The fight against bad cholesterol
Cholesterol is a crystalline substance technically classified as a steroid, but because it is fat-soluble it is also classfied as a lipid. It is found naturally in the brain, nerves, liver, blood, and bile. Eighty percent of total body cholesterol is manufactured in the liver, and twenty percent from dietary sources.
Simply put, your LDL (low-density lipoproteins) is your bad cholesterol and your HDL (high-density lipoproteins) is your good cholesterol.
Elevated blood cholesterol and triglycerides (another kind of fat in the blood)can cause plaque in arteries, leading to heart disease. The condition of high LDL cholesterol and low HDL cholesterol in combination is also implicated in gallstones, impotence, mental impairment, and colon polyps. Plaque-filled arteries impede blood to the brain, kidneys, genitals, and extremities. The destructive process of this condition is inflammatory in nature. The immune system fights back, but this natural anti-inflammatory process can damage artery linings, causing the buildup of plaque that restricts healthy blood flow.
Fortunately, there are several prescription medicines on the market to combat high cholesterol. Your physician is your first and most important defense, your first source of information and treatment of cholesterol, and will want to monitor your levels every 3 to 6 months after prescribing one or more lipid-lowering drugs.
He will also recommend a certain diet to reduce saturated fat and cholesterol, and will advise you to avoid foods containing hydrogenated fats and hardened fats and oils. These include butter, margarine, and lard. Other foods high in cholesterol include egg yolks, whole milk, whole-milk cheese, sour cream, ice cream, and otgan meats, especially liver. You should also avoid pork and fried foods, and read labels to determine the cholesterol conten of canned and packaged foods.
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