When asked what is high cholestrol many people will not know the answer.
There are no known symptoms of having high cholestrol and some people don’t find out until after something severe like a heart attack. The only way to know if you suffer from high cholestrol is to have a blood test done.
High cholestrol is when there is too much cholestrol in the blood. cholestrol is a fatty wax like substance that is found in your body and in certain foods that we eat. The body uses cholestrol to produce hormones, and strengthen cells. There are two types of cholestrol LDL which is the bad kind and HDL which is the good kind. These are lipoproteins that move through the blood stream. You can high levels of both, but having to much LDL is hazardous.
LDL is a low density lipoprotein that can cause a buildup of plaque on the arteries wall. This plaque buildup causes blood flow to slow down, and can lead to a heart attack or stroke. It can also cause your blood to clot, which can cause numerous problems to your body.
HDL removes LDL from the blood stream and carries it to the liver where it will be removed as waste. Having high levels of HDL is actually good for you and can help lower your chances of getting heart disease.
High cholestrol can be caused by various factors being overweight and eating foods that are high in saturated fat is the poster boy for high cholestrol. Certain foods are very high in cholestrol like egg yolks and consumption should be limited. Saturated fat can be found in almost all animal products like meat and dairy.
Saturated fat has been linked to raising LDL cholestrol levels. Some foods to avoid that contain high cholestrol are: liver, egg yolks, butter, heavy cream, veal, lamb, beef chuck, crab, duck and salmon. Shrimp also is high in cholestrol but contains omega oils that are healthy for you, which offset the high cholestrol.
It may seem that high cholestrol affects only older people but that is untrue. In today’s day and age where fast food companies like McDonalds’ are on the rise, children as young as 13 can be affected. Over the past years there has been a rise in obesity in children. This rise can be the result of less activity due to video games and eating more foods that are high in saturated fat. A lot of junk food is high in saturated fat, and with parents working more kids are left to fend for themselves.
By getting your cholestrol checked you can find out if your cholestrol is high. By eating a healthy diet and exercising you can keep your cholestrol levels down and under control.