Health Update

Not all people are fully enlightened about cholesterol. That’s why it’s important to know what it is, how it affects our health and how we can manage it effectively. There are actually two types of cholesterol: High density lipoprotein (HDL) or good cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL) or bad cholesterol.

According to the American Heart Association, LDL cholesterol is bad “because when too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain.

Together with other substances it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, it can cause heart attack or stroke.”

On the other hand, HDL cholesterol is good for the body “because a high level of it seems to protect against heart attack. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it’s passed from the body. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from plaque in arteries, thus slowing the buildup.”

Based on these, it is therefore important to ensure cholesterol levels in check all the time and one way to do this is to watch what we eat.

The American Heart Association says that fruits, vegetables, grains and legumes tend to be low in fat and have no cholesterol. Moreover, most are also good source of dietary fiber, complex carbohydrates and vitamins.

The American Heart Association suggests consumption of food high in complex carbohydrates and fiber. Some kinds of soluble fiber, such as pectin and oat bran, when eaten in large amounts in a diet low in saturated fat, may reduce total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol.

Furthermore, when regularly eaten as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, soluble fiber like oats have been shown to help lower blood cholesterol, thus reducing the risk of coronary heart disease.

A high-fiber diet may also help reduce the risk of diabetes and colon and rectal cancer.

The American Heart Association shares these tips:

* Replace low-fiber foods (white bread, white rice, candy and chips) with high-fiber foods (whole-grain bread, brown rice, fruits and vegetables).

* Try to eat more raw vegetables and fresh fruit, including the skin when appropriate. Cooking vegetables can reduce their fiber content.
* Eat high-fiber foods at every meal. Bran cereals for breakfast is a good start, but try to include some fruits, vegetables, whole-grains and beans in your diet as well.
* When food iisn’t enough, you can take a dietary fiber supplement.
* Be sure to increase your fiber intake gradually, giving your body time to adjust, and drink at least six to eight-oz. Glasses of fluids a day.

It’s actually very easy to start switching to a healthy diet. For instance, ther’s Gardenia Honey Oat Loaf. Created in partnership with Quaker Oats, Gardenia Honey Oat Loaf combines al nutritive goodness of honey and oats in one loaf.

According to studies conducted in the US, dark-colored honey, such as buckwheat honey, is generally thought to contain higher levels of antioxidants than the light-colored varieties.

Previous studies presented at the 2006 American Chemical Society suggest that honey may have the same level of disease-fighting antioxidants as that of some common fruits.

Oats offer many nutritional benefits by lowering one’s risk of developing heart disease and certain types of cancers and promotes satiety, an important of weight management.

Source: Manila Bulletin