Not every person monitors the level of cholesterol in their blood. Some do not even know that cholesterol is bad and good. Only those who once already faced the unpleasant consequences of its increase in blood begin to monitor the level of this substance.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance. It is impossible to say unequivocally that this is poison for the body, because it is part of the cell membranes in the human body. Moreover, the body itself produces a large part of it, and the remaining amount enters the bloodstream through food.
For a long time, all fighters for a healthy lifestyle sat on low cholesterol diets, and then their health condition deteriorated sharply. So is low cholesterol good or bad? Doctors answer unambiguously that cholesterol is important and necessary for a person. Only an overabundance is harmful to the body. A large amount of the substance contributes to the occurrence of atherosclerosis and forms plaques that are hazardous to health. They can cause strokes, heart attacks, and brain diseases.
What is cholesterol
It must first be noted that there is bad and good cholesterol. Bad blood cholesterol forms plaques, the negative effect of which has already been analyzed above. Good is a very dense substance. It has a positive effect on human health and cleanses the body of bad cholesterol.
When taking blood for an appropriate check, the doctor in the laboratory first of all looks at the atherogenicity indicator. This is when good, bad cholesterol is present in the blood, and their ratio is found out. If it is established that the anterogenicity was impaired and lagging behind the norm, then the doctor puts the patient a predisposition to the development of atherosclerosis.
Ideally, if the patient monitors his health and monitors the correct ratio of bad and good cholesterol in the blood. But, unfortunately, not everyone does this.
Who is prone to cholesterol problems?
It is no secret that there is a certain group of people that is more prone to the development of atherosclerosis. Cholesterol is bad and good, or rather its abnormal ratio, negatively affects human health. This is especially true for people with a lot of weight.
Also, people with a predisposition to this disease can suffer from high cholesterol. These are men over 40 years old and women who have already had menopause. Also, the appearance of cholesterol plaques mainly worries those people who lead a sedentary lifestyle, smoke or often drink large quantities of alcohol.
Doctors strongly recommend that all people who fall into this risk group undergo annual blood tests for anterogenicity. It is also worth especially monitoring the level of cholesterol for those men and women who have already managed to suffer diseases of the cardiovascular system.
The benefits of cholesterol
In addition to the fact that cholesterol is the building material of the body’s cells, bile acids can be produced in humans with its help . Only due to bile acids does the digestive process occur correctly and without failures.
In addition, cholesterol, when its amount is normal, contributes to the production of female and male sex hormones. Moreover, without it, the normal amount of hormones would be in question.
Also, with the help of cholesterol, the body produces an energy reserve. This reserve has a positive effect on many biological mechanisms within humans.
Therefore, cholesterol, good and bad, is a necessary substance that must be present in the body. In no case can it be ignored, as it is not recommended to specifically lower the level of cholesterol in the blood.
Norm of cholesterol in the blood
So, what was cholesterol above was analyzed, and a risk group was defined. Now you need to understand when good and bad cholesterol are in the right ratio. The norm, according to generally accepted concepts, is set at the level of:
- total cholesterol - 5 mmol / l;
- bad at the same time should not exceed the mark of 3 mmol / l;
- good should be at least 1.5 mmol / l.
By the way, bad cholesterol is also important for the human body, and it is not necessary to exclude products with its content from the diet. This substance has a positive effect on the state of the immune system of the human body. Without it, a person will often get sick, and immunity will not cope even with the simplest bacteria.
What foods contain bad and good cholesterol
A person who decided to take up his health immediately raises the question of how to increase good cholesterol and lower bad?
In fact, the level of this substance is easier to lower than to increase. In order for good cholesterol to be normal, and its concentration in the blood does not fall, it is necessary to regularly use sea fish, nuts, fruits (especially apples). They also increase good cholesterol and olives, as well as soy. A person can supplement his diet with other products, for example, containing fiber and pectin. They purify the body from excess of bad cholesterol.
To lower bad cholesterol, nutritionists recommend that the following foods be excluded from your diet or used with caution:
- brain;
- egg yolk;
- chicken eggs;
- kidneys
- liver;
- oily fish;
- fatty dairy products.
Of course, they are all useful for the body, but if you abuse them, the cholesterol will increase and, first of all, bad.
Unsaturated Fatty Acids Against Cholesterol Plaques
Nutritionists strongly recommend consuming unsaturated fatty acids to those people who have discovered that they have deviated from the norm, good and bad cholesterol. What it is? These are acids that are found in large quantities in foods with high calorie content, but of plant origin.
A huge amount of unsaturated fatty acids is found in almonds, peanuts, oranges and mustard oil. It is these products that perfectly contribute to lowering cholesterol, as well as disperse already formed plaques.
However, you must remember that everywhere you need a measure. Almost all of these products have a huge calorie content. With increased use, you can earn obesity.
How to lower cholesterol
People whose analysis showed very high cholesterol need to know how to lower it. Of course, the doctor will make adjustments to the diet, but you can also help yourself.
In order to drastically reduce cholesterol, it is important to reduce the amount of animal food consumed, as well as increase the proportion of plant products in your diet. You need to eat more fruits containing fiber (citrus fruits and apples).
It is also necessary to introduce into your life and sports. This does not have to be active training. A light walk or jog is enough. By the way, cardio workouts also help strengthen blood vessels and heart muscle.
If, after three months, the cholesterol level remains high, then a person needs to see a doctor and ask him to figure out the reason. Most likely, the doctor will prescribe medications to the patient.
After that, it is necessary to control cholesterol once a year. To do this, it is enough to take a blood test for atherogenicity.