WAYS TO IMPROVE CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

1.Decrease all oils and cooking mediums that solidify, such as vanaspati, ghee, oil or butter in your diet.

2.Eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables they reduce the effects of  harmful cholesterol on the blood vessels.

3.If you are a non-vegetarian, try to take more of fish. Eat lean meats. Eat chicken without the skin. They should not be fried. Meat should be consumed only in small quantities and less frequently (prefer fish to fowl and fowl to flesh).

4.Eat 20-40 gms of unsalted, nonfried nuts or fruit seeds everyday.Restrict all forms of refined sugars.Restrict refined flours preparations, for example, biscuits, breads, naans, kulchas, cakes, pastries, mathris, other confectionaries, vegetable patty available in market.

5.Avoid tobacco. If you consume tobacco or smoke it then give it up.Work towards an ideal body weight. 

WHAT IS LDL AND HDL CHOLESTEROL?

Cholesterol is an integral part of each cell in the body. It is a waxy substance made naturally in the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly and it can make all it needs from some fats in the diet.

Cholesterol may cause problems if your body makes too much or if you consume too much in your food. The extra cholesterol can deposit in the arteries and lead to blocked arteries. If an artery that supplies blood to your heart gets blocked, a heart attack occurs. If an artery that supplies blood to your brain gets blocked, a paralytic stroke occurs. Higher the cholesterol, greater is the risk of heart disease and stroke.

Not all cholesterol is harmful. There is a "bad" kind and a "good" kind. The "bad" kind is called LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol, and the "good" kind is called HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol. The bad cholesterol tends to block the arteries, but the good kind helps to clean up this bad cholesterol inside the arteries.

BENEFITS OF CHOLESTEROL

Cholesterol is a type of sterol which is usually found in the body tissues. It`s one of the most important compound required by the body that`s why liver makes a good amount of it each day. According to reports of American Heart Association, liver makes around 1000mg cholesterol on a daily basis. Despite the fact that it`s quite important to the body, cholesterol can put heart at risk if the amount is increased even a bit more than the natural requirement. 

Our liver packs cholesterol into lipoproteins that are a blend of lipid fats and proteins. The lipoproteins are used for transportation of cholesterol through the bloodstream to various cells. Not only cholesterol, lipoproteins also carry around fat soluble vitamins, other lipids including triglycerides and many other substances through the bloodstreams to the tissues that require these substances. 

Cholesterol is responsible for the formation and maintenance of cell walls and structures. It is also used by nerve cell for insulation as well as needed by the cells to assist them in adjusting as per the changes in the temperature. Moreover, it is an integral compound that`s used for synthesizing plenty of critical hormones, specifically the sex hormones, progesterone, testosterone and estrogen. 

Cholesterol is also essentially required by the liver to complete the formation of bile juice which is crucial for the digestion of fats. The daily dose of vitamin D is essential for the body and body can`t get vitamin D in the absence of cholesterol. While we stand in the sun, our body converts cholesterol into vitamin D. 

Our brain has more cholesterol than any other body part – approximately 25% of the total cholesterol in our body is found in our brain. Research has shown that brain can`t absorb cholesterol from blood, hence, produces its own cholesterol. In brain, cholesterol protects the cells while lying in myelin sheaths. Moreover, it also assists in making sure that the electrical pulses are occurred within the brain. The cholesterol formed by food consumption builds up plaque within the arteries which is damaging for the brain as it prevents blood flow. 
 
cholesterol is an oily compound and doesn`t mix with blood because of it`s water based nature. Extensive amount of cholesterol in the blood negatively impacts the body as it starts to build up on the inner walls of the blood vessels. When too much cholesterol is sticks inside the vessels, the blood doesn`t flow smoothly which leads to strokes and cardiac diseases. 

TIPS TO REDUCE THE LDL CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

LDL Cholesterol or bad cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease. Fortunately, unlike other risk factors, you may be able to lower or reduce your LDL cholesterol levels if they are already high. In healthy range, LDL cholesterol levels should be under 160 mg/ dL. If your LDL cholesterol levels are higher than that, then you are in high LDL levels and should reduce it to prevent the risk of heart disease and other complications.

There are many cholesterol medications are available on the market to reduce LDL cholesterol, your health care specialist may use therapeutic lifestyle changes (TLC) to see the levels of your LDL before treatment is required. So, whether you want to prevent your LDL cholesterol from increasing or reduce your LDL cholesterol, these methods have been proven to help:

1.Weight Loss and Healthy Diet

Having a high body mass index (BMI) not only puts you at a risk for heart disease and other health problems, it also can be associated with high LDL levels. Research has shown that losing even few pounds (5% to 10%) can help lower LDL levels. 

Although studies have shown that losing weight can helps reduce LDL cholesterol, eating a healthy diet is also helpful. Foods that are low in saturated fat and high in soluble fiber have been proven to be helpful in reducing LDL cholesterol levels.

The combination of weight loss and healthy diet may contribute to 20% reduction in LDL levels.

2.Exercise

Exercise is not only good for losing weight, but it also help lower your cholesterol levels especially the “bad” cholesterol. Aerobic exercises, like running jogging, biking, and swimming, seem to benefit most by lowering cholesterol about 5% to 10%. Another form of exercise, like walking, yoga and weight training, also has been shown to reduce cholesterol levels. However, these forms of exercise has not extensively as aerobic exercise.

3.Quit Smoking 

Smoking cessation not only has a great impact on the level of HDL or “good” cholesterol, it may also slightly lower the LDL cholesterol levels. Smoking is associated with high cholesterol levels and the formation of harmful oxidized LDL cholesterol is called LDL. Oxidized LDL is a form of LDL that contributes to atherosclerosis. Several studies have shown that quitting smoking can lower LDL cholesterol levels to around 5%. Research also shown that cholesterol levels and oxidized forms of LDL, will be reduced as soon as you quit smoking.

4.Drinks Alcohol in Moderation

Although moderate consumption of alcohol was significantly raise levels of HDL cholesterol, it also can lower LDL cholesterol by around 4 to 8 percent. Moderate consumption means one drink a day for women, and two drinks per day for men. The study also showed that drinking more than three alcoholic drinks a day can really improve your chances of getting heart disease.