regular screening, weight control, medications, avoid
smoking and drinking. A healthy diet and lifestyle can
prevent and reduce your risk of developing heart attack,
stroke and other diseases.

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Can cholesterol-lowering drugs do you more harm than good?
There are ways to manage your cholesterol level without
relying on the long-term use of cholesterol-lowering drugs.
Find out how you can do so at
http://www.scienti.info/art-heart