A high level of LDL cholesterol or high combined level of cholesterol is perilous because it can clog your arteries, causing your heart to have to work more to get oxygenated blood to where it has to go.This in turn raises blood pressure and high blood pressure is one of the main causes of heart disease, which can mean a heart attack.
That is why your medical doctor will advise you to make lifestyle alterations to reduce your degrees of cholesterol as soon as he or she is aware that there is a problem. These lifestyle alterations usually involve giving up smoking, dieting and taking more exercise.
However, most people have a lot of trouble implementing lifestyle alterations – changing the habits of a lifetime, quite literally – but the doctor cannot permit the situation to persist. If after a while, you have been unsuccessful in your efforts to reduce your cholesterol naturally, your medical doctor will eventually prescribe tablets and / or drugs in a bid to help you live longer.
There are a few of main drugs used to combat cholesterol: the statins and the bile acid sequestrants.
Statins work by blocking the enzyme HMG-CoA, which is important in the process of converting fat into cholesterol. Statins are the most effective drug in the battle against cholesterol and are very widely used in the West.
In fact, some countries and some doctors are accused of giving them out like candy. However, they will take effect quickly if drastic action is needed, which is one of the reasons why they are prescribed so frequently.
Bile Acid Sequestrants work by binding with the bile made by the liver and preventing it from interacting with fat. Bile is used in the digestion process, so if it cannot deal with the fat, the fat passes through the body digested.
The most important vitamin in the battle against cholesterol is Vitamin B3, which is known as Niacin. Niacin is one of the water-soluble B vitamins which help the body change carbohydrates into glucose which it uses for energy. The B group vitamins are also concerned with the breaking down of fat and protein.
The vitamin B group plays an vital role in keeping our liver and nervous system working well and our external features looking good: the eyes, hair and skin. Niacin in particular is helpful for getting rid of the toxins tha build up in the body.
However, before you rush out and buy bottles of Niacin tablets, be warned that too much Niacin can have disagreeable side effects, so only make certain that you get the recommended daily amount (RDA.
Other vitamins that will help are Lecithin and Vitamins C and E. These vitamins help by protecting LDL from becoming damaged. This sounds bizarre because we are told to think of LDL as ‘bad cholesterol’. However, numerous cardiologists are of the opinion that just damaged LDL is perilous to our heart.
So, once again, it is a question of experts not all agreeing with each other leaving us stuck in the middle hazarding a guess as to whom to have faith in.
Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on numerous subjects, but is now concerned with lowering cholesterol without medication. If you want to know more, please visit our site at What Foods Lower Cholesterol?