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Low Cholesterol Diets
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like substance that flows through the bloodstream
and through every cell in our bodies. Cholesterol is an important part of a
healthy body because:
- it produces cell membranes
- It produces some hormones
- It helps maintain cell tissues
- It helps produce Vitamin D
However, when the level of cholesterol in our bloodstream gets too high, we
are at risk for coronary heart disease, which leads to heart attack, and for
stroke. The medical term for high levels of cholesterol is hypercholesterolemia.
Estimates claim that up to 50% of Americans have too-high levels of cholesterol.
Our bodies have two methods of getting cholesterol. Our livers produce some
of it, and the rest comes from cholesterol in animal products that we eat.
Common sources of cholesterol are:
· meats
· poultry
· fish
· egg yolks
· butter
· cheese
· whole milk
· milk products
Cholesterol also often appears in baked goods, as these are prepared with egg
yolks and saturated fats.
Foods that come from plant sources, such as fruits, vegetables, grain and cereals,
do not contain cholesterol. Some foods that don't contain animal products may
contain substances called trans-fats. Trans-fats cause the body to produce more
cholesterol. Foods with saturated fats also cause the body to make more cholesterol.
Cholesterol and fats are not soluble in blood. They have to be carried to and
from the cells by substances called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins come in two forms:
· Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL: the "bad" cholesterol
Too much LDL cholesterol can clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart
attack and stroke.
· High-density lipoprotein, or HDL: the "good" cholesterol
HDL cholesterol protects the body by carrying cholesterol away from our arteries.
Studies suggest that high levels of HDL cholesterol reduce your our risk of
heart attack.
As the heart pumps, blood flows throughout our bodies via vessels called arteries.
Blood transports vital oxygen and nutrients needed by tissues and organs. The
heart itself is full of blood vessels called coronary arteries. When cholesterol
levels rise above normal limits and remain at high levels, some cholesterol
remains in the arteries after the blood has flowed through. Years of leftover
cholesterol in the arteries cause a hardened substance called cholesterol plaque
to build up on the artery walls. Cholesterol plaque reduces or altogether blocks
the flow of blood. This blockage damages organs served by these clogged arteries,
as these organs are deprived of necessary oxygen and nutrients. A heart attack,
then, is caused by a blocked coronary artery; a stroke is caused by a blocked
artery leading to the brain.
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