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Terpe
26th February 2012, 15:14
Managing Cholesterol (http://www.lifescript.com/special/managing_your_high_cholesterol/11_ways_to_lower_cholesterol.aspx?utm_source=outbrain&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=Cholesterol_Manage)


High cholesterol is one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease. Yet many adults – 50%, according to a 2007 Baylor College study – don’t take the proper steps to lower cholesterol.

1. Supplement smartly

Many doctors and patients say natural supplements help lower cholesterol and improve overall heart health.

Here are three supplements that show promise in lowering high cholesterol to achieve a healthy heart.

Artichoke leaf extract: In a 2008 study with 75 volunteers, University of Redding (England) researchers found that artichoke leaf extract reduced “bad” cholesterol, or low-density lipoproteins (LDL).

Participants were given 1,280 milligrams of the extract each day for 12 weeks and lowered their cholesterol an average of 18%.

Red yeast rice: While red yeast rice has been used for more than 1,000 years in China, it has received mixed reviews in the United States and isn’t approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

A 1999 UCLA study showed that 2.4 grams a day of red yeast rice helped lower harmful LDL cholesterol by 29% and triglycerides by 37% while increasing “good” cholesterol, or high-density lipoproteins (HDL), by 20%.

That finding was backed by a recent 2009 study by two Philadelphia cardiologists published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Green tea: Green tea effectively lowers LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, as well as increases HDL cholesterol, according to a 2008 study by the University of Florida, Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

The researchers recommend drinking 2-3 cups of green tea each day or taking 100-750 mg each day of green tea extract.

2. Eat heart-healthy
If you have high cholesterol, change your diet and make sure it includes plenty of foods that lower cholesterol.

“I advise patients to cut out refined sugar, white breads and starches, and to consume fewer animal proteins,” Lobe says.

Meal plans like the low-fat DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), a National Institutes of Health program that features lots of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, poultry and low-fat dairy, are low in calories, saturated fat and cholesterol.

Going meatless may help too, according a landmark 1999 Oxford Vegetarian Study that found vegetarians tended to have lower LDL cholesterol levels.

3. Fill up on fiber
Eat plenty of soluble fiber – found in oats, barley, prunes and beans, among other foods.

Or take supplements like Metamucil.

Fiber binds with cholesterol in the intestinal tract and moves it out of your body.

When your diet lacks fiber, up to 94% of the cholesterol is reabsorbed and recycled in your body, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).

“Try to get 25-30 grams of fiber each day,” says Joan Briller, M.D., director of the Heart Disease in Women program at the University of Chicago

4. Raise a glass to red
A daily glass of red wine or grape juice can boost levels of HDL and reduce LDL, thanks to saponins, beneficial compounds in red grapes, according to a 2003 University of California, Davis study.

Yale-New Haven Hospital in Connecticut recommends no more than 1 (4-ounce) glass of wine per day for women. If you’re a teetotaler, other high-saponin foods include soy beans and olive oil.

5. Keep out cholesterol
Also called phytosterols, these phytochemicals are found in corn and soybean oils, and other foods that lower cholesterol.

They can block cholesterol absorption and lower overall levels by up to 10% and LDL up to 14%, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Consuming at least 1.3 grams a day, with a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, reduces heart-disease risk, says the FDA.

Plant sterols occur only in small amounts in fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains, so you may need to consume multivitamins or fortified foods, including orange juice, breads and margarines, to meet daily requirements.

6. Feast on fish
Fatty fish like salmon and trout contain omega-3 fatty acids, which decrease levels of triglycerides (fats in the blood) and harmful LDL, while raising beneficial HDL levels.

Eat at least two 3.5-ounce servings of fish each week, advises the AHA.

7. Go nutty
Eat a couple handfuls of nuts a day. About 2 ounces significantly lowers LDL and triglyceride levels, according to 2010 research from Loma Linda University’s School of Public Health.

Nuts are high in calories, though, so make room for them in your daily calorie totals.

8. Focus on fats
Minimize saturated fats (found in full-fat dairy, red meats and some oils like palm and coconut), and instead choose fats that help lead to a healthy heart, like olive and canola oil.

Avoid all trans-fats, which may increase harmful LDL levels and lower helpful HDL. (Look for amounts on the Nutrition Facts label.)

9. Whittle your middle
Just a little extra tummy weight raises cardiovascular-disease risk, especially if you have other warning signs like hypertension and high blood sugar levels.

Being overweight also tends to increase the amount of “bad” LDL in your blood.

An otherwise healthy woman with high cholesterol can often lower cholesterol readings by losing just 5-10 pounds, says Redberg, the San Francisco cardiologist.

10. Get a move on
A long-term North Carolina University study of more than 8,000 people (released in 2009) found that those who got 30 minutes of moderate exercise several days a week lowered triglycerides levels and boosted HDL.

“Find the best time of day to exercise and make a regular commitment to walking, going to the gym or even working out with DVDs at home,” Briller says.

“If you’re too busy to do 30 minutes of exercise at one time, try doing three 10-minute intervals.”

11. Stress less to lower cholesterol
High stress can raise your cholesterol levels. In 2007, researchers at Oregon State University found that study participants who had good coping skills – meditation, deep breathing, laughing, exercise, good nutrition and good conflict resolution – had higher HDL levels. Those with poor stress-coping skills had worse LDL and triglyceride levels.

lastlid
26th February 2012, 15:35
Plenty of porridge :D
Exercise.
Abstention from junk food.
And yes, a stress free life. Evidently if you are under stress your liver generates heaps more cholesterol (or something to that effect). The liver generates a heap of cholesterol over and above any that we eat.

Lloyds pharmacy will do a cholesterol check for you. Or your GP.

I had mine done before christmas and it was normal, I am pleased to say.

Marie
26th February 2012, 16:04
Thanks Terpe...this is very informative....let's all be healthy.....exercise and eat the right food....God Bless everyone

juvyjones28
26th February 2012, 18:50
Thanks Terpe! As usual very helpful post :xxgrinning--00xx3:
I'll try to eat more healthy foods, exercise and sleep on time from now on :cwm3::Cuckoo::Help1:

lastlid
26th February 2012, 20:13
Did you know that prawns were high in cholesterol... :icon_lol:

Terpe
26th February 2012, 20:25
Did you know that prawns were high in cholesterol... :icon_lol:

The cholesterol content of prawns does not mean you should avoid this otherwise nutritious food.
When you include prawns in your meal plan, just limit the amount of cholesterol you consume in other foods that day.

Prawns are a good source of complete protein, providing your body with all of the building blocks necessary for the production of new proteins.
They also provide significant amounts of vitamins B-12, B-6, niacin, iron, zinc, selenium, copper, magnesium and phosphorus.

A 3-oz. serving of boiled or steamed prawns contains more than 22 g of protein, roughly the same amount found in a comparable serving of beef or chicken.
Your body requires dietary protein to support the ongoing function of every organ and tissue in your body.
Dietary protein also serves as a backup source of fuel for energy production.

Dietary cholesterol and saturated fats are termed "bad" fats because of their association with atherosclerotic heart disease, a condition in which fat deposits obstruct the arteries that supply your heart with blood. Like other types of animal meats, prawns contain cholesterol; a 3-oz. serving of boiled or steamed prawns includes approximately 165 mg of cholesterol. This amount approaches the recommended 200 mg limit for daily cholesterol intake if you have pre-existing heart disease or an elevated cholesterol level.

Terpe
26th February 2012, 20:30
Feast on fish with super-sardines

A 3.75 oz. serving of canned sardines, provides:-

191 calories,
23 g of protein
no carbohydrates
11 g of fat
2 g of saturated fat
1.36 g of omega-3 fatty acids
465 mg of sodium.


Vitamins
A 3.75 oz. serving of oil-canned sardines, with bone, is rich in many nutrients, such as vitamins.
B2 (riboflavin) 0.227mg or 13% of recommended daily value
B3 (niacin) 5.25 mg or 26 percent of recommended daily value
B12 (cobalamin) 8.94 mcg or 150 percent of recommended daily value

All B vitamins support proper nervous system function and are needed for energy metabolism, or converting food into energy the cells can utilize.
Vitamin B12 is needed for other functions, such as synthesizing red blood cells and DNA.

Minerals
A 3.75 oz. serving of oil-canned sardines, with bone, is rich in major minerals
Calcium 382 mg or 38 percent of the DV
Phosphorus 490 mg or 49 percent of the DV
potassium 397 mg or 16 percent of the DV
iron 2.92 mg or 16 percent of the DV; and 57.2 mcg of selenium, or 75 percent of the DV.
selenium 57.2 mcg of selenium or 75 percent of the DV.

Calcium helps regulate blood pressure and, along with phosphorus, is essential for developing and maintaining strong bones and teeth.
Phosphorus is used to form genetic material, such as RNA and DNA, and aids in energy metabolism.
Potassium is important for regulating fluid balance in the body as well as blood pressure, while iron is crucial for oxygen transport in the body.
Iron and selenium promote immune system health and selenium also aids in normal thyroid function.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Canned sardines are a rich source of an essential fatty acid that promotes cardiovascular health and helps reduce inflammation.
In addition, omega-3 fatty acids are concentrated in the brain and appear to be crucial for brain development as well as cognitive and behavioral function.
One can provides more than 1,300 mg of this beneficial type of fatty acid, or nearly 57 percent of the recommended adequate intake,
making sardines an outstanding food source.

Best of all sardines are not only cheap, but are versatile enough for even the most adventurous of foodies.

Doc Alan
26th February 2012, 23:12
Accumulation of fat in arteries due to hyperlipidaemia ( high fat levels in blood ) results not only in heart disease, but also stroke, and problems with circulation to legs and abdominal organs such as kidneys. Half the UK and Philippines adult population have hyperlipidaemia, one of several risk factors making these illnesses the commonest causes of death in both countries.
• Supplement smartly. Not top priority or most effective in lowering “ bad “ lipids ( LDL = low density lipoprotein cholesterol and total cholesterol ) to healthy levels. The three listed are not proven, and in any case unacceptable to the vast majority at risk.
• Eat heart –healthy. The diet should include less than 10% of calories from saturated fats, with increased fibre ( fresh fruit and vegetables ), and omega-3 fatty acids ( in fish ). “ Going meatless “ is unnecessary and unacceptable to many people.
• Raise a glass to red. Implying that taking up the habit of a daily glass of red wine might be beneficial is irresponsible. We have a major problem in the UK, and increasing problem in Philippines, of excessive alcohol consumption. Two glasses of wine daily increases the risk of mouth cancer and high blood pressure ( itself a risk factor for heart disease ), while even one glass increases the risk of breast cancer.
• Keep out cholesterol. Fruit and vegetables, margarine, and fruit juices should be sufficient for most people, with no need to spend on multivitamin tablets.
• Whittle your middle. Better to explain that your BMI ( Body Mass Index = weight in kilograms / height in metres squared ) should be 20-25. Excess waist circumference and BMI more than 25 puts you at risk - not only of heart disease, but also high blood pressure, diabetes, and some cancers.
• Get a move on. We don’t need a Californian study to confirm that regular exercise lowers blood pressure and the risk of heart disease.
• Stress less to lower cholesterol. Similarly, we already know stress is a risk factor, especially when associated with poor diet and poverty. Easy to say, not so easy to implement.
• What’s missing ?
1. Drug treatment. Top priority – treat those with known cardiovascular disease ; second – treat diabetics; third – treat others at high risk ( primary prevention if conditions present such as high blood pressure , raised lipids, family history, other illnesses, or smokers ). Lipid regulating drugs such as statins are expensive and have side effects. There’s not enough evidence to support giving them to men over 40 and women over 65. There are other drugs, but one of the statins is usually first choice.
2. Risk factors for heart and other vascular diseases like strokes are synergistic – they have an additive effect. Some – like hyperlipidaemia, smoking, high blood pressure, diabetes, poor diet, alcohol, lack of exercise and obesity, and stress – may be controllable by lifestyle change / drugs. Others – like increasing age and male sex – are not.
3. Cancer is likely to overtake cardiovascular disease as the top killer in the next few years. That’s because we’re living longer, and not only fewer people are getting heart attacks, but even if they do, improved treatment ensures more are surviving.