The clinical definition of cholesterol is it’s a fatty lipid that’s found in the blood stream. It’s either digested from the food we eat, derived internally from the liver, or it can be hereditary. Cholesterol is needed as it assists in the production of tissues and hormones, along with protecting our nervous system.
So the fact remains that we need these fatty lipids for us to remain healthy. But too much of the bad LDL cholesterol can lead towards heart disease. To prevent this, what we need to do is maintain the ideal cholesterol ratio.
Knowing and computing your cholesterol ratio can indicate what type of treatment you may need to lower your risk. You can calculate your ratio by dividing your overall cholesterol total by your good HDL cholesterol number.
For instance, if your total cholesterol number happens to be 200, and your HDL is 50, then your cholesterol ratio would be 200:50 or 4:1.
The Good (HDL) And The Bad (LDL)
What lowering your LDL levels while increasing your HDL does is it reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease. What the good cholesterol does is it sends the bad cholesterol back to the liver, cleansing the cholesterol from the bloodstream.
The higher that the LDL is, the greater risk of heart disease, as the excess cholesterol builds up and then sticks to the artery walls whenever it becomes too high.
This then results in the formation of plaque, which is when the arteries begin to harden, then blood clots can potentially form which can then block the artery opening.
Your Total Cholesterol
When you get your cholesterol tested, what you’ll get is the “total” cholesterol number, which is the total sum of the HDL number and the LDL number. Most claim that an acceptable HDL level be around 40mg/dL.
Higher levels can become a risk to heart disease as it can create blockages which prevents blood flow to the coronary arteries, leading to chest pain known as angina, which is a common symptom of coronary artery disease.
The Treatment Of Cholesterol
What the body can do is counter the bad LDL with the good HDL. What’s needed is a balance between the two in order for the heart, arteries, and the blood circulation to function correctly.
The only way to know your levels is through a blood test. It’s thought that those who fall within 4.9 to 7.1 have minimal chance of experiencing heart disease, so that should be the target.
Natural Ways Of Reducing The Level
The most recommended and natural way of reducing cholesterol is by doing physical activity on a daily basis, to sweat it out. This can be a brisk walking, jogging, a pilates class, lifting weights, or taking a hot sauna bath.
Studies have shown that giving the muscles and the cardiovascular system a workout, sweating to get the toxins out, is a lot safer and shows better long term results than taking prescription medication, which usually has side effects.
Better Eating Habits
The best known natural way is to just eat right. This can mean completely renovating your eating habits as the long terms effects can prove rewarding.
What’s recommended is cutting down on red meat, saturated fats, basically all processed junk food. The list of items include store purchased bakery products, white bread, candy, fries, and potato chips.
Changing how the food is cooked can also reduce the cholesterol levels naturally. So instead of frying, try steaming, baking, or boiling the foods instead. Microwaving is also not recommended.
Hereditary High Cholesterol
Hereditary high cholesterol isn’t considered that common as it’s thought to affect less than one percent of the population. Nonetheless, if you have it, what you need are solutions.
When it’s considered genetic, the liver doesn’t get the proper signal to stop producing cholesterol, lipids, or triglycerides, this due to a genetic defect that’s in the LDL receptors.
The end result is an unneeded flow of these lipids, triglycerides, or cholesterol that’s released into the body which can present a risk of heart and artery disease, along with other related diseases such as diabetes and macular degeneration.
Natural Remedies For Hereditary High Cholesterol
So the idea is to obviously take control of this condition and preferably from a natural health perspective. This by taking the steps which are necessary to encourage the body to decrease the number of activated LDL receptors.
What’s recommended by health experts are a series of steps to take to achieve this. Note that the results may vary, this based on a variety of factors.
• Try to keep the consumption of animal products at a minimum, this by eating meat substitutes such as tofu or beans to get protein
• Increase your daily servings of fiber rich plant foods such as organic wholesome fruits and dark green leafy vegetables, and grains
• Attempt to lose weight if you’re more than 15% percent above your ideal body weight
• Exercise on a daily basis as what inactivity for those who have this condition is considered serious, so sweat it out
• If you smoke quit, if you drink, drink moderately. Make an effort to avoid second hand smoke
• The consumption of caffeine should be kept at a one or two cup minimum. There’s some evidence that a chemical which is found in coffee can aggravate familial hypercholesterolemia, an LDL motivator
• Eat at a minimum two servings of cold-water fatty fish on a weekly basis, such as salmon or herring, or take supplements of 1000ml of the Omega-3 fatty acids, DHA and EPA
Another proven natural remedy for reducing hereditary high cholesterol is by taking cholesterol reduction supplements. These products can usually be purchased without a prescription, considered safe, and a proven effective alternative treatment which is worth considering.