Introduction
Cholesterol has got its good sides and its bad sides. Some of the advantages of consuming cholesterol in foods such as butter, fatty meats, and eggs, are that it helps the body to build new cells, and it helps the body to produce certain hormones, including the sex hormones.
There are two types of cholesterol—low-density cholesterol (LDL) or bad cholesterol, and high- density cholesterol (HDL) or good cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is the main source of plaque which builds up in arteries and causes coronary heart disease.
In this article, I want to take a look at cholesterol and heart disease, and how you can lower the levels of cholesterol in your body so that you can reduce your risk of developing heart disease.
How Cholesterol Causes Heart Disease
When you consume a lot of eggs, beef, pork, margarine and other foods that are fatty, the levels of cholesterol in your blood increases. High blood cholesterol causes the arteries of the heart, which supply blood, and hence oxygen to the heart, to harden.
As a result of this hardening of the heart’s arteries, or atherosclerosis, the arteries become prone to getting damaged easily. Damaged arteries are inefficient in pumping blood and, consequently, the chances that the person can experience a heart attack increases significantly.
Cholesterol and Heart Disease—The Link is Explained
According to a study conducted at the Saint Louis Medical School, cholesterol prevents a protein known as transforming growth factor-beta hormone, TGF-beta, from functioning fully. This hormone protects the heart and its blood vessels from getting damaged by high blood pressure and high levels of cholesterol in the body.
High levels of cholesterol in the body make the cells of the heart and its blood vessels respond poorly to TGF-beta and its ability to help protect the lining of the vascular system of the heart, thus encouraging the development of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease.
How Can You Lower Your Cholesterol Levels
- Reduce the amount of saturated fats—meats, whole milk, butter, cheese, palm oil, lard —that you consume. Rather, choose to consume foods such as these which help to reduce cholesterol levels in the body.
- Consume a lot of lean meat such as rabbit meat.
- Reduce your consumption of sugars because research shows that consuming a lot of sugar can increase the levels of bad cholesterol in the body. Rather, choose to sweeten your food with fruits such as oranges, bananas, and pineapples.
- Increase your consumption of foods that contain a lot of fiber such as whole grains, legumes, vegetables.
- Exercise regularly. Aim at exercising for at least 40 minutes every day. Exercising increases the levels of HDL in the body.
- Keep your weight in check.
Conclusion
Cholesterol and heart disease are related—consuming large amounts of foods high in cholesterol increases your risk of developing heart disease.
However, if you choose to eat foods which have low levels of cholesterol, and if you make exercising your second nature, you will reduce the likelihood of developing heart disease.
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