Cholesterol Control
Options
When Lifestyle
Changes Are Not Enough High Cholesterol May Not Be Your
Fault
by: News Canada
(NC)-High cholesterol affects more
than 10 million Canadians and is a modifiable risk factor for
heart disease, the number one killer of
Canadians. If you have recently been told that you
have high cholesterol, you may have been very surprised.
High cholesterol has no symptoms and
anyone can develop it regardless of age, weight, gender, race
or ethnic background.
It is important to understand that only 20 per cent of your
cholesterol comes from the food you eat. The remaining 80 per
cent is manufactured in the body by your liver. However, even
though you may be eating well and exercising regularly, you may
still have elevated cholesterol levels. Do not be discouraged.
Sometimes lifestyle changes alone are not enough and your
doctor may recommend medication to reduce your high
cholesterol.
Treatment Options
The most commonly prescribed medications to lower cholesterol
levels are statins, which work by restricting the liver's
production of cholesterol. Statins can significantly lower
LDL-cholesterol, raise HDL-cholesterol, and some even lower
blood triglyceride levels, another element in determining your
total cholesterol level.
When you take cholesterol-lowering medication, you still need
to reduce dietary intake of saturated fats and cholesterol, and
exercise on a daily basis. It is essential that you take your
medication as recommended. Even when your cholesterol levels
are reduced, do not stop taking your medication without
discussing it first with your physician.
For more information about cholesterol, heart disease, and
treatment options, please speak to your physician or visit
www.makingtheconnection.ca or
call toll-free 1-877-4LOW-LDL (1-877-456-9535).
- News Canada
Lifestyle changes:
What Are My Treatment Options?
My condition, as determined by my doctor
Recommended Treatment
I have higher than normal "bad" cholesterol but low to moderate
risk
As a first step, your doctor may suggest diet and lifestyle
changes. After three to six months, if your cholesterol remains
elevated above target, your doctor may prescribe
medication.
I have a high risk of heart disease
Medication will be considered along with lifestyle changes such
as diet and exercise.
I have a very high risk or known heart disease or diabetes
Medication, along with lifestyle changes such as diet and
exercise, will play an important role in your cholesterol
management.
About The Author
News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use
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Radio, and the Web.
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available to every Canadian media organization including weekly
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services.
Cholesterol Control
Sharon Hopkins
Newspapers have reported on the drawbacks of having a diet high
in fat. High-fat diet has been linked to high cholesterol and
ultimately to heart attacks. Hence, people have started
avoiding beef and eggs. But cholesterol is not bad. Our body
needs it to protect nerves and build new cells and hormones. It
is only when we include foods like pizzas, burgers, ice creams,
steaks or any food containing animal product that the problem
starts. Excess cholesterol settles along the walls of the
arteries and can clog them thus, restricting blood flow. This
gives rise to angina, heart attack or stroke. It has also been
shown that high cholesterol leads to gallstones. There are two
types of cholesterol called good cholesterol or HDL and bad
cholesterol or LDL. LDL is the cholesterol that clogs the
arteries and should be lower while HDL scours the artery walls
and removes the harmful LDL and should be higher.
Doctors recommend reducing and avoiding high-fat diets
containing meat, eggs and dairy products. But you can use the
following home remedies for treatment:
* Increase the intake of Vitamin E: It is advised to increase
your intake of Vitamin E to 400 international units to prevent
the oxidation of bad cholesterol where the cholesterol hardens
into the arterial plaque thus giving rise to heart attack. It
also raises the level of HDL. You can include Vitamin E as
dietary sources or include vegetable oils, nuts or grains in
your diet.
* Eat your breakfast: People who skip the breakfast have higher
cholesterol levels than those who have breakfast everyday. This
is because they tend to eat unhealthy foods which are high in
fats.
* Eat small meals frequently: Large meals have been shown to
release a large amount of insulin, which in turn stimulates the
production of the enzymes that increases cholesterol production
by the liver. But eating small frequent meals without
increasing the total calories will limit the insulin production
and thus controls the cholesterol and in turn heart
diseases.
* Add Vitamin C to your diet: Though other vitamins and
minerals play an important role in the cholesterol production,
Vitamin C is the most crucial vitamin for cholesterol control.
It increases HDL levels and is very beneficial if you get it
from fruits and vegetables, since they have a special fibre
called pectin. It surrounds the cholesterol and flushes it out
of the digestive system before it gets into the blood. Include
fruits like citrus fruits, tomatoes, potatoes, strawberries,
apples and spinach which are rich in vitamin C and pectin.
* Increase garlic intake: Taking seven cloves of garlic a day
will reduce cholesterol levels significantly. If you cannot
stand the normal garlic, then you can opt for odorless garlic
pills, which are available in local health stores.
* Skip decaf: Avoid decaffeinated coffee since it has been
shown to raise LDL levels. This is because the beans used for
decaf are far stronger than the normal beans.
* Munch grapes: Grapes and their products have a compound which
lowers cholesterol significantly. So you can increase your
intake of grapes, grape juice and wine to decrease your
cholesterol level.
* Have grapefruit: Grapefruit contains pectin which reduces
cholesterol significantly. Hence, people who consume
grapefruits show a marked decline of cholesterol over 7 percent
after two months of consumption.
* Eat beans: Lima beans, kidney beans, navy beans, soybeans and
other legumes have been shown to lower cholesterol as they have
a high amount of pectin. Research has shown that people who
consume about 11/2 cup of cooked beans a day have decreased
their cholesterol levels by 20 percent within three weeks.
* Splurge on carrots: Carrots have plenty of pectin, the most
useful type of fibre for lowering cholesterol. Having about 2
to 3 carrots a day will reduce cholesterol levels by 10 to 20
percent.
About the author:
Sharon Hopkins has been managing a number of natural home
remedies websites which gives information on Home based remedies for cholesterol
level by eating pectin based fruits and
vegetables.
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