Cholesterol Information & Advice
Contrary to popular opinion, cholesterol is not just a dangerous form of fat that can be found lurking in certain foods. And not all cholesterol is bad. In fact a sufficient supply of cholesterol is vital for the health
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a lipid substance manufactured by the liver. It is important for many of the body's biological functions, including cellular repair and the manufacture of vitamin D. The body is very efficient, and produces all the cholesterol it needs (around 1,000mg per day for the average person), but eating cholesterol rich foods such as eggs, red meats, and full fat dairy products can soon upset the balance. In fact many popular foods have the ability to send cholesterol levels through the roof, but just to complicate matters a little further there are, in fact, two different types of cholesterol and only one type is considered bad.
High Cholesterol — Main Contributing Factors
Other contributing factors include:
- Genetics (Family history of high cholesterol)
- High blood pressure
- Hypothyroidism
- Insufficient Exercise
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Obesity
- Elevated stress levels (stressful environment etc.)
High Cholesterol Foods (Know your Enemy)
A few high cholesterol foods include:
- Dairy products (cheese, butter, full-fat milk)
- Eggs yolks and foods that contain egg yolks, such as mayonnaise
- Red meat (especially when processed to make burgers and sausages etc.)
- Liver (not surprisingly, given its role in cholesterol production)
- Oily fish (mackerel) shrimps, muscles, and caviar
How to Lower Cholesterol
One of the best ways to lower cholesterol is to cut down on high cholesterol foods, but certain foods also have the ability to help bring cholesterol levels down and, as mentioned previously, cholesterol lowering drugs and supplements are available.
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