- Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance made in the liver and also found in the liver and certain foods such as eggs, dairy products and meat. The body needs cholesterol because its cell walls use cholesterol to produce hormones, vitamins D and A, and bile acids to digest fat. When there's too much cholesterol in the system, a thick hard deposit called plaque forms in the arteries, which narrows space for blood to flow to the heart. This causes the arteries to harden, causing heart disease.
- Cholesterol travels through the blood attached to proteins called lipoprroteins, an assembly of proteins and lipids. Low-density lipoproteins, or LDL, are considered bad cholesterol because they build up and cause plaque on the arteries. The more LDL your blood, the higher your chances of heart disease. High-density lipoproteins, or HDL, are considered good cholesterol because they help the body eliminate fat. Excess calories, sugar and alcohol convert triglycerides, another group of lipids that you don't want too many of, into fat that the body stores.
- Some of the risk factors of high cholesterol include a diet with high-cholesterol foods, obesity, diabetes, your age, gender and heredity. When you turn 20, you should start monitoring your cholesterol. If your cholesterol level is below 200, then you're in good shape. If it's between 200 and 239, you're at a moderate risk. If it's over 240, you're at a high risk for heart disease and diabetes.
- One misconception about cholesterol is that because some food products have "low-cholesterol" labels on them, they are safe to eat. But many of them have trans fats and saturated fats, which contribute to LDL cholesterol levels. When shopping for food products be sure to to look at the amount of trans fats, saturated fats and sodium. The Food and Drug Administration now requires foods to be labeled for trans fats. Another misconception is that eggs are generally bad for your cholesterol. One egg has 213mg cholesterol, and the recommended cholesterol limit is less than 300mg. So the key is eating eggs in moderation.
- While physical exercise and a good diet lower bad cholesterol, treatments help too. Statins are drugs that help lower bad cholesterol and boost your good cholesterol. Popular brands of statins include Lipitor, Crestor, Mevacor and Zocor. You can also take bile-acid resins like Colestid, Lo-Cholest, Prevalite and Questran. But statins also have side effects, such as headaches, sleeping problems, muscle aches, nausea, diarrhea and dizziness. The side effects of bile-acid resins are constipation, nausea and bloating.
- With the alarming rate of childhood obesity, it's not surprising that some children experience high cholesterol. Parents can help their children's heart health by encouraging physical activity, limiting computer and TV time, and preparing meals that are delicious but still healthy.
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