Monday, November 06, 2006

5 Major Things You Need To Know About Cholesterol

All this time, people or professionals only talk about ways to lower your
cholesterol. But, have they really explained to you the significant details
about cholesterol that you need to know before trying to lower the level?

If they haven't, these 5 basic facts about cholesterol are important for
you:

1. Cholesterol Levels

There are actually five different ways that you can use in order to get a
complete reading on your own cholesterol levels and they are: total
cholesterol levels, HDL, LDL, total/HDL ratio, LDL/HDL ratio.
Measurement units for checking your cholesterol are conducted as milligrams
per deciliter.

Your overall desired level should be below 200 mg/dL, 200 to 240 for a
borderline level and total risk above level 240.

2. HDL Level

HDL stands for High Density Lipoproteins. It is actually just a section of
your overall cholesterol.
The normal range of HDL level for men about 40 to 50 mg/dL, and for women 50
to 60 mg/dL.
The higher it is the better. Their role in our body is to carry cholesterol
away from the body as soon as LDL has brought it.
They're the ones that help you reduce the risk of heart disease and cardiac
problems.

3. LDL Level

LDL stands for Low Density Lipoproteins. When it comes to LDL, you prefer
the level to be low. Why? Because they can clog arteries and kill us. That's
why they are called bad cholesterol.

Yet, the balance between HDL and LDL is what gives us general health.

4. How to Lower Your Cholesterol

The alternatives to using drugs are natural cholesterol reducers which could
also be found in many whole foods.

One of them is garlic. Garlic is considered a natural reducer because it
acts as an inhibitor. The other one is omega 3. Fish oils with their
omega-3-fatty acids are also known to reduce heart disease by at least 40%.

5. Risk Factors for High Cholesterol

There are some risk factors that might cause high cholesterol that you'd
better avoid.

Fast foods, chips, soft drinks, candy bars, refined sugars, butter cream,
fried cheese, fried dough, and cotton candy are foods that we've been
enjoying since we were kids. But, they are the foods that can contribute to
your high cholesterol.

They taste delicious in our mouth but they are harmful for our health. Don't
let a little joy hurt you. Diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease,
hyperthyroidism are just some of the dangers that these foods can cause;
high cholesterol is just another side effect.

However, this above basic knowledge will be easier to apply if you have
decided to lead a healthy lifestyle. Make sure that you won't suffer from
any disease only because of your ignorance of health.

About The Author: Riana Lance has a deep concern on health. Get her
inspirational e-mail guides on How to Make Your Cholesteol Lower at
http://www.healthifica.com/reports/lower-cholesterol.php Also, grasp her
other motivational health tips at http://www.healthifica.com, a
worth-to-visit daily updated blog.

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