Help With High Cholesterol

The body has a daily quota for producing cholesterol. What we don't get from the foods we eat, our bodies make. In fact, eating no fat on some diets may be hurting our cholesterol level instead of helping, because the body may detect a lack, and then over-produce cholesterol. Unless we take the correct measures to limit this production, reducing cholesterol in our diet will not reduce our internal cholesterol level.

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.

Incorporating naturally cholesterol-balancing foods, as well as some form of supplementation to your daily health regimen in conjunction with any cholesterol medication you may be taking may be able to help keep your cholesterol and triglyceride levels in check. However, as with any new supplement or health care program, it is important to speak with your physician about the possible side effects and your general overall health before you begin.

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. Hormones that provide the body with energy until the next meal then regulate their release from fat cells. 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. Some research shows that a maximum of 10% of our fat intake per day in saturated fats could be OK. This may be indicated on packages of animal products and other foods.

If you would like more information about how to maintain healthy cholesterol levels, speak with your doctor. He or she will be able to arrange to have your cholesterol tested to determine if any major lifestyle changes are necessary.