High Cholesterol

What is Cholesterol: Cholesterol is a fat-like substance, found in the bloodstream and also in bodily organs and nerve fibers. Most cholesterol in the body is made by the liver from a wide variety of foods, but especially from saturated fats, such as those found in animal products. A diet high in saturated fat content, heredity, and various metabolic conditions such as type II diabetes influence an individual’s level of cholesterol.

Symptoms of High Cholesterol:

One tricky thing about high cholesterol is that it rarely causes any noticeable symptoms. The only way to detect high cholesterol is through a blood test. This is why it is imperative to have regular health checkups, especially as one gets older.

Since the diagnosis of hypercholesterolemia is based on laboratory findings, it is clear that it will be quite difficult to detect without regular screening tests. That is why it has become more vital for everyone to get regular medical checkups, especially among adults.

Why is High Cholesterol Dangerous: Most people who are even slightly concerned about their cholesterol know that there is a “good” kind known as HDL.

and a “bad” kind known as LDL. Research has shown that the higher the amount of HDL and the lower the amount of LDL in the blood, the less likely a person will have a heart attack or stroke, and as for LDL, a person can always change their lifestyle and take medication to improve its condition.

What to Expect from The Diet։

On the Step One diet, many patients with high cholesterol levels can reduce LDL cholesterol 10 to 15 percent, and even further if they add soluble fiber (oat bran cereal or oat bran muffins) to their diet. We discourage them from adding large amounts of soluble fiber, though, since it would just add unnecessary calories. Soluble fiber has no magical qualities; it merely complements the overall low-fat, low-cholesterol eating plan. Patients who had previously eaten a high-fat diet and now adhere strictly to the cholesterol-lowering diet can achieve more than a 30-percent reduction in blood cholesterol. A more realistic expectation, however, is 10 to 15 percent.

Factors that can contribute to high

cholesterol levels include: