A healthy amount of cholesterol is needed by the body for its normal functioning. While cholesterol per se doesn’t cause heart problems, excess amounts of cholesterol leads to fatal conditions like blockage of arteries, stroke, heart failure etc.
Everything in our body as a medium in which it moves around and the vehicle for cholesterol is protein. When cholesterol goes on the ride with proteins, it comes to be known as a lipoprotein.
And like every story there is good and bad and inside our body, they are called as LDL and HDL. LDL (low-density lipoprotein) is the bad guy who is responsible for carrying fat from the liver to all the cells, stuffing them up with fat. Whereas HDL, (high-density lipoprotein) is the good guy responsible for bringing back the fat left by LDL.
You get the equation now, LDL deposits fat from liver to all the cells and HDL cleans up its mess, bringing it back to the liver. This leaves you to understand that you should have more of HDL and less of LDL.
Now that you know the ill effects of excess cholesterol, know what causes it to spike up.
Causes of Cholesterol
- Unhealthy diet: Eating foods which contain saturated fats and cholesterol causes it to build up.
- Family history: If there is close relative in your family with a history of cholesterol, then it is likely that the same can be passed onto you.
- The levels of cholesterol increase with age and usually men have a higher chance of having high cholesterol levels than women.
- Exercising regularly helps weight management and thereby decreases the LDL levels and increases the HDL levels.
- Smoking damages the walls of arteries and reduces the “good cholesterol”.
- Excessive use of alcohol is responsible for cholesterol build-up.
- Certain diseases such as diabetes, kidney disease, PCOS, thyroid problems etc. can also bring about variations.
- Use of certain medications such as birth control pills and anti-depressants cannot be overlooked.
After knowing the causes of high cholesterol, it comes naturally to know what can help reduce it. Know what can decreases “bad cholesterol”:-
- Nuts such as almonds, peanuts, walnuts etc decrease the cholesterol levels. Lentils should be covered in the diet.
- Use soya based products such as soya milk, soy nuts, and tofu or soya yogurt.
- Healthy oils such as olive oil and rapeseed oil used twice a day decrease the amount of LDL levels. Sunflower, sesame, mustard and soybean oil can also be used.
- Have a high fiber diet. Oats, barley and foods which are rich in fiber remove cholesterol. Red yeast rice is very effective in reducing cholesterol.
- Consuming oily fish regularly helps decrease LDL amounts. Also de-skin chicken before consuming it and give up organ meats such as liver.
- Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fruits such as apples, grapes, strawberries and citrus fruits are rich in a fiber which lowers cholesterol. Okra and brinjal are two vegetables which are particularly low in cholesterol.
- Fat free milk and cheese low in fat can be used.
- At all times, strictly avoid fatty, deep fried and greasy foods, foods made with or having ghee, butter, cream and mayonnaise.
Don’t let your heart tell you it is sick!
