Cholesterol: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

To understand the role cholesterol plays in relation to heart disease is key to living a long healthy life.

Cholesterol (C27H45OH) is a vital and needed steroid alcohol produced by the liver. Its importance to the bodys many other functions is immeasurable, when numbers are positive. However when the figures are between borderline high (BLH) to very high (VH), we run the risk of heart disease, hypertension, and stroke, shortening the lifespan of an afflicted individual. If you are one of millions suffering the effects of not being able to eat pizza three times a week…relax, you’re not alone.

First let’s talk about optimal conditions. When all is right with the body’s world, it uses cholesterol to assist with other functions such as cell development, the production of natural vitamin D which then helps with the body’s ability to maintain strong bones and teeth. It helps with cortisol production whereby that helps with the development of male/female sex hormones. You see where this is headed. It can springboard in positive ways from one system to the next.

Where does Cholesterol come from?

A) The Body’s Liver

B) Certain Food Substance

C) Family History/Genetic Predisposition

Before we move on to the not so optimal conditions, see below the standard normo grams for “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly” cholesterol scores.

Total Cholesterol

Best < 200

BLH 200 to 239

H >240

Good Cholesterol                               Bad Cholesterol                    Ugly (Triglycerides)

HDL > 60 (Great!)                              LDL < 100 (Great!)               N < 150

GD >40 (OK)                                      100 to 129                            BLH 150 to 199

Bd < 40                                               BLH 130 to 159                    H 200 to 499

                                                           H 160 to 189                         VH > 500

                                                           VH > 190

 

So what do all the numbers mean? It is easy to understand each separate table. But what happens when you have a total score 220, not bad you say but the doc is still wagging his/her forefinger in your face?

It’s more than likely that the “ugly”, or triglycerides, are causing the problem.

So you can see how important those numbers might be in the scheme of trying to maintain a healthy cholesterol score.

A high triglyceride count, along with an increased LDL score, greatly increases the chance of heart disease.

Good News

You may not be able to change family predisposition and genetic make-up, but you can take control of the way you care for yourself.

Dietary intake

More foods containing phytosterols are entering the food industry.

Phytosterols are found in certain plant extracts, soy beans, and garlic.

Look for food products containing the Corwise label, for starters, on some breads and butter replacement spreads.

Replace whole milk with soy milk or low fat milk products. Consume less caffeine and drink more water. The standard is said to be 6 to 8 8oz glasses per day.

The best way to avoid increasing your chances of gaining higher numbers is simple, really. Eat in more/eat out less. You will have more control over better food choices in your daily dietary intake and you will also save money!

Transfats have not really been touched on much, here, despite their importance in the process, so I feel an honorable mention for this potentiator should be noted.

Trans fats effect on cholesterol

Trans fats increase triglycerides and lipoproteins in the blood stream, whereby this interferes with the body’s inflammatory process by promoting cell damage and ultimately hindering our own natural healing capability. Reading food labels is important as there are many foods, especially processed foods, that carry a high trans fat content.

Exercise

I know, the dreaded “E” word. Much like an automobile that sits for years without maintenance, building up sludge, causing the engines pistons to come to a screeching halt, for not having an oil change for a year or two (oops! Cat’s out of the bag), so too does the body similarly break down (Can you tell that my husband is a mechanic. I guess all my years of sitting on a stool in his garage, mooning over his sweaty hunka-licious bod wasn’t for naught! ...I digress).

A thirty minute brisk walk, three to five times a week is all it takes to get the body moving in the right direction. No special clothing or equipment is needed, except maybe a good pair of walking shoes.

Medication

Okay, so you’re exercising your hind end off, eating your oatmeal everyday for the past three months and comes the big day, the visit to your primary MD for your check up. “Oh boy”, you say, “someone’s gonna be proud of me now”!

The disappointment sets in when you learn that your numbers haven’t really budged much, despite all your effort to maintain a healthier lifestyle.

This is where the genetic predisposition comes into play. We can not do anything about family history. It is what it is.

Your doctor may prescribe medication to help control your liver’s cholesterol production.

These medications are in the statin family and there are many of them. Your doctor will know which is best for your individual needs.

Oh…and smoking is a biggie. It not only sucks the life air out of your lungs, but also out of your body’s oxygen carrying blood supply, that then potentiates the damage to arteries done by high cholesterol, causing hardening of the arteries…but that’s another topic for discussion.

In conclusion, this article is meant to be an informative tool to help individuals to attain better health practices and to live a higher quality of life.

As always visit your primary care physician (PCP) regularly, exercise, eat healthfully and you stand a good chance of living a long life well past retirement, able to enjoy all that well needed rest and relaxation you have worked so hard to bring to fruition.

Follow this site to calculate your chances of high cholesterol

http://health.msn.com/health-topics/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100105399

I like this site for tips and tricks to gain a healthier lifestyle. See what you think.

http://www.crestor.com/c/your-arteries/living-healthy/index.aspx?source=301&WT.mc_id=301&WT.srch=1&gclid=CJagwYzw_5kCFWVM5QodAx5_FQ

Disclosure statement: I am a Registered Nurse with multiple areas of experience within the health field, that has gained experience through my many years of practice working with the public. I currently practice critical care nursing, as it relates to the heart, lungs, and kidneys.

The practices that I write about here in this article are only suggestions for better lifestyle choices. You should always see you primary health professional before starting any change in dietary and/or exercise regimen or have questions about changes in medications.