Cholesterol and the Heart

When one talks of heart disease, one important cause is cholesterol. It is useful to understand the nature of cholesterol and how it impacts heart disease. Cholesterol is a spongy sticky material. It is a fatty lipid that dissolves in chemical solvents but does not dissolve in water. This helps it attach itself to the walls of the arteries and is a major cause of atherosclerosis, which leads to coronary heart disease.

This lipid is seen in the plasma and tissues of the body. It is produced by the liver which accounts for 80% and the rest are by the reproductive and adrenal glands. Though it is regarded as a unwelcome entity, it has a very important role to play in the body metabolism and helps in maintaining the fluidity of the cell membranes. This fluidity ensures that they are always functional. This important lipid is the main component behind the production of hormones like testosterone and estrogen. Once produced by the liver, it is carried to the different parts of the body in the form of lipoproteins. Hence cholesterol by itself is not something that is a waste and is required by the body.

Bad Cholesterol
They say anything in excess is bad and cholesterol is no exception. When the level becomes high, it can lead to deposits along the walls of the arteries and hardens them. This restricts the free flow of blood and gives rise to vascular and coronary heart conditions.
This kind of cholesterol is the low density lipoprotein or LDL and is the primary factor for growing incidents of heart diseases in the US.
The good news is that this can be corrected and brought to levels that do not cause harm.

Children and Cholesterol
It has been observed that children under the age of 18, inherit a form of cholesterol referred as familial hyperlipidemia which rises to unacceptable levels of over 300. This can cause serious heart problems. The other fact is about children with Type 2 diabetes more prone to high cholesterol levels. Obesity is again one more contributing factor to cholesterol.

Reduce Cholesterol Buildup
The addition of green, leafy vegetables like spinach, broccoli to the diet has been found to decrease cholesterol levels. The component called lutein which is present in these eatables helps control the cholesterol levels.
Omega-3 fatty acids have been found to be effective against LDL and walnuts are a good source of such acids.

How to control Cholesterol

1. While red meat can give you protein, excess protein leads to accumulation of saturated fat which is harmful. It is there fore better to go for fish and lean meat. Fish also contains omega-3 fatty acids which have been found to be beneficial to the heart and blood vessels.
2. Avoid high-fat milk items and opt for cottage cheese or skim milk.
3. You must be careful of the fat that hides in pastries and cookies.
4. Ensure your vegetables are steamed rather than fried and reduce the toppings of butter.
5. The cooking medium needs to be either olive or canola as they contain more monounsaturated fat.
6. Increase the consumption of fruits.