Topic of the Month
High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy,
fatlike substance that your body needs to function normally. Cholesterol
is naturally present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in
the body, including the brain, nerves, muscles, skin, liver,
intestines, and heart.
Cholesterol is used by your body to build healthy cells, as well
as some vital hormones. If you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, the excess
may be deposited in arteries, including the coronary (heart)
arteries, where it contributes to the narrowing and blockages
that cause the signs and symptoms of heart disease.
Cause :
Several drugs and diseases can bring about high cholesterol,
but, for most people, a high-fat diet and inherited risk factors
may be the main causes.
- Heredity: Your genes influence how high your LDL
(bad) cholesterol is by affecting how fast LDL is made and
removed from the blood.
- Weight: Excess weight may modestly increase your
LDL (bad) cholesterol level.
- Physical activity/exercise: Regular physical
activity may lower triglycerides and raise HDL cholesterol
levels.
- Age and sex: Before menopause, women usually have
lower total cholesterol levels than men of the same
age.
- Alcohol use: Moderate (1-2 drinks daily) alcohol
intake increases HDL (good) cholesterol but does not lower
LDL (bad) cholesterol. Doctors don't know for certain
whether alcohol also reduces the risk of heart disease.
Drinking too much alcohol can damage the liver and heart
muscle, lead to high blood pressure, and raise triglyceride
levels. Because of the risks, alcoholic beverages should not
be used as a way to prevent heart disease.
- Mental stress: Stress raises blood cholesterol
levels over the long term.
You're more likely to have high cholesterol that can lead to
heart disease if you have any of these risk factors:
- Smoking. Cigarette
smoking damages the walls of your blood vessels, making them
likely to accumulate fatty deposits. Smoking may also lower
your level of HDL, or "good," cholesterol.
- Obesity. Having a
body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater puts you at risk of
high cholesterol.
- Poor diet. Foods that
are high in cholesterol, such as red meat and full-fat dairy
products, will increase your total cholesterol. Eating
saturated fat, found in animal products, and trans fats,
found in some commercially baked cookies and crackers, also
can raise your numbers.
- Lack of exercise.
Exercise helps boost your body's HDL "good"
cholesterol while lowering your LDL
"bad"cholesterol. Not getting enough exercise puts
you at risk of high cholesterol.
- High blood pressure.
Increased pressure on your artery walls damages your
arteries, which can speed the accumulation of fatty
deposits.
- Diabetes. High blood
sugar contributes to higher LDL cholesterol and lower HDL
cholesterol. High blood sugar also damages the lining of
your arteries.
- Family history of heart
disease. If a parent or sibling developed heart
disease before age 55, high cholesterol levels place you at
a greater than average risk of developing heart disease.
Symptoms of high cholesterol :
A high cholesterol level may only be revealed if you develop
symptoms of heart disease. Sometimes, yellow patches (known as
xanthomas) may develop around your eyes or elsewhere on your
skin - these are cholesterol deposits and indicate that you have
high cholesterol levels in your blood.
Herbs which is useful :
There are quite a few
herbs that can be used when you are trying to deal with your
cholesterol problems.
Guggulu (Commiphora mukul):
The major Guggul benefit can be figured out in terms of cholesterol and weight management. Regular intake of Guggul supplements is very effective for reducing weight and cholesterol levels in the human body.
Guggul supplements has an ability to bring the blood Cholestrol to normal level. It also increases the liver metabolism for bringing bad cholestrol levels upto LDL ratio. Guggul works both on triglycredides and HDL and can reduce them approximately 25% and 20% respectively to bring the cholestrol to correct level.
Arjun chhal (Terminalia arjuna):
 The bark of
arjun tree is useful as an anti-ischemic and cardioprotective
agent in hypertension and ischemic heart diseases. It reduces
the level of triglycerides and cholesterol and has been reported
to enhance the synthesis of LDL-apoprotein (apoB); inhibits the
oxidation of LDL and accelerates the turnover of LDL-cholesterol
in liver. This enhances the elimination of cholesterol from the
body. Arjun is usually available as a single herb or in
combination with other herbs like Guggul and Amla for better
effect. Arjun also reduces the effects of stress and nervousness
on the heart and relieves hypertension (High blood pressure).
Lashun (Allium sativum) / Garlic :
Garlic has been wide ly studies for its cholesterol-lowering
properties. Garlic emulsifies cholesterol and also loosens it
from the walls of arteries. Besides lowering cholesterol levels,
garlic also has a host of other benefits to the body – it
strengthens the immune system; is a natural antibiotic which
fights infections and kills harmful bacteria throughout the
body; has anti-inflammatory effects; reduces high blood
pressure; alleviates gas and bloating; and is a general
digestive aid. Garlic is also a powerful cancer fighter.
Sonth (Zingiber officinale) / Ginger
:
Ginger (adrak) makes
the blood less sticky and has some cholesterol lowering
ability. Ginger is an anti-oxidant therefore, it helps to
reduce the inflammation of the tissues and cells of the body.
Chai (Camellia senensis) / Green
tea :
Drinking green tea
lowers total cholesterol levels, as well as improving the
ratio of good (HDL) cholesterol to bad (LDL) cholesterol. The
secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin
polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).
EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth
of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy
tissue. It has also been effective in lowering LDL cholesterol
levels, and inhibiting the abnormal formation of blood clots.
The latter takes on added importance when you consider that
thrombosis (the formation of abnormal blood clots) is the
leading cause of heart attacks and stroke.
Diet:
There may be hidden sources in your foods so
pay particular attention to the nutrition labels on packaged
foods.
The easiest diet to lower cholesterol isn't
even a diet. It's a change of emphasis from red meat and dairy
products to fish, fruit and vegetables. You should probably
aim to keep your total fat intake at no higher than 30%. You
should also consider the type of fat you're consuming too. The
various fat types all of different risk factors for things
like heart disease and high cholesterol. Saturated fats come
from meats and dairy. They're also usually present in take-out
food. This type of fat is known to increase your blood
cholesterol so try to reduce the amount you eat.
Life style:
Apart from the food you eat, there are several other things
you can change to help reduce your cholesterol level and make
you healthier. If you smoke, try to give up. Stopping smoking
can increase the amount of good cholesterol in your blood,
which can lower your risk of a heart attack or stroke. It's
also a good idea to avoid drinking lots of alcohol. However,
drinking in moderation is unlikely to do most people any harm.
Exercise doesn't help to get rid of cholesterol exactly, but
it does reduce the amount of other harmful fats in your blood.
Exercise can also make you healthier in general. So, if your
doctor thinks you may be at risk of a heart attack or stroke,
he or she may recommend that you take more exercise. Exercise
can also help you stay at a healthy weight. Being overweight
increases your risk of having high cholesterol.
Curative Yoga:
Ayurvedic Supplements :
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