Whilst everybody would agree that high cholesterol is bad, cholesterol itself isn’t and is an important building block in the cells in our body. The problem is that high cholesterol tends to cause the narrowing and hardening of the arteries, which in turn can lead to heart disease or stroke. What does blood cholesterol level depend on? Many people would say it depends on the kind of food we eat but this is not the whole truth when it comes to high cholesterol. High cholesterol can also be caused in part to how cholesterol is made in your liver.
There are two kinds of cholesterol - the “good” HDL cholesterol, and the “bad” LDL cholesterol. HDLs are transporters that carry excess cholesterol to the liver where it can be broken down. LDLs cause the build-up of cholesterol in the arteries leading to high blood pressure and risk of heart attack. High cholesterol can only usually be detected through a blood test. The ideal levels of HDL are over 40 mg/dL and for LDL, under 100 mg/dL.
A recent study from the Archives of Internal Medicine found that cholesterol levels tended to vary according to changes in weather. 500 people from Massachusetts were analyzed over a year and the trend was very clear - high cholesterol levels were found in winter and the levels went down in summer. Why are the winter months conducive to high cholesterol? The diet did not differ greatly so it would seem that physical activity had something to do with the treatment of high cholesterol and keeping cholesterol levels in check. The increased activity associated with summer was very probably active in the treatment of high cholesterol.
Natural Treatment of High Cholesterol
Vitamin C is found to be very effective in the treatment of high cholesterol. Pectin from fruit and vegetables seems to help in fighting high cholesterol by flushing out the excess from the system. Two or three carrots a day is said to be beneficial in lowering high cholesterol. Strawberries, apples, spinach, potatoes and tomatoes are also useful in the treatment of high cholesterol (http://www.mitamins.com/disease/High-Cholesterol.html). Vitamin E prevents the oxidation of cholesterol and can therefore prevent hardening of the arteries.
Garlic, turmeric and cinnamon are also very beneficial natural treatments of high cholesterol (http://www.mitamins.com/disease/High-Cholesterol.html), with many cases reporting good results. Recent studies have indicated a possible relationship between high cholesterol and a malfunctioning thyroid. In this case the treatment of high cholesterol would be synonymous with the treatment of thyroid problems.
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The Truth about High Cholesterol
