About 17 million people have died around the world because of cardiovascular diseases. Cholesterol is now being equated as strips of fat or oily substances and it has earned a very nasty public image because of how television presents it to the masses. But strangely enough, cholesterol plays a vital role in every day life.
There are two types of cholesterol streaming inside our veins: low-density lipoprotein and high-density lipoprotein. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is produced by the liver and carries cholesterol through out the body for biochemical processes like hormone production. High density lipoproteins basically sweep the body from excess cholesterol and bring it to the liver for excretion. With the help of a Cholesterol Levels Chart, you can assess how much of the two you have in your body by undergoing a simple blood test.
If you get a cholesterol reading lower than 200mg/dl, then it’s safe to say that you are not at risk for heart disease. But as the number increases, the risk in developing heart disease and stroke also increases. In the LDL cholesterol levels chart, a normal reading should be less than 130mg/dl and any higher would put you at risk for heart disease and stroke. However, a reading of 60mg/dl and up means good news in the HDL cholesterol levels charts as this is a good indicator on how effectively your bodies get rid of excess cholesterol. These charts are a valuable tool in determining your health status and can be used as a guide for treatment if necessary and also preventive measures.
As mentioned before, LDL is bad cholesterol if you have high levels of the stuff. Although it is important in the body, too much can be dangerous because this can lead to clogged arteries. Diet primarily plays a role in this. Foods rich of the stuff are meat most especially in beef and pork; processed foods like ice cream and canned goods have nasty quantities of LDL and other chemicals too. Butter should also be taken in small amounts although margarine is not much of a good substitute because it’s riddled with chemicals. Simply put, limiting fat intake is very important in having normal LDL levels.
What we need is a good amount of good cholesterol to combat excess LDL. So consuming foods rich in Niacin like eggs, omega-3-fatty acids and also monounsaturated fats help increase the levels of HDL circulating in the body.
Combined with exercise, lifestyle changes like avoidance of smoking and a healthy diet, you can achieve a sense of yin and yang of your cholesterol in your body and achieve bodily and arterial zen.
About 17 million people have died around the world because of cardiovascular diseases. Cholesterol is now being equated as strips of fat or oily substances and it has earned a very nasty public image because of how television presents it to the masses. But strangely enough, cholesterol plays a vital role in every day life.