Archive for the ‘Heart-Disease’ Category

Lowering LDL Cholesterol, also known as the bad cholesterol, is certainly important, as many people are in the pursuit to do just that. However, increasing HDL Cholesterol, the good cholesterol, is also imperative for a healthy body. When HDL cholesterol is at an increased level, it significantly lowers the risk of heart disease. There are considerable ways to increase good cholesterol naturally.

Eating right is an important factor when it comes to good and bad cholesterol levels. Avoid foods that contain saturated fat and especially trans fat. According to many doctors, trans fat, is by far, the worst. Trans fat lowers HDL and increases LDL. Most fast food restaurants use vegetable oil that contain trans fat. Other sources of trans fat are; packaged foods, cakes, cookies, donuts, margarine, chips, pizza, ice cream, ready made frozen meals, and other processed foods. Intake of these foods should be limited. Reading the labels on food products at the grocery store should be put into practice. These labels will tell whether or not they contain any saturated or trans fat and how much. Continue reading ‘How to Increase Good Cholesterol Naturally’ »

Incoming search terms:

Cholesterol is a substance that enables the body to produce vitamin D, hormones and bile acid. A large percentage of this substance is produced by the body itself, inside the liver. In addition, we absorb it by certain foods such as meat, eggs and dairy products.

High cholesterol (also called hypercholesterolemia) is the major cause of coronary heart disease and heart attacks. Hypercholesterolemia along with smoking, hypertension and diabetes are the 4 major risk factors for coronary disease. Cholesterol is deposited on the walls of the arteries, particularly the coronary arteries of the heart, forming the atheromatous plaque. This results in the formation of clots and blockage of the arteries, leading to the onset of myocardial infarction.

Cholesterol is carried in the blood through certain compounds called lipoproteins. Some of them favor the formation of atherosclerotic plaque and belong to the category that we call bad cholesterol or LDL (with normal levels less than 100mg/dl). Other compounds offer protection, helping in the elimination of excess cholesterol in the cells and belong to the category that we call good or HDL (normal levels higher than 40mg/dl). The normal value of total cholesterol in men and women is up to 200mg/dl.

Hypercholesterolemia may be caused by:

1. Hereditary factors.
2. Other diseases such as diabetes, hypothyroidism or diseases of the kidneys or liver.
3. Nutritional factors (which is the most frequent).

Hypercholesterolemia may be cured with proper diet and by using specific medicines. HDL may also increase by following an appropriate diet, losing weight and increasing physical activity. Continue reading ‘How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally – These Are the Best Foods to Reduce Your Cholesterol Levels!’ »

Most researchers will tell you that cholesterol plays an important part in heart disease. While that is true it is also interesting to note however, that 80% of the people who have heart disease have the same total cholesterol levels as those who don’t have the disease. It turns out that the average LDL cholesterol of all the people who have a heart attacks is 150. These are the statistic that come from the Framingham study, which is one of the most extensive study regarding cardiovascular disease ever done. This study has tracked thousands of men and women over a period of years beginning in 1948. So we have to ask, if cholesterol is the major player in heart disease why do so many people with so-called normal cholesterol levels still getting heart disease.

Well as it turns out cholesterol is only a part of the story. When your physician speaks about Cholesterol he is really talking about a lot more than just cholesterol. Cholesterol is a lipid or fat that is always bound up with protein. Cholesterol is an amalgam of both fat and protein with varying amounts of triglycerides thrown into the mix. As you have already heard before there is good cholesterol and there is so-called bad cholesterol. It is the so-called bad cholesterol, low density lipoproteins that are carriers of proteins that attach themselves to the walls of your arteries. It is the lipoprotein A particle of cholesterol that is biologically adhesive and that attaches itself to the walls of arteries. It is this particle that is believed to be causing the damage. If you have normal cholesterol readings and yet your lipoprotein A is abnormally high then your risk for heart disease is increased.

We now know that there are more than seven types of LDL particles in your cholesterol that can be differentiated depending on the method used to identify them. While lipoprotein A is a damaging part of cholesterol it does not compare however to the damage done by oxidized cholesterol particles. Oxidation is the same process that can be seen when iron rust. Oxidize cholesterol magnifies its ability to accumulate and destroy An oxidized LDL particle that slips into the lining of the arterial wall is destined to become an atherosclerotic lesion. When oxidized LDL particles interact with the lining of your arteries it mutilates endothelial cells. The endothelial cells are the cells that line the interior of your arteries. Where ever these cells are killed off gaps form and foam cells rush end to fill the void. Scavenger cells too are killed off by oxidized particles dumping caustic chemicals which produce more damage to the arterial wall. These oxidize particles continue to create and grow atherosclerotic lesions which begins to resemble an open wound.. It is estimated that oxidized cholesterol is 30 times more potent in growing cholesterol plaque than triglycerides. Continue reading ‘Don’t Be Fooled by Cholesterol!’ »

Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that can cause heart disease. If you are overweight, have high blood pressure and high levels of sugar fat in your blood, you may have metabolic syndrome. Many adult-onset diabetic persons also have metabolic syndrome.

Reducing Risk.
Since lack off physical activity and excess weight are key risk factors towards developing metabolic syndrome, getting more exercise and losing weight can help reduce the risk or prevent complications associated with the condition. Although medications may be prescribed to manage some of the underlying problems, the are some other ways to reduce the risk.

Exercising.
The amount and type of exercise depends on your fitness level. If you have not been exercising regularly, you can start by walking for five to ten minutes everyday. if you have a medical problem, discuss with your doctor on a suitable exercise regime before starting. Once you are on a regular walking regime, you can gradually increase you pace and distance of walking. You should work towards the goal of walking for 30 to 60 minutes at least five days a week.

Food Intake.
Your diet affects you likelihood of having the metabolic syndrome. Make healthy changes to what you eat so as to reduce the risk factors. Continue reading ‘Guide on Reducing Metabolic Syndrome’ »

Blood pressure(BP) as the name suggests is the force of blood against arterial walls. A normal adult is below 120/80. High pressure has been defined as over 140/90. Hypertension or high blood pressure is a major risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in western society. It is estimated that 20% of the world’s adult population suffers from hypertension. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is a primary risk factor for heart disease, which affects 25% of the U.S. population and is a major contributor to stroke and heart failure.

Aging is one of the reasons for high blood pressure as arteries loose elasticity. Blood pressure is also controlled by a number of metabolic systems including the major pathway called the renin-angiotensin system (RAS). In the kidneys, this sytem secretes an enzyme called angiotension-converting enzyme (ACE). This results in blood vessel constriction and elevated blood pressure. Inhibitors of the ACE enzyme in blood vessels are a major class of antihypertensive medications that are prescribed to control high blood pressure. Individuals with high blood pressure are often prescribed drugs such as Zestril, Capoten and Vasotec, which block the effects of ACE and thus bring in control the high blood pressure.

However, several adverse side effects such as hypotension, reduced kidney function, coughing and skin rashes have been associated with synthetic ACE inhibitors. Natural inhibitors of ACE have been identified in a variety of food proteins. In particular, milk proteins contain ACE inhibitory peptides (ACE-IP) that can be released by enzymatic hydrolysis either during gastrointestinal digestion or during food processing. It is well established that in vitro incubation of milk proteins with the gastrointestinal proteases pepsin, trypsin and chymotrypsin results in the release of ACE-IP. Hence, it is likely that ACE-IP is generated during normal gastrointestinal digestion. Bacterial and plant proteins can also be used to release ACE-IP. Therefore, hydrolysates of milk protein, caseinates, whey proteins and fractions enriched in individual milk proteins are potentially good sources of ACE-IP. Continue reading ‘Dietary Proteins Can Lower Blood Pressure’ »