Archive for February, 2009

The Top 5 Foods That Must Be In Your Diet To Lower Cholesterol

Saturday, February 14th, 2009

Bringing your cholesterol numbers down to a healthy level will protect your heart and help keep you off prescription medicines. Eat the following foods to maximize the benefit of your daily eating plan. Oatmeal and oat bran, walnuts and almonds, fish and omega-3 fatty acids, olive oil and foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols are the top five food choices. Consider these five foods for lowering cholesterol as a critical part of your efforts to reduce cholesterol.

Fish

In your low cholesterol, doctors recommend eating seafood at least twice a week. Omega-3 fatty acids are beneficial for cholesterol-lowering and it reduces blood pressure and the risk of blood clots. Herring, mackerel, lake trout, tuna , sardines, and salmon contain highest concentration of omega-3 fatty acids. Baking or grilling fish is the healthiest way to maintain its heart benefits. If you do not like fish, omega-3 fatty acids are contained in ground flaxseed or canola oil which can be included as replacements for fish in your cholesterol lowering diet. You can eat lean meat or vegetables instead of fish because you will not get all the nutrients of fish in oil.

Oatmeal and Oat Bran

In your cholesterol lowering diet you must include soluble fiber because it reduces the breakdown of cholesterol in your intestines. Soluble fiber is a powerful ingredient found in oatmeal and other foods for lowering cholesterol like kidney beans, apples, pears, barley and prunes. Including just 10 grams of soluble fiber in your daily menu can lower dangerous LDL cholesterol levels. Adding fruit makes it better.

Olive Oil

Adding olive oil to your diet to lower cholesterol is very beneficial for the circulatory systemheart. Olive oil makes an excellent substitute for butter whether you are cooking meat, frying vegetables, making marinade or creating a salad dressing by mixing it with vinegar. Extra-virgin olive oil is since it contains heart-healthy antioxidants.

Nuts

Walnuts have been proven to reduce cholesterol levels when added to any cholesterol lowering diet. Since walnuts are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids, blood vessels remain healthy and elastic. Almonds are another excellent source of polyunsaturated fats that protect your circulatory system. Of course, thes types of nuts are very high in calories, so don’t eat large quantities on a regular basis. You do not want to gain weight and so exchange the saturated fat with nuts in your salad instead of cheese, meat or croutons.

Foods Containing Plant Sterols

Sterols are compounds in plants that tend to minimize the absorption of cholesterol molecules in the digestive tract. Add margarines, orange juice and yogurt drinks fortified with plant sterols to your diet to lower cholesterol. Just 2 grams daily are helpful in reducing your cholesterol numbers.

Lastly, when you change your cholesterol lowering diet, you must cut down on fatty foods which harm your body. These foods are a simple and effective way to control your cholesterol and become a healthier person.

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Information About Cholesterol, risk of heart disease tips

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), approximately 100 million. Americans-that’s about one-third of the entire population-have a total cholesterol level of more than 200, a level that increases the risk of heart disease.

Those at greatest risk are the 41 million Americans whose cholesterol is higher than 240. We all need some of this soft, waxy substance found among the fatty substances (lipids) in our body. It is a key ingredient in the formation of body tissues and cell membranes and a component in several hormones. The right kind of cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein, or HDL), actually helps protect from heart disease because it removes excess cholesterol from the blood vessels and other tissues and carries it back to the liver.

However, a high level of total cholesterol, or abnormal levels in the different types of cholesterol, can be a major risk factor for diseases of the heart and circulation. Excessive low-density lipoprotein (LOL), the so-called “bad” cholesterol, is an undisputed major risk factor when it rises above 100 milligrams per deciliter of blood. Triglyceride, another form of fat that comes from food and is also made by your body, may also increase your risk of heart disease and often occur along with high total cholesterol.Cholesterol, risk of heart disease

Over time, high blood cholesterol (LDL and triglycerides) can build up in your blood vessels, leading to the formation of plaque. This often occurs without symptoms over many years. Disturbance of plaque may abruptly lead to development of a clot in a blood vessel, causing a heart attack or a stroke. Low HOL cholesterol (less than 40 for a man or 50 for a woman) is also a major risk factor. Lowering cholesterol prevents heart disease.

High cholesterol can be a major risk factor for diseases of the heart and circulation problems. The right kind of cholesterol actually helps protect from heart disease because it removes excess cholesterol from the blood vessels and other tissues.Cholesterol, risk of heart disease find

Mangosteen juice will help fight the cholesterol battle. It’s also likely that certain plants have more cardio-protective and cholesterol regulating properties than others, and one of the top contenders is the fruit mangosteen. Scientists from Australia and Thailand postulated that if mangosteen inhibits oxidation (free radical) damage, then perhaps it could help reduce the oxidation of LDL in the blood. After comparing a number of other xanthones; the researchers found that xanthones from mangos teen were effective inhibitors of LDL oxidation-and suggested they possess therapeutic potential in treating
heart disease. While these experiments were performed in vitro (on a glass plate), other studies in animals add further credence to the concept that xanthones have a beneficial effect on cholesterol levels.

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Plaque and the Effect on Your Arteries

Monday, February 2nd, 2009

The hardening of the arteries, also known as Atherosclerosis is the process by which arteries become narrowed with cholesterol deposits known as plaques. Recent studies have shown that the cells in the the tissues that line the inner surfaces of the coronary arteries(enddothelium) will malfunction when exposed to high blood pressure, high levels ofcholesterol or insulin, smoking, and chronic stress. Under the influence of one or more of these factors, the endothelial cells release harmful chemicals that create a sticky surface. This sticky surface, attract other cells that accelerate a process leading toAtherosclerosis. This process involves several different types of cells in the vessel walls and may take years to develop. It is called plaque. This plaque is actually a type of living tissue, not a mineral-like deposit. I t needs blood to support its cells just as any tissue does. This blood is provided by a series of tiny blood vessels that extend themselves from the original arterial wall into the new growth. When this plaque does not get enough blood and nutrients, it dies and is replaced with actual bone tissue in a process called coronary calcification.
Sometimes a plaque grows so swiftly that the blood vessels are unable to form quickly enough, to supply the plaque’s cells with oxygen and nutrients. This leads to the development of dead plaque. As the plaque continues to grow, it presses against the cap that covers it .Plaques spring small leaks and blood clotting factors in the blood come to the rescue, sealing off these breaks. This temporarily keeps dead material from escaping into the artery’s main channel. Unfortunately the sealant produced by the blood-clotting factors is converted into additional plaque over time, which increases the size of the original plaque. This increases the amount of obstruction inside the artery and makes it more difficult for adequate amounts of blood to reach the heart muscle. However, a blockage by itself is not the cause of a heart attack.
Heart Disease usually starts when a plaque blocking only 30 to 40 percent of the blood flow ruptures and the interior escapes. The fatty substances in this decayed material combine with clotting factors in the blood to form a dangerous clot. This clot may remain at the point of rupture or it may travel down an artery until it hits another plaque or area of obstruction .It then lodges in this new location blocking more than 70 percent and sometimes as much as 90 percent of the blood flow. In recent years doctors have been giving medication to dissolve this clot in the hours after a heart attack with good results.
Only 10 to 20 percent of the plaque in our bodies have a high probability of rupturing, but they are still dangerous because they are unstable. Such plaque account for 80 to 90 percent of all serious heart problems, including heart attacks and chest pain due to inadequate blood flow, which is called angina.
Although cholesterol levels in the blood stream can be reduced in a matter of days or weeks, the effects of lower cholesterol levels on the vessel wall function may require up to six months.
The blood itself can also promote the process of atherosclerosis by thickening. Increases in blood thickness called viscosity, and elevated levels of a clotting protein called fibrinogen have been reported in patients with high cholesterol levels. The use of cholesterol lowering supplements or drugs has been associated with reductions in both blood viscosity and fibrinogen levels. Aspirin, a drug derived from the willow tree reduces the stickiness which causes plaque. The natural remedies for a healthy heart, concentrate on improving endothelial cell function. This improved function creates a healthier heart by widening the blood vessels and reducing the chance that a sudden blockage would occur should a plaque burst. The heart is an extraordinary organ, but it cannot be expected to adapt to overwhelming amounts of damage.