CHOLESTEROL

 

 

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a chemical compound that is naturally produced by the body and is a combination of lipid (fat) and steroid. Cholesterol is a building block for cell membranes and for hormones like estrogen and testosterone. About 80% of the body's cholesterol is produced by the liver, while the rest comes from our diet. . Dietary cholesterol comes mainly from meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products. Organ meats, such as liver, are especially high in cholesterol content, while foods of plant origin contain no cholesterol. After a meal, dietary cholesterol is absorbed from the intestine and stored in the liver. The liver is able to regulate cholesterol levels in the blood stream and can secrete cholesterol if it is needed by the body.

What are LDL and HDL cholesterol?

LDL cholesterol is called "bad" cholesterol, because elevated levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. LDL lipoprotein deposits cholesterol on the artery walls, causing the formation of a hard, thick substance called cholesterol plaque. Over time, cholesterol plaque causes thickening of the artery walls and narrowing of the arteries, a process called atherosclerosis.

HDL cholesterol is called the "good cholesterol" because HDL cholesterol particles prevent atherosclerosis by extracting cholesterol from the artery walls and disposing of them through the liver. Thus, high levels of LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol (high LDL/HDL ratios) are risk factors for atherosclerosis, while low levels of LDL cholesterol and high level of HDL cholesterol (low LDL/HDL ratios) are desirable.


Total cholesterol is the sum of LDL (low density) cholesterol, HDL (high density) cholesterol, VLDL (very low density) cholesterol, and IDL (intermediate density) cholesterol.

What determines the level of LDL cholesterol in the blood?

The liver manufactures and secretes LDL cholesterol into the blood. It also removes LDL cholesterol from the blood by active LDL receptors on the surface of its cells. A decrease number of liver cell LDL receptors is associated with high LDL cholesterol blood levels.
Both heredity and diet have a significant influence on a person's LDL, HDL and total cholesterol levels. For example, familial hypercholesterolemia  is a common inherited disorder whose victims have a diminished number or nonexistent LDL receptors on the surface of liver cells. People with this disorder also tend to develop atherosclerosis and heart attacks during early adulthood.
Diets that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol raise the levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood. Fats are classified as saturated or unsaturated (according to their chemical structure). Saturated fats are derived primarily from meat and dairy products and can raise blood cholesterol levels. Some vegetable oils made from coconut, palm, and cocoa are also high in saturated fats.

Does lowering LDL cholesterol prevent heart attacks and strokes?

Lowering LDL cholesterol is currently one of the primary public health initiatives preventing atherosclerosis and heart attacks. The benefits of lowering LDL cholesterol include:

• reducing or stopping the formation of new cholesterol plaques on the artery walls;
• reducing existing cholesterol plaques on the artery walls and widening the arteries;
• preventing the rupture of cholesterol plaques, which initiates blood clot formation and blocks blood vessels;
• decreasing the risk of heart attacks; and
• decreasing the risk of strokes.

The same measures that decrease narrowing in coronary arteries also may benefit the carotid and cerebral arteries (arteries that deliver blood to the brain).

How can LDL cholesterol levels be lowered?

Therapeutic lifestyle changes to lower cholesterol



Therapeutic lifestyle changes to lower LDL cholesterol involves losing excess weight, exercising regularly, and following a diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Medications to lower cholesterol

Medications are prescribed when lifestyle changes cannot reduce the LDL cholesterol to desired levels. The most effective and widely used medications to lower LDL cholesterol are called statins. Most of the large controlled trials that demonstrated the heart attack and stroke prevention benefits of lowering LDL cholesterol used one of the statins. Other medications used in lowering LDL cholesterol and in altering cholesterol profiles include nicotinic acid (niacin), fibrates such as gemfibrozil (Lopid), resins such as cholestyramine (Questran), and ezetimibe, Zetia.

(PLEASE READ ARTICLE -"STATINS"



What are "normal" cholesterol blood levels?

There are no established “normal” blood levels for total and LDL cholesterol. In most other blood tests in medicine, normal ranges can be set by taking measurements from large number of healthy subjects. The normal ranges of TOTAL,LDL,HDL CHOLESTEROL AND TRIGLYCERIDES are given below;

Why is HDL the good cholesterol?

HDL is the good cholesterol because it protects the arteries from the atherosclerosis process. HDL cholesterol extracts cholesterol particles from the artery walls and transports them to the liver to be disposed through the bile. It also interferes with the accumulation of LDL cholesterol particles in the artery walls.
The risk of atherosclerosis and heart attacks is strongly related to HDL cholesterol levels. Low levels of HDL cholesterol are linked to a higher risk, whereas high HDL cholesterol levels are associated with a lower risk.
Very low and very high HDL cholesterol levels can run in families. Families with low HDL cholesterol levels have a higher incidence of heart attacks than the general population, while families with high HDL cholesterol levels tend to live longer with a lower frequency of heart attacks.
Like LDL cholesterol, life style factors and other conditions influence HDL cholesterol levels. HDL cholesterol levels tend to be lower in persons who smoke cigarettes, are overweight and inactive, and in people with type II diabetes mellitus.
HDL cholesterol is higher in people who are lean, exercise regularly, and do not smoke cigarettes. Estrogen increases a person's HDL cholesterol, which explains why women generally have higher HDL levels than men do.
For individuals with low HDL cholesterol levels, a high total or LDL cholesterol blood level further increases the incidence of atherosclerosis and heart attacks. Therefore, the combination of high levels of total and LDL cholesterol with low levels of HDL cholesterol is undesirable whereas the combination of low levels of total and LDL cholesterol and high levels of HDL cholesterol is favorable.



What are LDL/HDL and total/HDL ratios?



The total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio (total chol/HDL) is a number that is helpful in estimating the risk of developing atherosclerosis. The number is obtained by dividing total cholesterol by HDL cholesterol. (High ratios indicate a higher risk of heart attacks, whereas low ratios indicate a lower risk).
High total cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol increases the ratio and is undesirable. Conversely, high HDL cholesterol and low total cholesterol lowers the ratio and is desirable. An average ratio would be about 4.5. Ideally, one should strive for ratios of 2 or 3 (less than 4).



What are the treatment guidelines for low HDL cholesterol?



In clinical trials involving lowering LDL cholesterol, scientists also studied the effect of HDL cholesterol on atherosclerosis and heart attack rates. They found that even small increases in HDL cholesterol could reduce the frequency of heart attacks. For each 1 mg/dl increase in HDL cholesterol, there is a 2% to 4% reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease. Although there are no formal target treatment levels of HDL cholesterol, an HDL level of <40 mg/dl is considered undesirable and measures should be taken to increase it.



How can levels of HDL cholesterol be raised?



The first step in increasing HDL cholesterol levels (and decreasing LDL/HDL ratios) is therapeutic life style changes. When these modifications are insufficient, medications are used. In prescribing medications or medication combinations, doctors have to take into account medication side effects as well as the presence or absence of other abnormalities in cholesterol profiles.
Regular aerobic exercise, loss of excess weight (fat), and cessation of smoking cigarettes will increase HDL cholesterol levels. Regular alcohol consumption (such as one drink a day) will also raise HDL cholesterol. Because of other adverse health consequences of excessive alcohol consumption, alcohol is not recommended as a standard treatment for low HDL cholesterol.
Medications that are effective in increasing HDL cholesterol include nicotinic acid (niacin), gemfibrozil (Lopid), estrogen, and to a much lesser extent, the statin drugs. A newer medicine, fenofibrate (Tricor) has shown much promise in selectively increasing HDL levels.

What are triglycerides and VLDL?

Triglyceride is a fatty substance that is composed of three fatty acids. Like cholesterol, triglyceride in the blood either comes from the diet or the liver. Also, like cholesterol, triglyceride cannot dissolve and circulate in the blood without combining with a lipoprotein.
The liver removes triglyceride from the blood, and it synthesizes and packages triglyceride into VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein) particles and releases them back into the blood circulation.



Do high triglyceride levels cause atherosclerosis?



Whether elevated triglyceride levels in the blood lead to atherosclerosis and heart attacks is controversial. While abnormally high triglyceride levels may be a risk factor for atherosclerosis, it is difficult to conclusively prove that elevated triglyceride by itself can cause atherosclerosis. Elevated triglyceride levels are often associated with other conditions that increase the risk of atherosclerosis, including obesity, low levels of HDL- cholesterol, insulin resistance and poorly controlled diabetes mellitus, and small, dense LDL cholesterol particles.



What are the causes of elevated triglyceride levels?



High triglyceride levels may be genetic or they may be acquired. Examples of inherited hypertriglyceridemia in blood disorders include mixed hypertriglyceridemia, familial hypertriglyceridemia, and familial dysbetalipoproteinemia.
Hypertriglyceridemia can often be caused by non-genetic factors such as obesity, excessive alcohol intake, diabetes mellitus, kidney disease, and estrogen- containing medications such as birth control pills.



How can elevated blood triglyceride levels be treated?



Diet is the first step in treating hypertriglyceridemia. A low fat diet, regular aerobic exercise, loss of excess weight, reduction of alcohol consumption, and stopping cigarette smoking may be enough to control triglyceride levels in the blood. In patients with diabetes mellitus, meticulous control of elevated blood glucose is also important.
When medications are necessary, fibrates (such as Lopid), nicotinic acid, and statin medications can be used. Lopid not only decreases triglyceride levels but also increases HDL cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol particle size. Nicotinic acid lowers triglyceride levels, increases HDL cholesterol levels and the size of LDL cholesterol particles.
The statin drugs have been found effective in decreasing triglyceride as well as LDL cholesterol levels and, to a lesser extent, in elevating HDL cholesterol levels.

What medications are available to lower cholesterol, lipids, and triglycerides?

Lipid altering medications are used in lowering blood levels of undesirable lipids such as LDL cholesterol and triglycerides and increasing blood levels of desirable lipids such as HDL cholesterol. Several classes of medications are available, including HMG CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), nicotinic acid, fibric acid derivatives, and medications that decrease intestinal cholesterol absorption (bile acid sequestrants and cholesterol absorption inhibitors). Some of these medications are primarily useful in lowering LDL cholesterol, others in lowering triglycerides, and some in elevating HDL cholesterol. Medications also can be combined to more aggressively lower LDL, as well as in lowering LDL and increasing HDL at the same timend reducing serum triglycerides.

PLEASE READ ARTICLE-"STATINS"

Some Valuable Points:

Learning how to lower cholesterol naturally is becoming a very hot topic, as high cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, which is a leading cause of death in the the world.

Sometimes, we might wonder why heart disease has become something of an epidemic, and it is because of unhealthy lifestyles and poor diet.

Our grandparents and great grandparents grew up on a diet of organic fruit and vegetables, free from artificial flavours and preservatives.
The majority of them lived to a ripe old age and this was due in great part to the diet they followed. They relied on nature to provide all that they needed. Even the methods they used to prepare and cook the food ensured that they got the true benefits of all the nutrients contained in the foods they consumed.

Today it is more difficult to maintain healthy cholesterol levels as we live in a world of convenience, surrounded by fast food restaurants, hot dog stands, burger bars, sweets, chocolates, donuts, and cakes.
These foods are full of saturated fat and trans fat, which will cause your LDL cholesterol levels to soar, which could lead to your having a heart attack or a stroke. This is why you need to know how to lower cholesterol naturally.

Following a cholesterol lowering diet is one of the most effective ways to learn how to lower cholesterol naturally.

Choose foods that are high in soluble fibre, such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables as well as fish that is high in Omega 3. This will help to lower LDL cholesterol levels (bad) while increasing HDL levels (good).

Keep an eye on your total fat and saturated fat content. You need to keep them to a minimum so reduce the amount of foods you eat that are high in saturated fat, trans fat and total fat.

Exercise is essential when you are learning how to lower cholesterol naturally. The secret to success with exercise is to choose something you know you will enjoy doing because then you have a much better chance of keeping it up.

Regular exercise for a minimum of 5 days a week and 30 minutes each day will increase HDL cholesterol levels while lowering LDL, not to mention that fact that it will improve your energy levels.

Natural cholesterol supplements should be added to your cholesterol regimen as they can provide your body with essential natural nutrients that you cannot get in sufficient quantities from your daily diet.

These nutrients can lower LDL cholesterol and triglycerides while increasing HDL, which is why they are preferred over taking prescription cholesterol medication like statins.

NATURAL FOOD TIPS FOR CHOLESTEROL LOWERING

Fiber can be obtained through fiber supplements or through foods such as whole grains and vegetables. It is thought that fiber binds to cholesterol in the small intestine and preventing cholesterol absorption into the bloodstream.

Garlic has been widely studies for its cholesterol-lowering properties.

Grape Seed Extract has been noted to reduce total cholesterol serum levels.

Royal Jelly has been seen to lower cholesterol levels by reducing some of the cholesterol-elevating effects of nicotine.

Soy has been shown to reduce total cholesterol levels

Vitamin C has been noted to slightly reduce cholesterol levels

Chromium has been seen to reduce LDL levels and increase HDL levels.

Coenzyme Q10 has been noted to reduce total cholesterol serum levels

B Vitamins, besides niacin, decrease the rate at which LDL is damaged through oxidation.


Research has shown that consuming policosanol, a nutrient found in raw sugar cane and beeswax, significantly decreases LDL cholesterol levels, increases HDL levels and lowers total triglycerides, without raising blood sugar levels.

Lecithin oil is high in nutrients.  It helps to raise HDL levels and inhibits the absorption of cholesterol from foods.  Two of the nutrients found in lecithin help to cleanse the liver, so that it can function more effectively, removing more fats from the bloodstream.

Pumpkin seed oil contains nutrients we refer to as essential fatty acids.  They are also used by the body to create hormones.  Consuming the essential, polyunsaturated fatty acids may help to reduce the amount of cholesterol produced by the liver.  The oil has also been shown to enhance the cholesterol-lowering ability of policosanol and other nutrients. 

D-limonene is a nutrient found in orange peel oil.  It has been used to successfully dissolve gallstones, which are composed of cholesterol.  It reduces blood cholesterol levels, additionally.

Phytosterols, which are compounds found in plants that are similar in structure to cholesterol, have been shown to decrease cholesterol absorption in the gut by competing for absorption.  Beta-sitosterol, for example, has been shown to inhibit cholesterol absorption by about 50% and lower blood cholesterol levels.
Additional benefits of beta-sitosterol for men include a reduced risk of enlarged prostate; for everyone, there is a reduced risk of gallstones and possibly several types of cancer.

Several nutrients found in brown rice bran are beneficial for imbalanced cholesterol.  The antioxidants selenium, theaflavin and tea catechins help, too.

There are many natural cholesterol-reduction supplements on the market.Some of them contain one or two of the ingredients highlighted above.