Blood Cholesterol is produced by our body for several purposes. In some people it is produced more than is required by our body, especially when the diet contains saturated fats. Saturated fats in the diet force the body to make too much cholesterol. The cholesterol may become high when our diet is rich in saturated fats that are found only in animal products. Plant foods do not contain any cholesterol, but the animal foods are loaded with cholesterol and fats. Most of the fast foods are very rich in fats, monounsaturated fats. If you eat lot of meats and fast foods, then the chances are that you have high cholesterol. You should get your blood cholesterol checked. Remember that without your blood cholesterol report, you can not know if you have high cholesterol.

Blood cholesterol can be both good and bad. There are two types of cholesterol: LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol & HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol. The LDL cholesterol is known as "bad cholesterol" because it gets deposited on the walls of the arteries as plaque, and restricting the flow of the blood. The HDL cholesterol, known as the "good cholesterol" helps remove the plaque from the arteries. Both the types of cholesterol are produced by our body for certain functions and are always present in our blood. The problem arises when the cholesterol is produced more than is required by our body. The following are the desirable levels of cholesterol in adults:

• Total Cholesterol: below 200 mg/dl

• LDL cholesterol: less than
  
  
  130 mg/dL

• HDL cholesterol: more than 35mg/dL

HDL cholesterol of less than 35mg/dL is a risk factor for heart disease, even if your total cholesterol is within limits. Both LDL and HDL cholesterol can be improved with regular exercise and eating low fat cholesterol friendly foods.

To take better care of your heart and reducing your risk for heart attack, you must understand the complete facts about cholesterol and how to control cholesterol.

Note that you do not always need to take medication for controlling your cholesterol. There are several natural heart friendly foods that are good for controlling cholesterol without any medication. Good eating habits and some exercise can control your cholesterol and triglycerides naturally.

Copyright 2004 P. Mehta http://www.fatfreekitchen.com

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