What You Should Know About Cholesterol
Knowing about cholesterol - the good and the bad - can be very important to your health. This information could help you avoid heart disease later in life because your risk of heart disease increases as your blood levels of "bad" cholesterol increase. If you have high cholesterol, changes in your eating habits, other lifestyle changes, and, if necessary, drugs can help you lower your cholesterol levels. High cholesterol is an important concern for everyone.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a substance that your body needs in order to make hormones and vitamin D, and that helps your body process the fats you eat. It is known chemically as a lipid. The total cholesterol level in the blood is often measured, but there are 3 main types of cholesterol: high density lipoprotein (HDL), which is considered "good" cholesterol; and low density lipoprotein (LDL) or very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), which are both considered "bad" cholesterol.
Cholesterol levels are affected by a number of factors, including eating foods with too much saturated fat or cholesterol, being overweight, physical inactivity, inherited health traits, and your age and gender. When there is too much "bad" cholesterol in the blood, the excess can build up on the walls of the arteries and cause a number of health problems. You need to be aware of your cholesterol levels, because if your HDL level is too low or your LDL or VLDL levels are too high, you may be on your way to developing heart disease.
Should you have your cholesterol checked?
All adults 20 years old or older should have their cholesterol checked at least once every 5 years. You should have your cholesterol checked more frequently if you are older than 45 (for men) or 55 (for women) or have a family history of high cholesterol. Your doctor can test your total cholesterol and HDL levels with a simple blood test.
How you can lower your cholesterol
. Eat foods low in saturated fat, total fat, and cholesterol
. Eat foods high in starch and fiber (fruits, vegetables, breads, cereals, grains, pasta, dry peas, beans)
. Exercise regularly.
. If you are overweight, lose weight