Cholesterol is a type of fat wrapped in proteins. The amount of cholesterol in your body will depend on your diet and the rate at which the liver makes cholesterol. Having a high level of cholesterol in the bloodstream can cause many health problems due to a gradual buildup of hard plaque on the arteries. This can increase blood pressure and put extra strain on the heart.
Blood Test Diagnosis
It is easy for doctors to diagnose whether you have a high level of cholesterol in your bloodstream. Cholesterol levels can be measured by performing a simple blood test. In order for the blood test to be accurate it is important for you to fast for several hours prior to the blood draw. The blood test results can measure several different types of cholesterol in the blood supply in order to deduce whether your cholesterol is high. The blood test results can also measure the amount of triglyceride lipids in your blood. High triglyceride levels can lead to heart disease.
Cholesterol and Triglyceride Lipids
The body requires a certain amount of cholesterol in order to function normally. Cholesterol is transported around the body in two different types of proteins--HDL and LDL. HDL, otherwise known as high density lipoprotein, is a type of good cholesterol that your body needs to function. LDL, otherwise known as low density lipoprotein, is a type of bad cholesterol which can clog up the arteries and create deleterious effects to the body, although your body also needs some LDL in order to function. Cholesterol and triglycerides are both forms of lipids found in the bloodstream and neither should be too high.
Reducing Saturated Fats
If you are told by your doctor that you have high cholesterol, you can do a few things to get it under control. The most important thing to do is to start eating a healthy diet. A diet low in saturated fats will reduce cholesterol problems. It is important to remove butter, processed meats, palm oil and biscuits from your diet for a healthy start.
Raising Unsaturated Fats
Adding certain foods can make it possible to reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in your body and raise the levels of good cholesterol in your body. Eating oily fish, which contains high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, once a week or more can be of great benefit for reducing bad cholesterol and raising good cholesterol. Foods that are high in fiber will also help to reduce bad cholesterol and eating small amounts of unsaturated fats can help to reduce the cholesterol in your body. Good foods to eat that contain unsaturated fats include walnuts, sesame seeds and pine nuts.
