It is a wax-like substance found in the blood. It is an essential for the growth of a person, but its excess in the body results in obesity and heart diseases and many serious problems. A certain level of cholesterol is necessary for various functions of the body. Cholesterol plays a significant role in the formation of sex hormones and metabolism of vitamins. For mental growth of children, cholesterol is crucial. When the cholesterol level is high, it blocks the arteries that may result in stroke and heart diseases because this substance get accumulated on the walls of blood vessels, and they become very narrow. Due to this, the blood quantity to the heart declines that impedes it’s function of supplying purified blood to the body.
Sources of cholesterol:
The two major sources of cholesterol in our body are:
1. The food that we take.
2. Liver too produces cholesterol, according to the need of the body.
Since cholesterol can not get dissolved in the blood, therefore, it can not be removed out of the body naturally. Moreover, there is no enzyme that can turn into other substances that are not harmful. For this reasons, it spreads in our body through a particular kind of protein which is called Lipo- protein.
This protein is of two types:
1. The low-density lipoprotein (LDL): This carries cholesterol from the liver to other parts of the body. Excess of LDL is very harmful because it makes the blood vessel very narrow and creates obstruction in the flow of blood. For this, the LDL is called the bad cholesterol. There are chances of heart problems when the level of LDL cholesterol is above 130 mg in the blood.
2. High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL): It is called the good cholesterol. It is found in the liver and on the walls of small intestines. It cleans our body and also protects it from the accumulation of excess cholesterol in the body. Before mensuration, the level of cholesterol is high in a woman. This the reason, why the chances of heart problems is lower in women than the men. When the level of HDL is below 25 mg, then chances of heart problems become higher.
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Reasons behind increase in the level of Cholesterol:
1. Unhealthy diet: The food that has excess or saturated fats will increase the degree of cholesterol in the body. For example – meat butter, cottage cheese, cake, ghee and other oily food are not be eaten in excess.
2. Mental Stress: In condition of mental stress a person, needs extra energy. Due to this, pituitary gland, adrenal gland start more secretion of the hormones. Kidney also begins to secret more angiotensin and all this results into increase in the level of cholesterol and blood pressure.
3. Excess of smoking, consumption of tea, coffee, alcohol.
4. Some diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid and pancreases problems also increase the level of the cholesterol in the body.
5. Low physical works.
7. Use of some medicines increase the level of triglycerides in the body, therefore, take the advice of a doctor before taking any medicine.
8. Genetic problem.
9. With the increase in age, the problem of cholesterol also grows up.
How to control the cholesterol in the body.
To monitor the level of cholesterol in the body, first of all, get rid of reasons mentioned above that handle the increase in the degree of cholesterol in the body. After this, we can control it with a just change in our food habit. Besides yoga, pranayama, lifestyle suggested by our physicians, positive thinking, etc. can be highly effective in keeping the level of cholesterol under control. Allopathic medicines can also be highly useful in this problem.
Foods those need avoidance
Full cream milk, cottage cheese, solid milk (Khoya), etc. should be ignored. Coconut and coconut milk, urad dal, salt, and all purpose flour. Additionally, sugar, rice, tea, coffee, protein rich diet, fat and starch diet, meat, alcohol, fast food, packaged food, spicy food, saturated fat rich food, etc should be avoided.
Food that is good for Health
- One must include some of the healthy food to control cholesterol. One of them is the orange juice that is full of calcium. Low-fat milk is also good for health, which is also rich in vitamin D. Taking food like cornflakes in the morning is good for your health. Take such food that has little fat. Include such food that has low fat.
- Include as much fibrous food in your diet as is possible. For example: wheat, jowar, barley, bajra, porridge, sprouts, foods that have abundance of husk, soya bean, gram, moong, white onion, garlic, coconut water, tomato, grapes carrot, curd, buttermilk, spinach, pomegranates, walnuts.
- Green vegetables, fruits, beans, peanuts, sunflower, seeds, etc. are good for health as they contain folic acid that help to control the level of cholesterol.Cholesterol increases liver disorder, hence to detoxify the liver; you should take aloe vera juice, Amla juice, vegetable juice. You can also take the three in equal quantity and mix them together, and take it.
- Dried beans, oats, and barley, as well as fiber products containing psyllium.
- Recent years have seen the introduction of margarine-like spreads and other foods fortified with cholesterol-lowering plant compounds known as stanols. Via
- Take meals regularly and in time every day, the meal has to be light and easy to digest, eat the meal slowly and chew it properly.
- If you don’t feel hungry, avoid eating.
- Increase your physical activities, like on foot for day to day work, as much as it is possible, use stairs to go up, adopt yoga and the pranayama as an inseparable part of your life.
- Smoking is slow poison, it slowly pulls us towards death, therefore, avoid it.
- In the end, adopt a natural way of life. This way you can be protected from the bad cholesterol and keep yourself healthy and fit. Via