mens health > heart > cholesterol levels

Cholesterol Levels

Many people think of cholesterol as a bad thing. However, cholesterol is needed in your body to make it function. Watching your cholesterol levels is very important though. If the cholesterol levels in your body are too high it can cause your arteries to harden and eventually you develop heart disease.

One in every five hundred people born in the US has a condition called familial hyperlipidemia. Basically this means that they were born with a form of inherited high cholesterol levels. These individuals are at a higher risk of suffering from a heart attack or stroke. Sometimes these people have a heart attack or stroke in their twenties, just because they have sky high cholesterol levels.

Kids and Cholesterol

About ten percent of kids, which works out to roughly seven million children in the US, have a cholesterol levels of over one hundred and ninety. This has led to an explosion of diabetes in children that has never been seen before in youths. It also raises their chances of getting heart disease.

But the good news is that like most things, high cholesterol levels can be nipped in the bud by a good diet and healthy exercise. You don’t have to live with high cholesterol levels, it’s practically a choice.

Cholesterol Levels Help

Here is a list of foods that are said to cut down your cholesterol levels, or prevent you from getting high cholesterol levels in the first place.

• Fish, skinless poultry and lean meats are part of a healthy diet. The trick is to make sure you don’t have too much of these things in your diet because they all contain protein. While protein is good, too much of it will raise your cholesterol levels also and before long you have high cholesterol levels the very thing you were trying to prevent.
• Fish, which I mentioned above, is very important. Fish contains oil called Omega-3. Omega-3 will protect your heart and blood vessels. Fish is also lower in non-essential fats than most other types of meat.
• Reduce your intake of high fat dairy products such as cheese, whip cream, whole milk, processed cheese and sour cream. Instead eat low fat dairy products such as yogurt and cottage cheese. This will lower your cholesterol levels.
• Avoid high fat treats that are disguised to seem healthy. Many people have a muffin for breakfast thinking that they are maintaining a healthy diet. However, muffins can contain lots of fat and oil that will raise your cholesterol levels.
• Fruits and vegetables are low in fat, and have a high level of antioxidants. These little devils are extremely good for you and are an essential part of having a healthy diet and lowering your cholesterol levels.

These are just a few of the more obvious foods to eat in order to lower your cholesterol levels. Making sure to exercise regularly is also important. Stick to these guidelines, and soon you will reduce your risk of suffering a stroke or heart attack symptoms and your cholesterol levels.

Drew Voight