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Accurate
levels of circulating blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides)
are absolutely necessary for good health, especially
heart health. If these levels become too high, and the
body's own cholesterol "set-point" attempts
to reduce the levels through diet alone, it will be
defeated by its own production of cholesterol.
Cholesten-LDL aids in reducing "bad" cholesterol
while providing the appropriate nutrients which may
aid the body's natural production of “good”,
high-density lipoprotein (HDL-Cholesterol). HDL is the
protective portion of cholesterol which acts to draw
LDL away from arterial linings. If the arteries become
clogged with cholesterol (“hardening of the arteries”),
heart disease can result.
What Exactly are Triglycerides, and What is
Their Function?
Triglycerides are the chemical form of most fat as it
exists in food and in the human body. Their presence
in blood plasma comes from fats we eat, or fats the
body makes from other energy sources like carbohydrates.
There can be good and bad triglycerides from food. Avocados,
for example have “good” triglycerides. Calories
ingested in a meal and not used immediately within bodily
tissues are converted to triglycerides and stored in
fat cells. Their release from fat cells is then regulated
by hormones to provide the body with energy until the
next meal.
An excess of triglycerides in blood plasma can be linked
to coronary artery disease.
Take Note: There’s Danger in Cutting Out
all Fatty Foods!
Although the overall fat content in "fast-foods"
can ruin a healthy body, it's dangerous to completely
cut out all fat from our daily diets. Some fat –
yes, surprisingly even some saturated fat – is
important in our diets and important for proper cholesterol
levels to maintain a healthy heart. As with everything
else, "balance" is the key to the fats we
eat. It’s not what saturated fat to eat, but how
much. Our research shows that for a maximum of 10% of
our fat intake per day to be in saturated fats is probably
OK. This may be indicated on packages of animal products
and other foods.
Don’t forget that some “sugar-free”
foods have extra non-beneficial fat added in to compensate
for the missing sweet taste of sugar. For a full explanation
of our bodies’ needs for essential fatty acids,
lipids, saturated and unsaturated fat to protect heart
health, see our Omegacin+ essential fatty acid supplement
page.
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