Plenty of people are talking about cholesterol and especially about how bad it is! No let us see what exactly cholesterol and why it is so bad!
There is good...
First of all, our bodies do need cholesterol to make bile salts, hormones, and vitamin D, so all cholesterol isn't bad. There are two kinds of blood cholesterol: LDL which is also known as the "bad" cholesterol and than there is HDL which stands for the "good" cholesterol.
... And There is Bad!
The LDL will deposit excess cholesterol on the walls of our arteries. When this buildup becomes sufficient, blood flow is impaired, or in more severe cases, even stopped. The result is a heart attack or a stroke.
We get the "bad" cholesterol mainly from saturated fats in meat, dairy products, and eggs; but some vegetable products such as coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil are also high in saturated fats.
Trans fatty acids are also culprits. We get trans fatty acids from french fries from fast food joints, from packaged snacks like microwave popcorn, and from vegetable shortening and some margarine. Saturated fats and trans fatty acids give us a double whammy. Not only do they raise bad cholesterol levels, but they lower good cholesterol levels.
How To Strengthen The Level Of Good Cholesterol?
Bad cholesterol collects on artery walls, but good cholesterol removes it. When the cholesterol levels in the blood are correct, the bad cholesterol is taken back to the liver by the good cholesterol and excreted.
Diets that doctors recommend to lower bad cholesterol levels and raise good cholesterol levels are diets that are made up of fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, whole grains, fish, and chicken. These diets do NOT include hamburgers, french fries, or pizza. They don't include candy bars, potato chips, or other prepackaged snack food.
Eating a low-cholesterol or heart-healthy diet isn't easy in our busy lives. We've depended upon fast food and packaged foods to save us time for years. But while we've been saving time, we've been dooming ourselves to heart disease, stroke, and death. Take the time to eat a low-cholesterol and heart-healthy diet. Start now!
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