An unhealthy, high-calorie diet can contribute to high cholesterol levels, as well as high blood pressure and becoming overweight. These problems greatly increase your risk of developing obesity-related diseases, such as heart disease, stroke and type two diabetes. By limiting your intake of dietary cholesterol, salt, sweets and unhealthy saturated fats, you can help to get your body back on track.
Nutrition experts are still divided on the issue of low-carbohydrate diets and cholesterol levels. While some studies have shown those on the Atkins diet have managed to lower their cholesterol levels while eating high amounts of saturated fat, other research suggests this may not be the case in the long-term. One study found those on the low-carb, high-fat diet had slightly increased cholesterol levels compared with another group following the Mediterranean-based South Beach diet, which showed decreases of between 12 and 17 percent. However, there are ways to still follow the low-carb Atkins Diet without raising your cholesterol levels.
Controlling the body's levels of leptin and cholesterol are key to sustainable weight control and overall health. While many people will insist that you must resort to prescription medication to control these substances, that is hardly the case. With proper diet regulation, you can bring your leptin and cholesterol levels under control. If you, or someone you know, is suffering from excessive leptin or cholesterol, choose from these diets.
Cholesterol is a fat lipid produced naturally by the liver. The body produces cholesterol to help digest fat, build cell walls, and produce other important hormones. Unfortunately, cholesterol is also in many of the animal products humans eat. As a result, people begin to develop heart problems due to the blockage of blood flow caused by high cholesterol levels. Medications and diet changes to lower high cholesterol are required.
Doctors agree that high cholesterol levels often contribute to coronary heart disease over time. There are plenty of prescription drugs available designed to help you lower your "bad" (LDL) cholesterol and raise your "good" (HDL) levels. But for many people, changing poor eating habits will dramatically affect cholesterol levels to help bring them into a healthy range. Total cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL (miligrams per deciliter) for adults.
Cholesterol-lowering diets, which first gained popularity in the early 1990s, still are a favorite among health and nutrition professionals. These diets usually feature increased fruits, vegetables and fiber, as well as lower total and saturated fat. Understanding how many grams of fat are allowed in a cholesterol lowering diet depends on the specifics of the diet you are following, and involves a little bit of math.
Cholesterol is measured in low-density lipoproteins (LDL), the bad cholesterol; high-density lipoproteins (HDL), the good cholesterol; and triglycerides. Independent studies suggest that vegetarian diets provide significant potential for lowering cholesterol. In "Vegetarian Diet: Panacea for Modern Lifestyle Diseases," an Australian study published in the Oxford Journal of Medicine, a test diet of soy protein, legumes, nuts and soluble fiber produced decreases in levels of LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol and triglycerides in participants. In "A Dietary Portfolio Approach to Cholesterol Reduction," a Canadian study cited in the journal Metabolism, subjects fed a high-fiber, low-fat vegetarian diet experienced lower LDL cholesterol levels.
While the concept might seem counterintuitive, a study performed at the Duke University Medical Center and published in the 2006 International Journal of Cardiology found that low-carb diets can act to lower cholesterol levels, while also positively affecting levels of triglycerides in the body. Extremely low carb diets can act to positively affect the overall health level and nutritional profile of the body, along with resulting in substantial weight loss.
Zetia (ezetimibe) is a cholesterol-lowering medication that is prescribed for treating cholesterol in conjunction with a low-cholesterol, low-fat diet. It belongs to a family of compounds with lower lipids and may be taken with other cholesterol medications.
When you hear the word "diet," it probably conjures up ways to reduce food intake and calories to lose weight. The Mediterranean Diet isn't a weight-loss diet. It's actually a heart-healthy eating plan. It's based on the conventional diets of some of the countries of the Mediterranean Basin. Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, limiting red meat, eating fish, substituting herbs for salt, and eating whole grains are some of the ways the Mediterranean Diet improves your health. Eating in accordance with the diet can also lower your cholesterol.
Your body uses cholesterol to build cell walls and to create and transport hormones. However, foods that include animal fats are generally high in cholesterol, and high triglyceride counts in your bloodstream may increase your risk of heart disease, heart attack or stroke. Fortunately, you can modify your diet to control your cholesterol levels.
High cholesterol levels can block arteries and lead to heart disease. Most of your cholesterol is made by your liver; the rest comes from your diet, primarily from saturated fats. Maybe you have high cholesterol levels from your diet and/or you have inherited a tendency for elevated cholesterol. You can't change your genes, but you can eat less cholesterol (no more than 300 mg a day), exercise, and if necessary, take certain medications.
Cholesterol is a substance produced naturally in the body. There are two types of Cholesterol: HDL, commonly known as good cholesterol, and LDL, commonly referred to as bad cholesterol. A high level of cholesterol in the body can cause serious problems. One way of lowering cholesterol levels is through diet. A good cholesterol-controlling diet should avoid certain foods and encourage others. Here are some dietary suggestions for lowering cholesterol levels.
Diets high in saturated fat often result in high cholesterol levels, according to the American Heart Association. Many Americans have high cholesterol because fast food is a staple of their diets. In addition to avoiding fast foods, eat foods that can actually help lower your LDL cholesterol levels. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is the major carrier for cholesterol in the blood. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) carries cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it is filtered.
The portfolio diet is a nutrition plan that focuses on consuming low-cholesterol foods as opposed to their higher-cholesterol counterparts. The diet is based on the theory that, though none of these dietary substitutions pull much weight on their own, when they are all combined on a daily basis they can significantly lower cholesterol levels and reduce a patient's dependence on cholesterol medications. If you are considering this nutrition plan, it's important to consult a doctor first. Never discontinue the use of cholesterol-lowering medications without a doctor's permission.
Severely high cholesterol can be dangerous if not quickly changed. It can cause heart failure which may ultimately lead to death. However, high cholesterol can be reversed and the majority of it starts with your diet. A healthy diet designed to lower your high cholesterol is not only healthy, it may save your life.
There are two different types of cholesterol: serum cholesterol and dietary cholesterol. Serum cholesterol is naturally present in your body, while dietary cholesterol is only in food. By eating a diet high in cholesterol, you promote plaque buildup in your arteries and raise serum cholesterol. It is vitally important, then, when creating a diet plan for lowering cholesterol that you focus on cutting out saturated fats. Take these diet recommendations to create a diet that fits your own health concerns and needs.
Phytosterols, also known as plant sterols, are a class of compounds found in all plants. These compounds are structurally similar to cholesterol found in animals, and they play much the same role--helping to maintain cell-membrane structure.
Cholesterol was once a word associated with middle-aged men and heart attacks. However, now that the U.S. childhood obesity rate has more than tripled in the past three decades, it has become a concern for kids and their parents. Parents looking to ensure that their child grows up with a healthy heart and low cholesterol, should keep make sure they eat a cholesterol lowering diet.
Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance found in the bloodstream. It's needed by the body to develop cells and hormones. Too much cholesterol can lead to coronary heart disease and stroke. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as "bad" cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is "good cholesterol." Desirable levels of total cholesterol are less than 200 mg/dL. Your cholesterol levels can be checked with a blood test. If you have high cholesterol it's important to exercise, maintain a healthy weight and eat a healthy diet.
An excellent diet to lower cholesterol is set forth by the American Heart Association. Known as the Heart Healthy Diet, this regimen involves eating a well-balanced variety of foods known for their capabilities in lowering cholesterol and getting your cardiovascular system back to optimum operating levels. Be certain to prepare the diet in a heart-healthy way in order to reap the greatest benefits.
If you need to lower your cholesterol, you can do it without the use of medication if you control your diet. Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the bloodstream. The goal is to minimize your intake of foods that raise LDL ("bad") cholesterol while maximizing intake of foods that raise HDL ("good") cholesterol.
Children with high cholesterol are at risk for heart disease and heart failure. As adults, individuals who had high cholesterol, as children are more likely to suffer heart attacks. A decent diet and healthy recreational exercise can reduce these risks and ensure a healthy life for your children. Monitoring what your children consume the most will help you spot unhealthy culprits.
Cholesterol is a type of fat needed by the body; cholesterol is naturally created by the liver and is used in cell generation processes and can also be obtained by foods. However, excessive amounts of cholesterol, which can be determined via a blood test, can eventually contribute to cardiovascular problems and atherosclerosis. A blood test that is higher than 240 mg/dL is indicative of high cholesterol.
According to the American Heart Association, diets low in cholesterol and saturated fat are the first line of defense against heart disease and the first step toward lowering your cholesterol. This way of eating requires careful food monitoring, especially of meats, dairy and cooking oils. The AHA has several tips to help you transition into your new diet.
High cholesterol is a risk factor for many of the most prevalent diseases in the United States today. Lowering cholesterol can reduce the risk of stroke, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure) and the many complications these diseases cause. The Mayo Clinic recommends five foods in particular that can help lower cholesterol.
In order to lower cholesterol through diet, it's important to eat foods that absorb cholesterol in the intestines and remove it from the body, such as soluble fiber foods. Learn about reducing saturated fat to lower cholesterol with help from a licensed dietitian/nutritionist in this free video on lowering cholesterol.
Cornmeal is a type of flour found in corn bread and corn tortillas. Without realizing it, many are giving their bodies a nutritional boost. Cornmeal has specific nutritional facts that could make it an important asset to your diet.
High levels of cholesterol are strongly associated with cardiovascular disease because of cholesterol's ability to promote atherosclerosis and high blood pressure. Because of this, the National Cholesterol Education Program created the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes Diet to help promote lower cholesterol levels. These recommendations were later endorsed by the American Heart Association.
High cholesterol is often attributed to an excess amount of triglycerides in the blood. Triglycerides are fatty molecules that cause a buildup in the arterial walls of the veins and arteries. High cholesterol is also related to an excess intake of saturated fats and unhealthy lifestyle choices. There are some ways you can lower cholesterol with dieting, instead of using medications and surgery to control the condition.
Change your diet and you can lower your cholesterol. Feel better and feel Healthy
The National Cholesterol Education Program suggests following a diet and exercise program for at least six months. During this period, the goal is to combine physical activity and weight control to reduce dietary saturated fat and cholesterol.
Lowering your cholesterol through diet doesn't have to be hard. It just takes a few tweaks here and there until you start to see your numbers go down.