Showing posts with label food and high cholesterol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food and high cholesterol. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

High Cholesterol Foods

High Cholesterol Foods – Healthy, not Harmful

Author: Paul Rodgers

High cholesterol foods are usually foods high in saturated fats. High cholesterol foods are the more delicious foods. High cholesterol foods are mainly found in all animals and animal products, for example, egg yolks, meat, poultry, fish and higher fat milk products. High cholesterol foods are a major contributor to having high blood pressure. High cholesterol foods are bad for us, and God knew it.


Your body produces three to four times more cholesterol than you eat. The production of cholesterol increases when you eat little cholesterol and decreases when you eat much. In other words, the more high cholesterol foods you eat, the less cholesterol your body produces. It is true that the body – more specifically the liver – can produce cholesterol for the body's needs. But taking cholesterol from high cholesterol foods can be helpful. When you do not take enough high cholesterol foods – for example, if you take mainly vegetable oils rather than animal fat containing cholesterol – the cholesterol in your blood will the transferred to your cells.


In traditional societies, high cholesterol foods were regarded as healthy foods. Our ancestors did not know about cholesterol but they knew that eggs, organ meat (including the brain), seafood, shellfish… were all highly nourishing for the body. Cholesterol is not a deadly poison, but a substance vital to the cells of all mammals. Cholesterol in its proper place is good, but it also has a dark side. Thus, the highest concentration of cholesterol in the body is found in the brain and other parts of the nervous system. And because cholesterol is needed for the brain, babies and children need high cholesterol foods for brain development. One of the richest high cholesterol foods is, in fact, human breast milk. And one of the worst foods to give to babies is soy infant formula, because it contains zero cholesterol.


People with very low cholesterol (below 150 mg/dl) are more prone to depression and nervous system disorders. Many scientific studies have found an association between cholesterol and heart disease. But this does not meant that high cholesterol foods cause heart disease – because there are people who eat plenty of high cholesterol foods and do not develop heart disease. And there are also people who develop heart disease even though they avoid high cholesterol foods. It is also important to understand that eating high cholesterol foods will not automatically lead to high cholesterol levels in the blood.


Among the many research findings published in scientific journals, Uffe Ravnskov discovered that: lowering cholesterol did not result in lower death rates from heart disease, but in HIGHER death rates from all causes. More significantly, Uffe Ravnskov has published over 80 scientific papers and letters in peer-reviewed journals criticizing what is commonly called the Lipid Hypothesis of heart disease – the belief that dietary saturated fats and cholesterol clog arteries and cause atherosclerosis and heart disease. Click here to read more about Uffe Ravnskov and the benefits of high cholesterol foods. Foods that are high in saturated fats and trans fat (such as coconut oil) can also raise your level of LDL (bad) cholesterol, so, in a way, they have a similar effect on your body as eating high cholesterol foods. But it does not stop there, because there are a number of other foods that may not be considered "high cholesterol foods" but that still raise your LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol) more than high cholesterol foods do. If a food does not come from an animal (such as a fruit or vegetable), then it does not have cholesterol.

To appreciate why high cholesterol foods are not harmful, we need to understand what cholesterol is, and what role it plays in human health. Typically, high cholesterol foods are also high in saturated fats, which is part of what makes them taste good. High cholesterol foods should not be entirely avoided, as many of them are an essential part of a healthy diet, as noted above, but you should learn to reduce their intake in order to maintain or lower your LDL cholesterol levels. High cholesterol foods are animal products such as eggs, fatty meats, and any poultry with the skin on would be high in cholesterol.


About the Author:

Paul Rodgers specializes in marketing natural health and beauty products. Find out more about High Cholesterol Foods – Healthy, not Harmful

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - High Cholesterol Foods – Healthy, not Harmful

High Cholesterol Foods

Cholesterol High Foods and Heart Disease

Author: Andrew Bicknell

If there is one word that is associated with potentially life threatening health issues it is cholesterol. There are numerous TV and print advertisements espousing the benefits of the latest cholesterol reducing drug and for good reasons. High levels of this naturally occurring substance are associated with increased risks of heart disease and stroke. Knowing this has caused many people to avoid cholesterol high foods in their attempt to mitigate the harmful effects it can cause.

But just what is cholesterol and where does it come from?

Cholesterol, unbeknownst to many, is actually produced by the body, mostly in the liver, and is necessary for proper bodily functioning. In fact roughly 80% is made by the body with the other 20% coming from dietary sources. Or at least that’s the way it used to be. With our more "fast food" dietary lifestyle cholesterol has become a major health care issue.

Without cholesterol our bodies would be unable to function properly. It is primarily used to make cell membranes and makes them stable and durable. It is particularly important in the formation of nerve tissue, brain cells, and the spinal cord. It is also used to make bile which is an important part of the digestive process in the absorption of fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. And certain hormones would not be able to be made without it.

Unfortunately our modern diet has given us to much of a good thing. While high cholesterol foods such as meat, eggs, and whole fat dairy products should be eaten in moderation it is the preponderance of foods high in saturated fats and Transfats that are the bigger culprits. Fried foods, snack foods, processed foods in a box, and just about anything containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils all fall into this category.

In fact scientific studies have shown that foods high in these types of fat have a greater impact in blood cholesterol levels then eating just foods that are high in cholesterol. This does not mean that eating a diet of high cholesterol foods is a good idea but it is more important that you avoid the saturated fat and Transfats that are so common in our diet these days.

As cholesterol levels build up in the blood stream they get to the point where the body cannot use all of it. When this happens it will start to deposit along the arterial walls creating plaques and causing atherosclerosis, which is a hardening and narrowing of the arteries. These plaques can cause blockages in blood flow which can lead to a heart attack or they can break free as a clot and get lodged in the smaller vessels of the brain causing a stroke.

Maintaining normal cholesterol levels through a healthy diet and lifestyle that includes exercise is the best way to prevent these risks. Just remember that cholesterol is a necessary substance we all need but it is important to eat cholesterol high foods in moderation and avoid those foods that are in high saturated fats and Transfats to avoid the risk of heart disease.

About the Author:

If high cholesterol is affecting your health and you want to do something about it but aren't sure where to start please visit the website Lowering Cholesterol by Clicking Here.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Cholesterol High Foods and Heart Disease

Sunday, April 5, 2009

A List of High Cholesterol Foods

What Are High Cholesterol?

Author: Penny Albright

It should not come as a big surprise that the foods we love are very high in cholesterol. However, given that there is good and bad cholesterol, it is important to distinguish between the two. So as HDL is good and LDL is bad, it is very important to avoid or at least try to eat foods that are low in LDL cholesterol because too much can cause heart disease.



If you are reading this article, you have probably been told by your doctor or have personally decided to reduce your cholesterol levels. So, what are the high cholesterol foods that you should omit from your diet?



Firstly, there are two main ingredients that will raise your cholesterol levels:



Saturated fat - found in most animal products



LDL cholesterol - found in most animal products



Some sources of fat and bad cholesterol that are considered high cholesterol foods can include:



Meats



Nuts



Dairy foods



However, not all of them are bad. This is why it is important to monitor the saturated fat content in foods because the more there is, the harder the liver has to work to detoxify the body. Also, subsequent LDL cholesterol from bad fats will create plaque inside arteries, veins, and capillaries which can result in serious, if not deadly, cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks.



The following is a list of high cholesterol foods. They are listed according to food type, serving size, and cholesterol levels. If at all possible, try to eat something else, or choose lower fat versions of them:



Food Serving Size Cholesterol Level



Beef, kidney 3.5oz 375 mg



Beef, liver 3.5oz 300 mg



Beefsteak 3.5oz 70 mg



Boiled egg 1 225 mg



Butter 3.5oz 250 mg



Cheddar cheese 1oz 19 mg



Chicken 3.5oz 60 mg



Cream cheese 1oz 27 mg



Ice Cream 3.5oz 45 mg



Lamb 3.5oz 70 mg



Sponge cake 3.5oz 260 mg



Dietary Changes



This section will give you information on how to reduce cholesterol by changing your diet.



Many people suffer with high cholesterol because of the type of diet they follow. Eating foods which are high in saturated fat can cause high cholesterol. Our bodies need a certain amount of fat to function properly but we need to be careful what kind of fat we consume. The saturated fats that are found in meat products, whole fat milk, cheese and butter are the bad fats, as are trans fats or hydrogenated fats which are found in commercially produced cakes, cookies, pastries, fast food, coconut oil and palm oil.



It is good to know how to reduce cholesterol by simply changing the type of fat that you consume. Cut down on foods containing saturated fat or replace them with foods containing good fats like mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.



Mono-unsaturated fats are found in oils like rapeseed oil and olive oil and some nuts. Polyunsaturated fats are found in oily fish such as salmon, sardines, herrings and mackerel, and also some spreads. These types of fats are actually good for our hearts and cholesterol levels.



How to reduce cholesterol by changing your habits:-



- Stop using butter on your bread or in baking and instead use polyunsaturated spreads or olive oil.



- Fry foods with olive oil or avoid frying and grill, microwave or steam foods.



- Trim fat off meat or use lean cuts.



- Replace meat with soya products or cook more vegetarian meals.



- Buy low fat versions of your normal foods.



- Replace snacks like cakes and cookies with fruit and vegetable based snacks.



- Eat oily fish two or three times a week.



It is important to have no more than 200mg or less of cholesterol per day. The rest of any healthy diet should include fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes (peas, beans, lentils, etc.), whole grains and either 2% or no-fat milk. The American Heart Association recommends a calorie controlled version of the 'Mediterranean Diet'. This can be found in pyramid for through their website.

About the Author:
What are high cholesterol foods? Webmaster of mecholestrol.com Penny Albright is providing her viewers with facts and solutions, how to reduce high cholesterol. Simply by memorizing the list of high cholesterol food and avoid dangerous fat levels, you will notice a difference.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/what-are-high-cholesterol-465938.html