Prevention And Treatment Of High Cholesterol – What You Need To Know!
Having high levels of cholesterol is not only limited to old age people. It can occur to anyone regardless of their age. The human body works in such a way that it creates cholesterol in itself. An extra amount of cholesterol exists in your body because of the food you eat.
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Treatment Of High Cholesterol
While most people think it is not something to worry about, they forget the fact that cholesterol is a fat that passes through your bloodline, and if the heart does not receive enough blood it can lead to damage to heart muscles which can cause life-threatening situations. The good thing is that cholesterol levels can be controlled in various ways.
What is Hyperlipidemia?
Hyperlipidemia is the medical term for high cholesterol. Both terms refer to the same meaning. Hyperlipidemia includes various disorders that cause extra fats in your blood which are known as lipids. In some cases, hyperlipidemia or high cholesterol can be treated whereas it can stay for a long period of time in other cases. You can be at risk of developing hyperlipidemia if you have:
- High LDL for low-density lipoprotein levels, also known as bad cholesterol
- High level of HDL high-density lipoprotein, also called as good cholesterol
- Elevated levels of triglycerides
- An amalgamation of HDL, LDL, and triglycerides.
Hyperlipidemia can be treated by making lifestyle changes including proper diet, physical exercise, etc. in your everyday routine or you can also shift to medications if nothing works.
Understanding about Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a wax-like substance that is present in your blood. The human body needs to have cholesterol in order to build healthy cells and create vitamins but you acquire extra cholesterol from the food items you eat. Another major source of cholesterol in the human body is the liver since it makes the required amount of cholesterol your body needs.
Too much cholesterol can lead to an increase in its levels which can cause damage to your heart. Cholesterol levels are important to maintaining since it flows through the blood. The higher the amount of cholesterol in your bloodline, the greater the risk to your heart. It puts your body at risk of strokes or heart attack. There are mainly two types of cholesterol present in your body, namely, LDL or low-density lipoprotein which is considered the bad cholesterol, and HDL or high-density lipoprotein which is considered the good cholesterol.
You would not be able to detect if you have high cholesterol levels or not since it shows no symptoms in your body. Only a blood test can determine your cholesterol levels. Cholesterol levels can be treated using the right ways depending upon your condition.
Diagnosis
When there is too much bad cholesterol in your body, it does not show any signs. There are no symptoms of having high cholesterol levels in your body so the only way to know if you have a balanced cholesterol level in your body is to get yourself checked at least once in 5 years.
The doctor will conduct a blood test in order to know your cholesterol levels. The blood test determines your good cholesterol, bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and total cholesterol levels in your body.
Another way to determine low cholesterol levels depends upon your medical history, heart rate, blood, and the case of high cholesterol levels in your family.
What are the causes of Hyperlipidemia?
Extra fat is caused in your body because of the food items. Then, it takes the shape of bad cholesterol and causes various diseases.
Food items that have trans fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol can increase the levels of your low-density lipoprotein. Here is the list of items that causes extra fat-like substance in your body-
- Cheese
- Fried food
- Pastries
- Egg yolk
- Ice cream
- Red meat
- Dairy products rich in fat
- Butter
- Pork
- Steak
- Shrimp
- Coconut oil
- Fast food
- Prawns
In addition to the food that is rich in saturated and trans fat, cholesterol is also caused by a low intake of those food items that do not contain healthy fats.
Healthy fat is responsible for raising the level of good cholesterol. Food items such as soybean, sunflower oil, nuts, oily fish, peanut oil, avocados, olive oil, and canola oil are rich in healthy fats.
Food items that contain fiber are also good for your cholesterol maintenance. In case your body is not getting enough fiber-soluble food items, you may be at risk of high bad cholesterol. You can add fruits, legumes (lentils, baked beans, chickpeas, soybean), and wholegrain cereals such as barley and oats in your diet to gain an ample amount of fiber.
Treatment and Management at Home
A balanced diet plays an essential role in maintaining the level of cholesterol in the body. It can help you lose weight and control your bad cholesterol.
Change in diet can be started by adding natural products to your everyday diet. Here are a few natural items that will help you control your cholesterol levels.
Green tea– Everyone knows that green tea is very beneficial for health. It is rich in polyphenols which directly impact your cholesterol by lowering the level of low-density lipoprotein and increasing the levels of high-density lipoprotein. You can have two to three cups of green tea to get a positive response.
Coriander seeds– Coriander seeds are being used in Ayurveda for a long time in order to treat a number of diseases. One of the diseases on the list is cholesterol levels. There are a number of key vitamins found in coriander seeds such as folic acid, beta carotene, vitamin A, and Vitamin C. All these elements help your cholesterol levels to remain controlled.
Fenugreek seeds– Fenugreek seeds are also known as methi seeds. It is used as a spice and a flavoring agent that is used for cooking. It is also used in the form of medicine. The element name saponins are present in fenugreek seeds that help you to get rid of your extra cholesterol whereas the fiber present in saponins helps by reducing the synthesis in the liver.
Garlic– Garlic is best known for its medicinal properties. With the presence of several elements such as vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and organosulfur compounds, garlic has been proven to be very beneficial. The use of garlic helps in reducing the total as well as low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. It may also increase the level of good cholesterol. According to experts, having half or 1 garlic clove every day can lower your cholesterol level by up to 9 percent.
Psyllium husk– According to a claim of the US FDA, adding 3 to 12 grams of soluble fiber from psyllium seeds to your diet lowers the risk of heart disease. As you already know, soluble fiber helps your body by decreasing the level of bad cholesterol. Psyllium husk seed is rich in soluble fiber since it comes from the seeds of Plantago ovata. You just need to add 1 or 2 teaspoons of psyllium husk to your everyday meals and that would be enough.
Amla– Amla is highly rich in vitamin C as well as amino acids and minerals. Amla has a direct impact on cholesterol levels and its addition to your everyday diet can decrease bad cholesterol. One or two unlock every day depending upon your preferences to keep your cholesterol levels under control.
Verdict
Hyperlipidemia for high levels of cholesterol is a major threat to your heart. It can be e developed over a period of time or genetically.
The only thing about it is that it can be controlled using medications and natural remedies. Medications should only be taken when lifestyle changes do not work for you.
This happens when you have a higher level of bad cholesterol in the body. The fact that food items kept in your kitchen such as garlic, coriander seeds, green tea, etc. can help you control your cholesterol level is amazing.
While you add a few items to your diet, you should also remove something from your diet that can cause high cholesterol in your body such as butter, dairy products, fried food, egg yolk, coconut, fast food, pork, ice cream, organ meat, etc.
FAQ
Yes, too much consumption of healthy fat can lead to weight gain, metabolic issues, etc.
Yes, natural remedies can be used for lowering the bad cholesterol levels in your body. You can use natural products like turmeric, amla, garlic, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, oats, nuts, okra, beans, etc.
Hyperlipidemia is caused by food items that have trans as well as saturated fat. It can also be caused by a lack of those food items that are not rich in healthy fats and fiber.
Your body requires a certain amount of cholesterol which is produced by the body itself. The extra cholesterol that your body gains through external factors is harmful to you.
Hyperlipidemia develops in your body if you have low HDL levels, high LDL levels, high levels of triglycerides, or a combination of all three.
Read More About: How High Cholesterol Can Affect Your Heart? How To Lower Cholesterol?