How Does Cholesterol Affect Your Health And Heart?
Excess cholesterol accumulates in the arteries that supply the heart (coronary arteries), brain (carotid, vertebral and cerebral arteries) and lower extremities (iliac and femoral arteries).
Cholesterol is a lipid (fat) that is vital to life because it is part of every cell in our body. Most cholesterol is produced in the liver (75%) and the rest (25%) is obtained from food. Excess cholesterol in the blood (hypercholesterolemia) can be dangerous to your health.
Is There A Good Or Bad Cholesterol?
All cholesterol is carried in the blood by different particles (lipoproteins) and there are different types, but the best known are LDL and HDL. LDL (low density lipoproteins) are responsible for carrying cholesterol from the liver to all the cells of the body. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is responsible for transporting cholesterol from the liver to all the cells of the body. The cholesterol attached to it is called bad cholesterol because its low density causes it to be deposited on the walls of the arteries, forming atherosclerotic plaques that gradually block the arteries. It is then used for storage and excretion. The cholesterol that is attached to it is called good cholesterol.
What Causes Too Much Cholesterol In The Blood?
Cholesterol disorders can be hereditary or secondary to diet, a sedentary lifestyle, alcohol abuse, certain diseases such as hypothyroidism, type II diabetes, obesity, anorexia nervosa, or certain medications.
What Are The Symptoms Of High Cholesterol In The Blood?
Excessive cholesterol is deposited in the arteries supplying the heart (coronary arteries), brain (carotid, vertebral and cerebral arteries) and lower extremities (iliac and femoral arteries).
At first, there are no symptoms of cholesterol deposits in the arteries, but over time, the arterial lumen narrows, reducing blood flow to the tissues. This can have serious consequences, including angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease of the lower extremities. It depends on which artery is blocked.
Effects Of High Cholesterol On The Heart
High cholesterol directly affects the blood vessels, causing arterial plaque, arterial strain and clogged circulation, which doubles the risk of heart attack. Atherosclerosis, mentioned above, is a condition in which fat affects the normal circulation of blood, and this lack of fat affects the body and the heart.
Coronary heart disease, such as cardiac arrest or a heart attack, can damage the heart, which must work harder to move blood properly through blocked arteries and veins. Angina is caused by problems with blood flow to certain parts of the heart and usually occurs during strenuous activity after a long period of rest.
The brain can also be affected by high cholesterol and experience strokes. Insufficient blood supply to the brain due to lack of regular blood flow can lead to everything from death to partial paralysis and loss of speech and neurological reflexes.
In addition to cholesterol, these blood vessel blockages can also be caused by tobacco and fatty foods that are not always absorbed or eliminated properly. A healthy lifestyle and exercise are good allies in preventing cholesterol damage.
How To Treat High Cholesterol?
Consult a nutritionist, avoid being overweight, increase physical activity, and if necessary, ask your doctor to prescribe lipid-lowering medication (lipid-lowering drugs) alone to control total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL (the bad ones) and increase HDL (the good ones).
How Is Cholesterol Distributed In Food?
We have questions every day about where the enemy of cholesterol is, we don’t know where to find it, and we often don’t know which foods contain cholesterol.
In general, it is important to know that there are two types of fats: saturated fats and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats are naturally occurring solid fats found in chicken skin, cured meats, sausages, yellow meats such as chorizo (chorizo, salami, bologna), canned meats such as meat and ground beef, whole milk, creamy ice cream, chocolate and butter dishes. All of the above fats are of animal origin and are harmful to the body and can lead to high cholesterol levels.
NO unsaturated fats of animal origin are divided into two categories, monounsaturated fats that promote lower cholesterol and are found in foods such as olive oil, canola oil and nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc.). There are also polyunsaturated fats, which promote cholesterol reduction, and are found in fish oil, sunflower oil, and soybean oil.
On the other hand, our trans fats follow the first two categories, these are vegetable oils such as soy and sunflower seeds, whose molecular structure has been altered by the hydrogenation process and we get the famous margarine fats, widely used in pastries and baked and fried foods, these types of fats are promoting the development of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and are therefore present in our daily diet.
The intake of fiber (present in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes) reduces the rise of carbohydrates (starches) in blood sugar levels after meals, but these fibers have a dragging effect on the intestinal lumen and reduce absorption, so this type of fiber should be consumed with saturated fats before meals. You need to: I hope this helps you to shape your daily diet.
