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Elevated cholesterol levels pose a health risk because it increases the risk of developing atherosclerosis and its complications. Thus, the main effect of cholesterol lowering efforts is to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke and many other diseases.
- When cholesterol exceeds the norm, we are at risk of negative health effects
- Usually, our habits are responsible for too high cholesterol. So it is largely in our hands
- Cholesterol is influenced, among others, by physical activity and diet. In the case of the latter, it is worth knowing the rules. Because it is not so that all vegetable fat is healthy, and animal fat is not recommended. The cardiologist prof. dr hab. n. med. Piotr Jankowski
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage
Po co nam cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a substance necessary for life, which is, among other things, a building block of cell membranes. Cholesterol is also a substrate in the production of many substances important for metabolism, including sex hormones, vitamin D3 and bile acids. But in excess, cholesterol is the poison that causes many diseases.
The normal range for cholesterol depends on the presence of other diseases. And so, in healthy people, the level of LDL cholesterol (the so-called bad cholesterol) is below 3,0 mmol / l (<115 mg / dl), and in people with coronary heart disease and in most people with diabetes, it is below 1,4 mmol / l. (<55 mg / dL).
It is a myth that elevated cholesterol is only found in the elderly. Indeed, this anomaly is much more common in older people than young people, but the nationwide research conducted a few years ago shows that hypercholesterolaemia occurs in as much as 40% of people. young people – more often among men than women. For this reason, systematic laboratory monitoring of blood cholesterol levels is recommended for men aged 40+ and women 50+ and all younger persons with other risk factors (family history, smoking, overweight, hypertension, diabetes and others).
Is your cholesterol below normal? Do a cholesterol test from Medonet Market.
A healthy lifestyle… all your life
A healthy lifestyle helps a lot in maintaining cholesterol at the correct level. It consists in: making the right food choices, regular physical activity, taking care of the right amount and quality of sleep, avoiding stress and cigarette smoke, as well as being among smiling people and maintaining a good mood.
Our eating habits and the level of physical activity have the greatest impact on cholesterol levels. It is worth (almost) every day to devote 20-30 minutes to physical activity so that you feel at least moderate fatigue. Dietary habits that help maintain or lower blood cholesterol levels include a diet rich in residual and low-fat foods, largely based on plant ingredients. It’s worth remembering about a healthy lifestyle all your life!
The rest of the text is below the video.
“Good” fats and “bad” fats – the rule with exceptions
Although in most cases animal fats negatively affect the cholesterol level in the body, vegetable fats in most cases have a positive effect on this parameter, but there are exceptions to this rule. An example is the fats found in coconut – they undergo changes in the body that can raise your cholesterol levels. On the other hand, in the case of animal fats, those containing a large amount of saturated fatty acids have a negative effect, but the fats contained in fish are rich in unsaturated fatty acids and have a positive effect on health and cholesterol levels. The substances contained in fatty fish are therefore a completely different type of fat than the one found in, for example, ribs, bacon or butter.
What can stanols and sterols do?
It is worth considering the use of health-promoting food products, the composition of which has been enriched with substances that positively affect the concentration of cholesterol – stanols and sterols added to, for example, vegetable margarines or yoghurts. These substances work in a similar way to one of the drugs that are used to lower cholesterol – they block the absorption of cholesterol in the gut.
Red rice extract also positively influences cholesterol concentration. The rice is fermented by fungi that produce lovastatin, a substance that inhibits the production of cholesterol in the liver. It has also been proven that bergamot extract has a positive effect on cholesterol levels.
When for pharmacological support?
Often times, a healthy lifestyle and a healthy diet are not effective enough and high cholesterol levels persist despite their use. In such cases, it is worth considering pharmacological treatment, especially if the cholesterol level is very elevated or the patient has other diseases, e.g. diabetes or coronary heart disease. Modern medicine has effective and safe drugs, the use of which reduces the risk of developing atherosclerosis and its consequences, including heart attack and stroke.
Also read:
- How to lower cholesterol? Diet in the prevention of hypercholesterolaemia [EXPLAINED]
- Eat two teaspoons a day. Lowers cholesterol and triglycerides
- It removes cholesterol from veins and prevents cancer
- Do you have high cholesterol? Here is the snack for you
The article comes from the educational campaign “W trosce o seniów” prepared by Warsaw Press. All materials can be found on http://www.warsawpress.com/
Cardiology specialist from the XNUMXst Department of Cardiology and Interventional Electrocardiology and Hypertension at the Institute of Cardiology of the Jagiellonian University Medical College.
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