How do I lower my cholesterol ?

How do i lower my cholesterol ?

             Cholesterol is type of fat found in your blood. Your liver makes cholesterol for your body. You can also get cholesterol from the food you eat.

            Meat, fish, eggs, butter, cheese and milk all have cholesterol in them fruits, vegetables and grains don't have any cholesterol.

            The cholesterol in your blood comes from two sources : the foods you eat and your liver. Your liver makes all the cholesterol your body needs. 

            Cholesterol and other fats are carried in your bloodstream as spherical particles called liloproteins.

           Your body needs some cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D, and digestive fluids. Cholesterol also helps your organ function properly. Yet having too much LDL ( low density liloproteins )

Cholesterol can be a problem. High LDL cholesterol over time can damage your arteries, contributes to heart disease, and increase your risk for a stroke.

          High cholesterol can cause a dangerous accumulation of cholesterol and other deposits on the walls of your arteries (atherosclerosis).

         These deposits (plagues) can reduce blood flow through your arteries, which can cause complications, such as chest pain.

How to reduce cholesterol quickly ?

• Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and beans
• We don’t have to become complete vegetarians to get our cholesterol levels into healthy ranges, studies on the Pritikin Program have found, but clearly, the more vegetables, fruits, potatoes, and other naturally-fiber-rich plant foods we eat, the healthier we’ll be. Read More
• Be mindful of fat intake
• Learn about the fats you should avoid, and the "good" fats you should limit.
• Eat more plant sources of protein
• Learn about excellent plant proteins that, rather than raising blood cholesterol levels, as animal sources of protein do, actually help lower cholesterol.
• Eat fewer refined grains, such as white flour
• In this section you'll learn why whole grains are a better choice the refined grains.You'll also be introduced to a whole new world of flavors with whole grains like whole-wheat couscous, polenta (cornmeal), quinoa, wild rice, and kasha.
• Get moving
• Learn about a simple and practical plan that's easy to weave into daily life.

Causes :

Cholesterol is carried through your blood, attached to proteins. This combination of proteins and cholesterol is called a lipoprotein. There are different types of cholesterol, based on what the lipoprotein carries. They are:

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL). LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, transports cholesterol particles throughout your body. LDL cholesterol builds up in the walls of your arteries, making them hard and narrow.
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL, or "good" cholesterol, picks up excess cholesterol and takes it back to your liver.

A lipid profile also typically measures triglycerides, a type of fat in the blood. Having a high triglyceride level can also increase your risk of heart disease.

Factors you can control — such as inactivity, obesity and an unhealthy diet — contribute to high cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol. Factors beyond your control might play a role, too. For example, your genetic makeup might keep cells from removing LDL cholesterol from your blood efficiently or cause your liver to produce too much cholesterol.

Risk factors

Factors that can increase your risk of bad cholesterol include:

• Poor diet. Eating saturated fat, found in animal products, and trans fats, found in some commercially baked cookies and crackers and microwave popcorn, can raise your cholesterol level. Foods that are high in cholesterol, such as red meat and full-fat dairy products, will also increase your cholesterol.
• Obesity. Having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater puts you at risk of high cholesterol.
• Lack of exercise. Exercise helps boost your body's HDL, or "good," cholesterol while increasing the size of the particles that make up your LDL, or "bad," cholesterol, which makes it less harmful.
• Smoking. Cigarette smoking damages the walls of your blood vessels, making them more prone to accumulate fatty deposits. Smoking might also lower your level of HDL, or "good," cholesterol.
• Age. Because your body's chemistry changes as you age, your risk of high cholesterol climbs. For instance, as you age, your liver becomes less able to remove LDL cholesterol.
• Diabetes. High blood sugar contributes to higher levels of a dangerous cholesterol called very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) and lower HDL cholesterol. High blood sugar also damages the lining of your arteries.