Food Fight: Give Cholesterol an Upper-Cut! Round Two

The American Heart Association recommends all adults over age 20 to have their cholesterol tested every 4-6 years. A complete fasting lipoprotein profile will include total blood cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels all given in milligrams per deciliter of blood. A little science lesson here. Cholesterol is transported in the bloodstream by lipoproteins. Now remember, your body needs good cholesterol to carry out important work in your body. It's the oxidized (or rancid) cholesterol that causes the problems.

 

There are two types of lipoproteins that carry cholesterol in the blood: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL.) LDL is considered the bad cholesterol since it may form plaque, which can build up and clog your arteries, leading to heart attacks and stroke. A good LDL number is less than 110mg/dL. HDL is considered the good cholesterol because it carries LDL cholesterol away from the arteries back to the liver, where much of the body's cholesterol is produced. A desirable level of HDL cholesterol is 35 mg/dL or higher.

Triglycerides are the most common type of fat that stores extra calories from the foods we eat and has been linked to heart disease and diabetes. This number should be less than 150 mg/dL. High triglycerides can be caused by physical inactivity, obesity, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption and a diet high in sugar and grains.

According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, there is no good or bad cholesterol, total cholesterol levels are not a good indicator of heart disease and modern medicine puts way too much emphasis on lowering cholesterol, which can be an indicator of chronic inflammation in the body. There is a very interesting article about cholesterol, inflammation and the dangers of cholesterol lowering medications at http://cholesterol.mercola.com/

As with any health concern, it is always best to start at the root of the problem. Whether you want to lower cholesterol levels, reduce inflammation, or just plain feel better, it always starts with food. You are what you eat. If you owned a prize race car, wouldn't you use the best fuel available to ensure it's peak performance? Why then do Americans contribute to the degradation of their own performance by consuming cheap, chemically modified, imitation fuel? In part three, I will have a complete list of real foods that are known to reduce cholesterol.

 

 

It's time to start fighting back.