The Natural Way To Lowering Cholesterol From HFL Solutions

By Dr. Sam Robbins

The problem of high cholesterol among individuals has grown out of proportion now. There are various factors responsible for it such as their eating habits, flexible working hours, inadequate sleep etc. There are two kinds of cholesterol one being HDL which is safe for the body and the other one is LDL which has a rather harmful effect on the body.

Increasing amount of LDL gets stored in the arteries which results in their hardening and this particular disorder is known as Atherosclerosis. It is extremely harmful and can have a long-lasting effect if it remains unchecked. As against conventional and traditional form of medication which is highly unsafe and tend to have certain side effects among people, natural lowering cholesterol on the other hand is very safe.

Naturally lowering cholesterol is safe and is free from harmful side effects. Our product, CholestLo possesses all the qualities that natural lowering cholesterol should have. CholestLo is the first "quarto-mode" reducer using a new technology that maximizes safety It was designed in such a manner that it could combat the rising levels of cholesterol among people without adversely affecting their health. It can be used as an alternative for medical drugs such as, Lipitor, Zocor, and Crestor.

It is our resolve to provide you with the best product possible and if CholestLo doesn't reduce your cholesterol levels within 30 days, we promise to refund your entire money and$100 cash back. What more can you ask for?

We need to face facts here. Pharmaceutical companies that make hollow claims through their mediocre medicines aren't your best bet. They are meant to maximize the profit for the company rather than actually producing the results they are meant for.

We on the other hand aren't driven by profit motive. CholestLo is one of the best products that we have launched and it has begun to bear fruits. It has all the ingredients of natural lowering cholesterol.

There are growing concerns among individuals now with regards to their health and people are becoming very cautious of the products they are using. We want that our customers to get the best Value for their money. We have kept the price of CholestLo so reasonable that it falls within the reach of almost everyone. Natural Lowering Cholesterol such as CholestLo is the way to the future and it will eradicate the menace of high cholesterol among people once and for all. - 32002

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For more information or queries in regards to CholestLo please forward all correspondence to Dr. Sam Robbins

Cholesterol Isn't Just About The Food You Eat

By Haman Oakley

Our bodies create cholesterol in order to keep us healthy. Some cholesterol is created within us while other cholesterol is ingested when you eat. If you think about it, cholesterol isn't all bad.

Heart disease, heart attacks and strokes are often associated with cholesterol; however, there is good and bad cholesterol. If the levels aren't within the norms, the above results often happen.

Cholesterol is a soft substance that is wax like. Cholesterol can be found in the cells and bloodstream. Cholesterol occurs naturally in your system. It is used in the creation of some hormones and cell membranes. Risks involved with high cholesterol are extremely dangerous.

As stated previously, cholesterol is produced by your body and consumed through food. 25% of the cholesterol in your body comes from the food you eat. The rest of it is produced by your liver and other cells.

LDL, or bad cholesterol, causes strokes, heart attacks and heart diseases. These issues are caused by cholesterol causing your arteries to clog up.

The bad cholesterol is manufactured by your body. There is a chance of inheriting genes that cause your body to produce much LDL. If you eat foods that contain saturated fats, or trans fats, your cholesterol level will increase. Having a family history of high cholesterol may not help to keep the levels low enough even if you make changes to your lifestyle.

Your blood cannot absorb cholesterol. Lipoproteins carry cholesterol to and from cells. These lipoproteins are known as low-density lipoprotein, or LDL the bad cholesterol. The good cholesterol or lipoproteins are called high-density lipoprotein, or HDL. These types of lipids in conjunction with cholesterol and triglycerides are what your cholesterol count is made of.

If there is too much bad cholesterol in your blood it eventually starts to build up in your arteries. When this combines with other substances, plaque forms making the arteries start to harden.

Good cholesterol, or HDL, is thought to protect your heart from heart attacks. If these levels are too low, your risk for a heart attack increases.

Many people hold to common beliefs in regards to cholesterol.

Some believe that exercise and diet are what control cholesterol levels. These two do affect the good cholesterol in your body; however, the bad cholesterol levels are controlled by your liver and intestines.

Controlling cholesterol levels cannot be done by simply changing from butter to margarine either. Both are high in fat. Saturated and trans fats contribute to bad cholesterol. Making this small change won't have an effect.

Your weight has nothing to do with cholesterol levels either.

Your health is in your hands. Ask your doctor about being tested if you are concerned.

No cholesterol foods doesn't mean that the food is a healthy choice. Make sure to read the label. Many foods that state they are low cholesterol foods actually contain large quantities of saturated or Trans fats.

Just because you take medication for high cholesterol, doesn't mean that you don't need to watch what you eat.

Most food, like eggs, are good for you. Keep track of cholesterol consumed by all foods during the day.

High cholesterol is not just a mans problem. Estrogen that is taken during menopause can actually increase your cholesterol levels. These levels increase naturally with age as well.

Have your cholesterol levels checked starting in your 20's. If you wait until you are middle aged, it might be to late. - 32002

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Would you like to learn more about foods that lower cholesterol? Read other article at cholesterol diet

Good HDL Cholesterol Ratio From HFL Solutions

By Dr. Sam Robbins

In reference to LDL, the HDL (High Density Lipoproteins) should be higher. When the HDL cholesterol is higher than the LDL you can reduce cholesterol. HDL moves through the bloodstream and removes bad cholesterol from blood vessels so it can be carried back to the liver and removed from the body. The HDL cholesterol ratio can be raised with the use of CholesLo.

The total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol ratio is a number that is helpful in predicting an individual's risk of developing atherosclerosis. The number is obtained by dividing the total cholesterol value by the value of the HDL cholesterol. High ratios indicate higher risks of heart attacks low ratios indicate lower risk.

When low HDL cholesterol increases the ratio and you have high total cholesterol it is said to be undesirable. But it is desirable when high HDL cholesterol and low total cholesterol lowers the ratio.

About 4.5 is the average ratio. You want it to be better than average. Therefore, the best ratio would be 2 or 3, less than 4.

LDL/HDL is another ratio. This ratio is a purer ratio than total cholesterol HDL. LDL is a measure of bad cholesterol and HDL is a measure of good cholesterol. The total cholesterol is the sum of HDL and LDL. Add up those values you have the total cholesterol measurement.

The LDL/HDL ratio is more accurate and pure than the total cholesterol HDL ratio. The LDL/HDL is often used because the total cholesterol is easier and less expensive to get then the LDL cholesterol level.

Regardless of the HDL value it is very important that you obtain an LDL of less than 80-100 especially if there are risk factors for coronary artery disease, the use of tobacco, hypertension and diabetes. It is desirable for patients with coronary artery disease, history of bypass surgery or stents to have an LDL of less than 80.

In as little as one week you can reduce cholesterol by using CholesLo. This is endorsed by doctors and clinically proven. ClolesLo has numerous advantages such as it reduces both cholesterol and triglycerides, increases HDL cholesterol ratio and it will help repair the liver. By using CholesLo you can reduce your homocysteine levels. High levels of homocysteine are related to predicting heart disease. - 32002

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Fand additional info and quesitons about CholesLo please forward any information to Dr. Sam Robbins

Atkins Diet Basics

By Michael James

The short name for the 'Atkins Nutritional Approach' is the 'Atkins Diet', which was the invention of Doctor Robert Atkins. Dr. Atkins had put on a lot of excess weight while he was studying in medical school and after reading about a certain diet in the medical journal, he decided to improve it and release it under his own name.

Atkins, in his Atkins Diet, stated that he believed that the prevalent theories about weight gain were all wrong. First, he dismissed the idea that saturated fats were bad; instead he said it was it was carbohydrates that led to the weight problems Americans have. Atkins held that our obsession with fat actually worsened the problem. He pointed to all the low-fat foods that were high in carbohydrates, which meant that people on a diet often ate foods that were worse for them than what they normally ate.

The Atkins diet shifts the focus. Atkins said that by cutting out carbohydrates, people would burn stored body fats. And if you lose the fat, you lose the weight. He said it was not just a matter of eating less. Dr. Atkins held that your diet could actually help you burn calories. The Atkins diet supposedly burned more calories than were consumed everyday. But the claims were contested.

Dr. Atkins also promulgated the positive influence that his diet could have on suffers of type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a disease you get early in life, but type 2 is often closely associated with diet and surplus body weight. So, it should follow that any diet that helps decrease weight, will help people with Type 2 diabetes. The Atkins diet is low in carbohydrates, which must be avoided with type 2 diabetes regardless of the caloric intake, so because of this aspect of the diet, Atkins claimed that those who suffer type 2 diabetes would no longer need medication such as insulin. In general, doctors disagree with Atkins on this point, although they do agree, however, that a lower carbohydrate intake helps control Type 2 diabetes, but there is no proof that carbohydrates cause diabetes.

What are the procedures one has to follow to do the Atkins diet? It goes in four phases - Induction; On-Going Weight loss; Pre-maintenance; and Lifetime Maintenance. Here follows a brief precis of the most important phase - The Induction Phase.

The Induction phase is the most difficult phase of the Atkins diet. Atkins is flexible about the time period " but recommends it lasts for two weeks. During this phase carbohydrates are severely limited " you can only consume up to 20 grams per day. The idea is to enter a fat burning metabolic phase called ketosis when the body, starved of glucose, will begin converting stored fat into fatty acids needed to power the body. Weight loss during this phase can be extreme " some Atkins followers reported losses of 5-10 pounds a week or more.

The aims of the final three phases in the Atkins diet are to learn the ideal carbohydrate levels for the next two phases, which are continued weight loss and weight maintenance. Many millions of people are still losing the weight they want to on the Atkins Diet " but beware the risks of taking in too much cholesterol and fat. - 32002

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Do you want to lose those excess kilos rapidly? Well, take a free look at The Atkins Diet, by visiting our website called The Atkins Diet Plan

Atkins Diet Basics

By Michael James

The popular name for the 'Atkins Nutritional Approach' is the 'Atkins Diet', which was the invention of Doctor Robert Atkins. Dr. Atkins had put on a lot of excess weight while he was studying in medical school and after reading about a certain diet in a medical journal, he made up his mind to improve it and publish it under his own name.

Atkins, in his Atkins Diet book, stated that he believed that the prevailing theories about putting on weight were completely wrong. First, he dismissed the idea that saturated fats were bad; instead he said it was it was carbohydrates that caused the weight problems Americans have these days. Atkins held that our obsession with avoiding fat actually aggravated the problem. He pointed out that the low-fat foods that were high in carbohydrates were not helping the nation, which probably meant that people on a diet often ate foods that were worse for them than what they had normally eaten.

The Atkins diet moved the focus. Atkins said that by avoiding carbohydrates, people would consume stored body fats. And, of course, if you lose the fat, you lose the weight. He said it was not just a question of eating less. Atkins postulated that your diet could actually help you burn calories and The Atkins Diet supposedly burned more calories than were consumed everyday. But the claims were disputed.

Dr. Atkins also touted the positive influence that his diet could have on people with type 2 diabetes. Type 1 diabetes is a disease you get early in life, but type 2 is often closely associated with diet and excess body weight. So, it should follow that any diet that helps reduce weight, will help people with Type 2 diabetes. The Atkins diet is low in carbohydrates, which ought to be avoided with type 2 diabetes regardless of the caloric intake, so because of this aspect of the diet, Atkins claimed that those who suffer type 2 diabetes would no longer need medication such as insulin. In general, doctors disagree with Atkins on this point, although they do agree, however, that a lower carbohydrate intake helps control Type 2 diabetes, but there is no proof that carbohydrates cause diabetes.

What does one have to do to follow the Atkins diet? Well, it goes in four phases - Induction; On-Going Weight loss; Pre-maintenance; and Lifetime Maintenance. This is a brief synopsis of the first phase - The Induction Phase.

The Induction phase is the most difficult of the phases in the Atkins diet. Atkins is flexible about how long it should last " but recommends it lasts for two weeks. During this phase, carbohydrate consumption is severely curtailed " you can only consume up to 20 grammes per day. The idea is to enter a fat burning metabolic phase called 'ketosis' wherein the body, starved of glucose, begins to convert stored fat into the fatty acids needed to run the body. Weight loss during this phase is often extreme " some Atkins dieters reported losses of 5-10 pounds a week or more.

The purposes of the three final phases in the Atkins diet are the learning of the ideal carbohydrate levels for the next two phases: continued weight loss and weight maintenance. Millions of people are still losing the weight they want to on this diet " but be aware of the dangers of taking in too much cholesterol. - 32002

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Do you want to lose that excess weight rapidly? Well, take a free look at The Atkins Diet, by visiting our resource called The Atkins Diet Plan

Experience Noticable Natural Cholesterol Reduction By Taking All Natural Lipibalance!

By Dr Stuart Hoover

Many people have their lifestyles catch up with them as they reach middle age and beyond. If you have, up until now, eaten a diet high in saturated fats and succumbed to many of the lifestyle traps of our modern life, then it is likely that you too could be in danger of having high cholesterol There are several medications that are prescribed to treat this condition, but there are also effective natural products available. You can try natural cholesterol lowering with all natural LipiBalance!

Cholesterol is produced naturally in our bodies by our livers and is in every cell in our being. It is an important part of healthy cell function, but all too often our modern diets oversupply us with cholesterol and it can begin to cause us health problems. When you have too much cholesterol and blood fats present, it can begin to clog your arteries and lead to heart disease. Unfortunately, heart disease remains the number one killer of both men and women in many western countries.

Your body makes a portion of cholesterol, but we also get cholesterol from our diets. If you eat a lot of animal fats, then you probably are getting too much of the bad cholesterol. This can start to cause health problems if you are not careful.

LipiBalance can help you if you have high cholesterol because it has been specially made to include the best known herbs and nutrients to combat bad cholesterol in the body and promote good cholesterol levels. For maximum benefit, you should combine LipiBalance with a healthy diet high in fresh foods and include exercise in your regular routine.

One of the key ingredients in LipiBalance is red rice yeast extract. This ingredient has been used extensively throughout the Asian continent for thousands of years and it is well known to reduce bad cholesterol. It has been extensively studied and its effects have been proved in clinical studies.

Other ingredients included in the formulation include: niacin, a type of vitamin B; guggulipid, an ingredient taken from the mukul myrrh tree a native to India and proven to reduce cholesterol and the risk of atherosclerosis; beta-sitosterol and gamma-oryzanol other cholesterol lowering ingredients; alpha-lipoeic acid, which is a strong antioxidant, which targets toxins and free radicals in your body that can lead to cancer and heart disease and inositol, which has an effect on fats in the body.

It is important that you check with your doctor before undertaking any change in your medication or deciding to try natural cholesterol lowering with all natural LipiBalance. They will be able to advise you on whether this treatment is appropriate for you and your health situation.

You will achieve natural cholesterol lowering with all natural LipiBalance if you combine this effective treatment with lifestyle changes. By taking regular exercise and limiting your consumption of high saturated fat foods as well as taking LipiBalance you can improve your health immeasurably and continue to enjoy the heart health that you have previously taken for granted. Don't become another victim of the leading killer in the western world, be proactive with your health and you will not regret it. - 32002

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There are many people around the world that do not know that they can find a natural cholesterol treatment. If you need, you should really find for natural cholesterol reduction.

Atkins Products for Dieting

By Joy Mitchell

Following a diet is never easy, especially to begin with, but frankly just because you're going to do the Atkins Diet, it doesn't mean to say that it will become any easier either. Sure, you can eat virtually unlimited amounts of high fat and high protein food, but you're still on a diet and you still have to to limit your food intake.

For a start off, you will need to limit your carbohydrate consumption especially in the first phase of your diet, and although you get to increase that incrementally later on in the diet, you might still be missing your favourite carbs, like bread or chocolate, and might still be prone to these cravings. And that's where some of the Atkins products can help.

Having tasted some of these Atkins products myself, I have to mention that I consider them to be value for money. They're by no means cheap but then again, nor are they so expensive that you'll only be able to afford one product and go hungry for the rest of the time, which might, in its own way help that you lose weight!

However, you'll be happy to hear that there's a range of Atkins products for you to select from that can help satisfy even your strongest food cravings and as an added benefit, as I said earlier, they taste great as well. But if that isn't enough for you, you'll be happy to hear that they can also assuage your sugar cravings too, as well as being good for you and filling you up!

So, what Atkins products can you get? Well, they cover a wide range of food, so it really depends on what phase of the diet you're on and what you crave. If it's breakfast bars, you've got the 'Morning Start Breakfast Bars' which are high in protein and fiber and also have the right amount of calcium you'll require as well. Then you'll notice my own personal favourite, the 'Peanut Butter Granola Bar', made with crunchy wholesomeness and peanut butter.

Then again if you really miss something from your diet, you could always try one of the Atkins products which feature different flavours, say the milk shakes. For example, if you miss peaches, you could try an Atkins Peach Milk Shake. Seriously, where would you be without your milk shakes? Probably the same place you'd be without your Chocolate Peanut Butter bars.

Have I said enough to whet your appetite? Now, do you reckon that can stick to your diet with any of these Atkins products sitting on your shelves with only a minimum of moaning?

So, now you have it, what are you waiting for? Go and grab your Atkins products now. There's only so much will power a person has and the better prepared you are the easier it will be to stick to your diet and the quicker you can lose that unwanted weight. - 32002

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Do you need to lose those excess kilos quickly? Well, take a free look at Atkins Products, by visiting our website called The Atkins Diet Plan

Reishi Alcohol Extract vs. Hot Water Extract

By Dr. Markho Rafael

Medicinal mushrooms have been immensely popular in Asia for millennia. Today, Americans are waking up to these powerful nutraceuticals. In the wake of this new awareness follow issues of product quality claims made by competing brands.

All medicinal mushroom species are plagued by this. Most fiercely debated is red reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), the most popular of all medicinal mushrooms. So this article will primarily focus on that species, but it's generally applicable to all species of medicinal mushrooms.

The first and perhaps obvious caution is to stay away from cheap mass-produced brands of medicinal mushrooms that may only contain dried and pulverized mushrooms, in which case the medicinal compounds are still inaccessible behind the mushrooms' cell walls.

There are many real therapeutic brands on the market, though. But even among them, there are significant differences. They all claim to be the best, naturally, because they all want to sell their particular brand. So let's sift the data, get the facts straight, and clear up misleading information that is out there.

There are primarily three ways to extract the medicinal compounds from red reishi. Each method pulls out different compounds, all of which have been proven by scientific research to be therapeutically important.

1. Water (Hot) Extraction (polysaccharides, etc.)

2. Alcohol Extraction (triterpenoids, etc.)

3. Fermented (arabinoxylanes, etc.)

The most important hot water extracted compounds are the polysaccharides. Studies have shown them to possess strong anti-tumor properties, help boost immune system and be powerful antioxidants. [1]

Through alcohol extraction, we get triterpenoids, a large group of lipids with many sub-groups. Research shows triterpenoids help regulate clotting, blood pressure and cholesterol. More importantly, they are the anti-inflammatory compounds that are the reason why reishi often gets recommended for arthritis, asthma and allergies. [1]

And then there are the new and unique medicinal compounds that get created when reishi is fermented. These "secondary metabolites" have their own therapeutic properties, different from the first two groups, including anti-tumor, immune support and blood-sugar balance. [2]

This article is not meant to recommend any particular brand so none will be mentioned by name. But the author does know of two reishi companies (Japanese and American) that both claim only hot water extract of reishi is effective and that alcohol extracts are of no use.

They do that, of course, because they wish to sell their products. However, there is no scientific validity to those claims. All three extraction methods listed above yield important medicinal compounds.

To determine if a brand of reishi (or Ganoderma) contains all the important medicinal compounds from the mushroom, find out if it utilizes both alcohol and hot water extraction. An additional plus would be if it also includes fermented reishi.

As a last point, when you look for the best reishi extract, one thing to look at is the form it comes in. For example, any reishi extract that fully dissolves in a water-based liquid such as coffee probably only contains hot water extracted reishi. So while reishi/ganoderma coffee certainly makes for a superbly delicious and healthy cup loaded with polysaccharides, it won't include the important anti-inflammatory triterpenoids.

Surprisingly, though, alcohol tinctures may include both hot water extract and alcohol extract. You will know if the alcohol tincture contains polysaccharides because when the alcohol and hot water extracts are blended, the polysaccharides fall out of solution and the tincture becomes cloudy. (Just shake it before you take it.) A cloudy medicinal mushroom tincture is an indication of high polysaccharide content. Capsules and tablets may be either hot water extract or alcohol extract or both.

[1] Boh B, Berovic M, Zhang J, Zhi-Bin L. "Ganoderma lucidum and its pharmaceutically active compounds." Biotechnol Annu Rev. 2007;13:265-301.

[2] Tang YJ, Zhang W, Zhong JJ. "Performance analyses of a pH-shift and DOT-shift integrated fed-batch fermentation process for the production of ganoderic acid and Ganoderma polysaccharides by medicinal mushroom Ganoderma lucidum." Bioresour Technol. 2009 Mar;100(5):1852-9. - 32002

About the Author:

Dr. Rafael has worked in the health field since the 1990's, currently specializing in medicinal mushrooms. He partners with Davida Sara on red reishi extract and cordyceps extract plus the increasingly popular mesima and more.

LDL Cholesterol: The Hidden Hand Behind Heart Disease

By Ned Dagostino

Medical research proves beyond doubt that there is an unholy nexus between LDL cholesterol and heart disease. The long and the short of it is: LDL cholesterol is bad for the heart! What then is LDL cholesterol and what can we do to control it? The answer to that question is the burden of this article. Please do take the time to read it, it can mean the difference between robust good health and a lifetime of illness.

The LDL cholesterol and HDL cholesterol levels are maintained within a normal range by the body's natural regulatory mechanism. Sometimes this regulatory mechanism malfunctions, or maybe the body is flooded with cholesterol by ingestion. In any case the blood cholesterol level exceeds the normal range. This leads to a serious condition which can lead to severe health problems.

LDL means 'fatty proteins of low density'. This in turn means that LDL cholesterol tends to be loose and thick. LDL cholesterol circulates with the blood and sticks to the inner walls of the blood vessels, forming plaque and gradually reducing the vascular passage. This condition is called arteriosclerosis which results in atherosclerosis, meaning degeneration of the blood vessels.

Blood backs up from this point leading to high blood pressure which severely stresses the heart. Worse, small bits of the LDL cholesterol blockage can get dislodged and flow down with the blood. If these bits of LDL cholesterol enter a capillary, which is a very fine blood vessel, the capillary gets blocked starving the areas served by the capillary network of vital blood. If this happens in the brain, then areas of the brain just shut down leading to a form of paralysis called a 'stroke'. If the blood flow to the heart itself is cut off, a heart attack occurs possibly leading to a fatality. These are just two situations which can occur when LDL cholesterol exceeds the normal limit. There are a great number of similar situations, collectively called cardiovascular disease, which are directly linked to the excessive LDL cholesterol level.

There is just one thing we can do to guard against heart disease caused by excessive LDL cholesterol: assist the body in regulating the blood cholesterol level. The most effective way is by controlling what we eat. Medical researchers tell us that the most common reason for excessive LDL cholesterol is our over-indulgence in saturated fats, both directly and indirectly. We can have fatty foods which are good for health, like the omega-3 group of fats. The omega-3 fats actually work to reduce the LDL cholesterol in the blood, so we should have a lot of tuna and salmon because they are rich sources of omega-3 fats. Studies show that drinking a lot of water helps to increase the blood circulation which goes a long way in reducing LDL cholesterol.

Change your cooking medium from heavy saturated fats to unsaturated fats and oils. Virgin olive oil is good for your heart. These dietary changes will be very beneficial in your battle against heart disease.

Quit smoking. We all know that smoking is bad for the lungs and is also a carcinogenic activity. What most of us don't know is that smoking aggravates the high LDL cholesterol condition. The LDL cholesterol will drop almost immediately from the time you stop smoking, and it will drop further if you do as mentioned in this article.

High stress environments lead to high levels of LDL cholesterol in the body almost immediately. Learn to deal with stress. When your slave driver calls you up, prepare yourself to remain calm! The mind is the best tranquilizer for you! If possible seek a change of environment for the sake of your health. Health is wealth, and that's for sure!

To sum up, LDL cholesterol can be controlled by eating foods which are free of saturated fats, exercising, quitting smoking and ridding yourself of stress. The worst thing you can do is to panic about high LDL cholesterol levels. This article is meant to educate you about the cause and prevention of heart disease, not scare you. Use what you have learnt in this article to control the LDL cholesterol situation. Once that is under control, you can say that the risk of heart disease is under control. - 32002

About the Author:

To read more about how to reduce cholesterol visit www.reduce-high-cholesterol.com. You'll also find out how a simple over the counter cholesterol test can help you keep an eye on your levels and lower the number of costly trips to the physician.

Introduction to Cholesterol

By Haman Oakley

A lot of people is under the impression that cholesterol is something that does not occur in a normal body. That it's caused by extraneous factors, and if you could get rid of those factors, you will no longer have any cholesterol in your body.

Technically this is not correct. In fact, cholesterol is completely normal. Every human body contains cholesterol. It is a substance manufactured by the liver. Its function is involved with the movement of fatty material from the liver to other organs and parts of the body, and back.

The main types of cholesterol are: LDL, or Low Density Lipoproteins, and HDL, or High Density Lipoproteins. HDL is often called the "good guy". Its job is to carry fatty material from the rest of the body back to the liver, where it has to be dealt with, either by breaking it down, or discarding it. The "bad guy" is LDL. This type of cholesterol has the function of distributing fats from the liver to areas in the body where it is needed (under normal circumstances).

Unfortunately in real life there are a couple of factor, both caused by ourselves or by circumstances outside our control, which disturb the normal balance between LDL and HDL, causing the system to malfunction, and fat to start building up in our arteries.

One of the most important causes of cholesterol levels going haywire is to put it bluntly: eating too much, and eating the wrong food. In times gone by, our forebears had a more active lifestyle. If they ate a lot of fatty food, the body used that to provide energy, and no harmful substances were stored, no balances disturbed. In our time we eat way too much fatty food, which our bodies don't need, and has no other plan with than to store it in the form of fat. The balance of HDL and LDL in our bodies becomes disturbed, and this results in the build-up of fatty tissue in our arteries, often clogging them.

Another important contributing factor to cholesterol imbalance is smoking. Not many people know that cigarettes contain a highly toxic substance known as acrolein. This stuff is also present in pesticides and chemical weapons! It suppresses the normal functioning of LDL and HDL. One the one hand HDL no longer effectively carries excess fat from other areas of the body back to the liver to be destroyed or recycled, and LDL is oxidized in the whole process, changing it cellular structure and causing it to malfunction.

Something that not a lot of us know either, is the role of genetic factors in all of this. For a reason we don't quite understand yet, about 70% of people suffer from a genetic disorder causing the production of good and bad cholesterol to become out of balance. Too much bad cholesterol - too little good cholesterol. And the system basically collapses.

Acting alone, a single one of the factors mentioned above might not be deadly. When they work in conjunction however, they form a lethal mix that results in the death of more people in America than anything else. Cholesterol is also one of the major causes of death world wide. - 32002

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Would you like to learn more about foods that lower cholesterol? Read other article at cholesterol diet