What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy fatty substance that is found in most cells in the body. Cholesterol is produced by your liver and can be gotten outside of the body from foods from animal products.

Not all cholesterol is bad for your health. Cholesterol is important for your body to build healthy cells. Like most things, when cholesterol is high, it becomes bad.

There are two types of cholesterol. Cholesterol is moved in your blood by proteins. These proteins and cholesterol together are called lipoproteins.

1. Bad cholesterol which are the low-density lipoproteins (LDL). These proteins carry excess cholesterol all over the body and they deposit the cholesterol on the walls of the blood vessels making them very hard and narrow and increasing the risk of heart disease.

2. Good cholesterol which are the high-density lipoproteins (HDL). These proteins carry excess cholesterol from the blood to your liver.

HOW DOES HIGH CHOLESTEROL DEVELOP?

If you have less HDL, then excess cholesterol would remain in the blood and block the blood vessels like the arteries. Having more LDL would lead to more cholesterol in the blood.

The body cannot use a lot of fat. Eating too much fat would lead to some not being used and they remain in the blood which causes fatty deposits in the blood vessels.

High cholesterol is genetic. Some medicines used to treat certain conditions can cause high cholesterol. There are also medical conditions that can cause a person to have unhealthy cholesterol levels such as:

• Diabetes

• Chronic kidney disease

• HIV/AIDS

• Hypothyroidism

• Lupus

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HOW CAN YOU INCREASE YOUR HDL AND LOWER YOUR LDL?

You have to focus on the things that you can control which include:

1. Exercise- This is the best way to improve your cholesterol levels. Increase your physical activity every day. Take opportunities to work out between 20-30 minutes daily. Exercising would also help in weight loss.

2. Eat meals containing good fats. Remember there are heart-healthy fats and there are bad fats. Heart-healthy fats are Omega 3 fatty acids which are found in fish oil, walnuts, and flaxseeds. These fats do not increase LDL (bad cholesterol). Decrease your consumption of red meat and dairy products. They contain saturated fats which can increase your LDL. Check labels of foods for trans fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils. If you see these, do not buy them. Trans fats increase cholesterol levels.

3. Whey protein supplement. Studies have shown that when whey protein is taken as a supplement, it lowers LDL (bad cholesterol).

4. Quit Smoking. The changes that come from quitting smoking happen immediately. In 20 minutes, your heart rate recovers from the spike caused by the cigarettes. In 3 months, your heart and lung function would have improved. In one year, your risk of developing heart disease will be 50% less than that of a smoker.

5. Drink alcohol in moderation. Red wine contains phenols that are healthy for the heart. One glass per day is recommended to help increase HDL (good cholesterol). It is preferred if you do not take alcohol at all.

6. If lifestyle changes are not enough, the doctor might recommend medications. Lifestyle changes help to reduce the dose of medicines.

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