Diet To Lower Cholesterol’s Value To Your Health & Well Being
July 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment
In order to promote a healthier lifestyle for those with a high level of cholesterol, it is important to start on a diet to lower cholesterol along with a daily exercise schedule. Whether you already know that you have a high level of cholesterol or your doctor has told you that you do, you need to learn about the factors that can lower and raise your cholesterol levels so you can begin eating more balanced meals.
The very first thing you should do is consult with your doctor to have him perform a blood chemistry analysis test to determine what your current cholesterol level. You can obtain the results two ways. One way is on the same visit if the doctor has a laboratory close to his office. The second way is to reschedule a consultation visit so your doctor can discuss the results with you at a later time.
The Value Of A Diet To Lower Cholesterol
If you maintain a high level of cholesterol over a period of time, it can lead to major health problems and diseases. One of these health problems is that it can stop the function of many of your organs. Another problem, which is far more serious, is that it can lead to your death. This is why many doctors stress that people with high cholesterol need to go on a diet to lower cholesterol and accompany that with a exercise routine.
The Ground Rules Required To Lower Cholesterol.
When you start on your diet to lower cholesterol, you need to be aware of some food items that you need to eliminate from your daily meals. The three main items that you need to take out are salt, unnecessary carbohydrates, and fatty foods. There are several other food items to get rid of, but those three are the main ones you need to concentrate on when you are just starting out.
Another thing you need to do is start increasing the foods that can lower your cholesterol into your daily diet. These foods are vegetables, fruits, brown rice, beans, whole grains, and foods high in fiber. These foods all contain the good cholesterol which helps your body expel all the bad cholesterol from your body.
To help your body have a continual stabilized balance, you will need to eat more foods that are high in good cholesterol and cease from eating foods that are high in bad cholesterol. By doing so, you will be providing your body the energy it needs to expel the bad cholesterol from your body.
When you begin on your diet to lower cholesterol, you need to keep in mind that you will not see any instantaneous results as the change will happen gradually. You will also be avoiding some major health problems like your organs shutting down and even death. To make your diet easy to remember, just include more foods high in fiber and try to get rid of the fatty foods and salt.
Understanding Statins and Cholesterol Medications
July 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment
There are over 100 million American adults that should seek medical advice to lower their high blood cholesterol levels. Statins, a cholesterol lowering medication which have few side effects have helped to fight heart disease and lower cholesterol levels, even though Americans are actually getting fatter.
There are things that can help you fight this problem. This article is designed to teach you how to do something about your cholesterol problems. First we will take a brief look at what cholesterol is and then we will show you how statin medications, prescribed by your doctor, can make you healthier. To treat high cholesterol there are many different types of statins, and we will review them for you.
Cholesterol a waxy, fat like substance shows itself naturally in cell membranes and walls throughout your body. Producing hormones is one of the uses of cholesterol. If there is too much cholesterol in your bloodstream problems begin to surface.
Your doctor may decide that you need help in controlling your cholesterol if you are not able to reduce it using natural treatments. Even if your doctor prescribes any of these medications, you must still follow through with healthy lifestyle treatments as well. There are several different types of medications used to lower cholesterol, but we will focus only on statins.
It is important that you first know what statins are and how they help to reduce your cholesterol. Statins suppress HMG-CoA reductase, an enzyme. HMG-CoA reductase monitors the rate that cholesterol creates itself in the body. Statins have been proven to lower cholesterol from 20% to 60%. Statins simultaneously increase the liver’s capability to withdraw Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) while slowing the production of cholesterol. There is no other drug that successfully lowers the LDL levels better than statins.
Statins can also produce a modest increase of HDL (High Density Lipoproteins) while decreasing total cholesterol and triglycerides. Positive results are usually seen after just 4 to 6 weeks of beginning the medication. Overall statins are proven for lowering heart attack risks, strokes and other coronary diseases related to high cholesterol levels.
It is not advised to take statins if any of the following pertain to you: allergies to statins themselves or their ingredients; you have a history of myopathy; you have renal failure; you consistently consume inordinate amounts of alcohol; you have liver disease; or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Consult your physician if you are unsure whether or not statin medications are right for you.
Brand names of statins that you might recognize are Lipitor, Lescol, Mevacor, Altocor, Pravahol, Zocor and Crestor. There are some drug and/or food interactions that you should be aware of. More than one quart of grapefruit juice per day can decrease the ability of the liver to process some statins. More importantly there may be other medications that can interact and cause serious side effects.
If you are taking prescription drugs or even OTC drugs such as: herbal supplements; medications for infections, immune system, heart failure, HIV or AIDS; birth control pills; Coumadin; or other cholesterol reducing drugs make sure to inform your doctor prior to using statins.
Although very rare, it is possible for side effects to surface from the use of statins. If you happen to experience vomiting, discolored urine, pain, muscle soreness,stomach pain, or weakness immediately discontinue the use of the medication and contact your physician.
The Calcium Cholesterol Connection
June 17, 2008 | Comments Off
Don’t just think Calcium suppliemental good only for bone heatlh, Calcium nutrient offers much more than that.
Our body contains plentiful of Calcium compare to other minerals. Though it is well known for increasing bone health, it’s also very important in regulating heart rhythm and muscle contraction as well as in promoting enzyme activity and facilitating nerve funtction.
Low quantity of calcium intake not only results in poor bone health, but also casuse poor blood pressure and abnormal cell growth.
Benefit of Calcium now found in totally new areas, which is cholesterol metabolism. Recent study published in the Americal Journal of Medicine, 223 women were randomly assigned to take either 1 gram(1,000 mg) of calcium daily as calcium citrate or and inactive placebo for period of 1 year. Level of LDL (bad chlesterol ) and HDL(good cholesterol) was measured at the start of this study, and then later on measured again periodically over the 12-month period. End of study period shows that HDL cholesterol and HDL-to-LDL rations has increased more for women taking the calcium supplement agains to those taking placebo. Increase was near about 5% on avgerage. It shows another reason to encourage to take calcium for postmenopausal women. More studies are required to find if same kind of benefits are achieved with men, and if calcium supplementation may affect cardiovascular health.
Using right form of Calcium is very important. Research has shown that calcium carbonate has variable absorption, which depends on stomch ph. Calcium citrate malate is considered to be very efficiently absorbed in the stomach and intestines. Over 1000% increase in absorption rates is found compared to other forms of calcium. On Sep 4,1997, the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine2 published evidence supporting the amazing benefits of calcium citrate malate. It was studied on several hundread elderly patients. Half were given 500 mg elemental calcium citrate malate with 700 IU vitamin D, and the other half was given placebo. The results found were great. Bone health found improved and fracutre rates appear to reduce by 50% by Calcium/vitamin D supplements.
Toxic heavy metal can be found on certain forms of calcium other than calcium citrate malate. The worst offenders are carbonate (especially oyster shells, a common form). It’s very important to take magnesium in addition to calcium supplements. Majority get only half of the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA)/Daily Values (DV) of magnesium through their diets.Poor bone and cardiovascular health can result from low levels of magnesium.For more information visit: http://www.hypercet.com