Cholesterol is a normal component of blood plasma and various tissues in the body. We all have it, and it is essential. It consists of a carbon ring structure with one OH group.
Cholesterol is synthesized in the body, and in that way, about two-thirds of the total cholesterol in the body is created. The rest is ingested with food. The liver, adrenal gland, and small intestinal mucosa are responsible for synthesizing cholesterol in the body. Children have a greater need for cholesterol than adults.
Cholesterol is insoluble, and it is excreted from the system mostly through the bile, where it is converted into cholic acids by flaking the skin, and small amounts are released in the urine.
Cholesterol is essential because it is an integral part of the cell and intracellular membranes. Cholesterol also plays an important role in synthesizing bile acids, steroid hormones (adrenaline, estrogen, testosterone) and serves and for vitamin transfer A, D, E, and K.
Elevated blood cholesterol
Cholesterol can have abnormal values for several reasons. These are genetic factors, endocrine gland dysfunction, and poor nutrition.
Cholesterol negatively affects the body when its level in the blood is significantly higher than normal levels and when the condition lasts for a long time. But the problem is that it gives almost no symptoms, so a person doesn’t even know he has high cholesterol. The consequences of high blood cholesterol are certainly atherosclerosis and gallstones.
Atherosclerosis is a disease of blood vessels that can be caused by high cholesterol in the blood and is reflected in the appearance of fatty deposits on the inner walls of blood vessels and the weakening of the same walls. As a result, a blood clot forms, and there is a risk of a heart attack.
Gallstone is also a consequence of high blood cholesterol levels. Namely, cholesterol reaches the bile during the organism’s normal functioning for conversion into other fatty compounds. Still, bile can only transform cholesterol to a limited extent, while unconverted excess is deposited in the form of crystals in the gallbladder. These crystals increase and later form a stone.
“Good” and “bad” cholesterol
LDL is the so-called “bad” cholesterol, and it is the most important carrier of cholesterol in the body (it contains 50% pure cholesterol and another 25% other fats). HDL is “good” cholesterol and contains about 50% protein and only 20% cholesterol. LDL brings cholesterol to the blood vessels and enables the supply of cholesterol to the entire system, but it also causes atherosclerosis and heart disease. HDL carries cholesterol from the blood to the liver, further carried out of the system. Cholesterol has several different forms that differ in density. The most important forms are LDL and HDL.
The value of HDL is significantly affected by diet, and the body functions normally when the amount of HDL is slightly higher than the amount of LDL. Women have higher levels of HDL because its synthesis is aided by estrogen.
Cholesterol and nutrition
It is necessary to enter a certain amount of cholesterol into the diet. Still, people with the impaired cholesterol synthesis value should be cautious and follow the so-called cholesterol diet. Cholesterol is not present in plant-origin foods. While it is a normal factor in animals’ bodies and foods of animal origin, it is present in various quantities. It is mostly found in eggs, whole milk, butter, and other dairy products in the intestines (the brain has a particularly high amount of cholesterol). There is not much cholesterol in meat, but if the daily diet is based on meat, it is a significant factor in cholesterol intake into the system.
Antioxidants from food can reduce the harmful effects of free radicals on blood vessels. You should take fish, beef, beef, veal, the game from the meat. Dairy products include low-fat milk, yogurt, lean cheese, cow’s sour milk, and young cheese. Egg whites do not contain much cholesterol.
It is better than bread and pastries integral, and no more than 2-3 slices a day. It would help if you did not eat rice and bread during the same meal. Oatmeal, buckwheat, barley, or lentils are recommended.
Eat lots of fruits and vegetables daily. Mushrooms that strongly affect regulation cholesterol is shiitake. We still recommend and reishi, and especially Cordyceps Sinensis.
Sweets are best avoided, but you can include those used by diabetics in the diet.
Cholesterol should be mentioned as preventative smoking cessation, adequate diet, physical activity, vitamins, moderate alcohol consumption.
Where cholesterol occurs
The three main places you don’t want deposits to be found are the water pipes in your home, the engine in your car, and your arteries. The former will block the flow of water from your sink, the latter will reduce your mobility, while the latter will endanger your life. To protect your arteries from clogging or clean them if they are already in trouble, you will need to reduce the cholesterol level in your blood. But not every cholesterol is harmful. Cholesterol low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is bad; lipoprotein cholesterol High Density (HDL) is beneficial as it helps to remove LDL from the blood. There are often changes in diet and lifestyle sufficient to restore cholesterol levels in a normal relationship.
Eliminate “bad” fats from your diet
Eliminate as much saturated fat as possible from your diet. This means switching to meat with less fatty parts of the animal and dairy products with a lower fat content, such as butter, milk, ice cream, cheese, and yogurt. Eliminate processed meat and pork pate from your diet.
Run your head regardless of palm and coconut oil, which has a very high saturated fat content. These so-called tropical oils are found in many processed foods, especially in biscuits and biscuits.
Another type of fat, called trans-fatty acids, should be avoided as much as possible. They are obtained when vegetable oils are hydrogenated to give solid spreads, such as margarine. They have the same effect as saturated fats. Many biscuits, biscuits, and snacks bought in stores – and even bread – Are full of these fats. Look for the word “hydrogenated” in the list of ingredients to find them.
Eat more fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. This is the easiest way to feel a full stomach when you reduce your intake of meat and other fatty foods. Also, they contain many fibers, vitamins, and antioxidants that reduce cholesterol levels in the blood and are good for your heart.
If you like red meat, try venison. Game meat has only a fraction of the fat found in many types of beef sold in supermarkets. It actually contains as little fat as most fish. Marinate the venison to make it tender.
Eat more good fats
Numerous studies show that olive oil lowers the level of LDL_a and raises the level of HDL_a in the body. One study found that people who consumed about two tablespoons of olive oil a day had their LDL levels reduced within just a week. Use it to prepare bread with garlic and salad dressings instead of margarine or other oils.
Enjoy the stone fruit. It is full of healthy unsaturated fats, including omega 3 fatty acids. Walnuts and almonds seem to be especially good at lowering LDL levels. Eat a little less than a full sake of this fruit a day and watch your level drop cholesterol. But nuts contain many calories, so try to eat them instead of other snacks, not together with them.
Eat one avocado a day, and your level may decrease cholesterol by as much as 17%. Like stone fruit, it contains large amounts of fat (and by itself team and calories), but mostly not saturated type.
Eat peanuts and butter. Yes, peanut butter. It can contain many calories, but most of the fat it contains is unsaturated. Buy some “natural” peanut butter that does not contain hydrogenated oils.
Fish omega-3 fatty acids
Fish is much more than a meat substitute. It contains omega-3 fatty acids, which lower LDL levels of cholesterol. Make it a goal to eat fish three times a week – even if it’s going to be canned sardines or sardines. The best stakes are fresh mackerel, tuna, salmon, and fish contain large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Interestingly, tuna, which is canned, loses almost all of its useful oils, while sardines and most other canned fish retain them.
If you really don’t like fish, take fish oil supplements for everyday use containing both EPA and DHA (two types of omega-3 fatty acids). Take 1000 mg twice a day.
Cook dishes with onions – especially with the red variety of this onion. Onions are rich in sulfur compounds that raise HDL levels and contain an antioxidant known as quercetin, which fights LDL cholesterol. The red color of red onions comes from other beneficial antioxidants known as flavonoids.
Flaxseed is an excellent source of omega-3 fats and soluble fiber. Grind this seed and add it to yogurt or cereal for breakfast. One study found that ingesting two tablespoons of ground flaxseed a day lowered cholesterol levels by 18%. Health food stores sell flaxseed and flaxseed oil, but it is better to take the seeds to reduce cholesterol. If you buy whole grain, grind it before you eat it because otherwise, the digestive system will pass through you without any reason.
Take your oats
Oatmeal is a rich source of soluble fiber, which forms a gel-like mass in the intestines, which reduces the amount of fat that your body absorbs. Consuming one bowl of oatmeal a day has a noticeable effect on lowering cholesterol levels. Choose oats that cook quickly or traditional ones rather than instant cereals for warm oatmeal.
Other excellent soluble fiber sources are prunes, barley, blue tomatoes, and asparagus.
Add soluble fiber in the form of psyllium seeds (ispaghula) to your diet. It is sold in health food stores and pharmacies. One tablespoon of crushed psyllium seeds has the same value as a zinnia cereal with a high bran content. Add it to any dish or juice. You can also ask your pharmacist for a psyllium-based laxative that is usually labeled “natural” or “herbal.” Studies have shown that the daily intake of about 10g of psyllium seeds for 8 weeks can lower cholesterol levels by up to 7%.
Provide cholesterol draining
Freshly squeezed or orange juice from a tetrapack can improve your body’s cholesterol balance. Participants in a recent study who drank three glasses of juice a day for one month had a 21% higher HDL_a level and a 16% lower ratio of bad to good cholesterol. (LDL_a to HDL).
Niacin: should or shouldn’t it?
In high doses of B vitamins, niacin can lower cholesterol. But do not take it unless your doctor recommends a precise dose and monitors your health while taking it. Niacin has the effect of lowering LDL cholesterol while at the same time increasing HDL levels cholesterol – and therefore reminiscent of prescription drugs. Still, the amount needed to reap the fruits of this action of niacin is very great, and when you take its overdoses, you risk the appearance of many side effects. Some people get unpleasant heart attacks, and there is even a risk of liver damage. Therefore, it is not wise to take niacin supplements without consulting a doctor.
Why not drink wine?
No matter what type you drink, alcohol raises the level of “Good” HDL cholesterol. “Moderate” means one unit per day for women and 2 units per day. If you drink more than that, the harm will far outweigh any benefit. Red wine offers additional benefits in the form of powerful antioxidants derived from shrimp grapes’ pigment. (One unit of alcohol is a tavern measure of strong drinks, i.e., one small glass of wine or ¼ liter of beer standard strengths).
Get involved in sports life
Design your walking shoes and walk briskly for 30 minutes a day. Instead, you could visit a gym or walk the treadmill for 30 minutes. Or go swimming or running before and after work. The benefits of regular exercise are undeniable. Research shows that physical activity will reduce your overall risk of heart and stroke disease. And regular exercise also helps control diabetes and high blood pressure, both of which are independent risk factors for heart disease.
Garlic and ginger
Take your daily dose of garlic – either fresh garlic or garlic tablets. Garlic contains a substance called allicin, which is thought to be responsible for its action in lowering cholesterol. If you opt for garlic supplements, look for essentially coated products to prevent the appearance of the “Smell of garlic.” Supplements should provide a total allicin strength of 4000 µg per tablet.
Take ginger capsules four times a day. The usual dose is 100 to 200 mg. Research indicates that the substances in ginger help reduce the absorption and increase the excretion of LDL cholesterol.
