What’s Cholesterol Got to Do With a Healthy Heart? More Than You Might Think Print 8 LikeDislike By Ashley Nickelsen This Father’s Day, we’re focusing on making sure Dad is healthy. One way to do this is to make sure he keeps his cholesterol levels in check! He may want to know why this is so important, so here are some key points to bear in mind. So, cholesterol, what exactly are you?If dad asks, what exactly IS cholesterol, here’s how to break it down for him: cholesterol is manufactured in the liver and transported through the bloodstream to sites throughout the body where it is needed. Because blood is composed mainly of water, cholesterol, which is water-insoluble, has to latch on to molecules called lipoproteins in order to travel around successfully in this aqueous environment. Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) are the major transporters of cholesterol in the bloodstream. LDLs are known as “bad cholesterol” because they encourage the deposit of cholesterol in the arteries. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs), on the other hand, are considered a form of “good cholesterol” because they carry unneeded cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver where it is broken down for removal from the body. If everything is functioning as it should, this system remains in balance. However, if there is too much cholesterol for the HDLs to pick up promptly, or if there are not enough HDLs to do the job, cholesterol can turn into plaque that sticks to the artery walls and may eventually cause heart disease. Dietary Cholesterol vs. Genetic CholesterolFirst and foremost, it is important to distinguish between serum cholesterol and dietary cholesterol. Serum cholesterol is cholesterol in the bloodstream. Dietary cholesterol is cholesterol that is present in food. While eating foods high in dietary cholesterol can raise serum cholesterol, it is not the only source of serum cholesterol. Indeed, you would have some amount of serum cholesterol even if you never ate any food containing dietary cholesterol because the body produces its own endogenous cholesterol! So, what’s diet got to do with it?Diet greatly influences cholesterol levels. The consumption of foods high in cholesterol and/or saturated fat increases cholesterol levels, while a diet centered around plants, regular exercise, and the vitamins niacin and vitamin C may lower cholesterol. So, while there is a genetic component, diet is central to combating unwanted cholesterol!For some heart health supportive recipe ideas, take a look at the following!Southwest Bulgur TabboulehSuper Easy Avocado Deviled EggsSkinny Chicken Fajitas in Lettuce WrapsAvo Berry Mango SmoothieNote: PLEASE consult with your doctor before making any changes to your diet or medications. The material on this site is provided for educational purposes only, and is not to be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
What is Mushroom Coffee? What is Mushroom Coffee? What is mushroom coffee, and what does mushroom coffee taste like? This relatively new trend began to gain popularity around the 2010s and has grown to capture interest in all sectors of the food, health, and coffee indus...
Raw VS Cooked Vegetables: Benefits and Success Stories What You Need To Know About Raw VS Cooked Vegetables Interested in a raw food diet but unsure about how to get started? Proponents of a raw food lifestyle eat only uncooked and unprocessed foods because it is believed that heating food destroys i...
What To Know About The Bone Broth Weight Loss Diet What To Know About The Bone Broth Weight Loss Diet With all the mail I receive from people who are excited about starting the bone broth weight loss diet, there’s one question I’m hearing a lot: “Can I do this diet if I’m a vegetarian, pe...
5 Benefits of Exercise as You Age First of all, why is it important to stay active as we age? As we age, we can feel less stamina and agility than we did when we were younger. But this doesn’t mean we should stop moving altogether. In fact, it’s the opposite! By incorporating re...
Tips on How to Help With Constipation As a Functional Nutritional Therapist, one of the most common digestive complaints I hear from my patients is that they suffer from chronic constipation. They aren’t alone. In the U.S, we spend billions of dollars on over-the-counter and pharmaceu...
Vitality at Any Age – 10 Tips to Slow Down Aging As a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, I often meet with women in their midlife and older who are struggling with signs of aging. They complain that their skin has lost its elasticity, they keep getting new wrinkles that seem to deepen da...
