Maintaining healthy cholesterol levels using antioxidants is beneficial. Integrating antioxidants into your diet and exercise regimen will significantly impact your cholesterol levels and your overall health. How is that possible?
Let's have a look. High blood cholesterol is defined as Hypercholesterolemia and is the presence of high levels of cholesterol in the blood. This is not considered a disease but a metabolic derangement that can be secondary to many diseases and can contribute too many forms of disease, most notably cardiovascular disease. There are many factors in the cause of high cholesterol which includes what you eat, what you weigh, how active you are, and some believe this disorder to be genetic. Your cholesterol increases when the low density lipoproteins or LDLs (bad cholesterol) become damaged by oxidation. When that happens cholesterol deposits are formed due to infection-fighting white blood cells being attracted to the where the deposits are and form foam cells because the oxidized LDLs becomes trapped in the artery wall. This oxidation is cause by free radicals which is a natural occurring phenomenon within the body but it is also helped by other factors such as pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and alcohol. Despite being referred to as "bad cholesterol" LDLs need to stay healthy to maintain healthy cholesterol.
LDL's require protection because LDL is oxidized only when the amount of antioxidants in not enough to protect LDL against oxidization. The antioxidant formula OPC containing Pycnogenol for example can directly protect LDLs by recycling vitamin C, which in turn recycles vitamin E. Vitamin E is the prime antioxidant that protects LDL. Pycnogenol can also destroy free radicals before they reach the LDL and cause damage. LDL is not bad unless it is deprived of antioxidants because LDLs is needed to transport fat-soluble antioxidants through the blood stream and that is essential for your health. LDL needs antioxidants to stay healthy but remember that cholesterol deposits by themselves do not cause a heart attack. They are a major contributing factor to forming the blood clots that lead to a heart attack.
Incorporating antioxidants are only half the battle, watching your diet will decrease the risk of high cholesterol. Foods high in saturated fats should be limited if not avoided; foods high in triglycerides have to be limited as well. Polyunsaturated and unsaturated fats are good fats that cause the liver to produce less harmful LDL cholesterol and more protective HDL cholesterol. You need to know what you are consuming to avoid raising your cholesterol levels. Exercising is also critical in maintaining healthy cholesterol. I'm not talking about spending hundreds of dollars on a gym membership or purchasing home workout equipment; simple activities like walking, jogging, biking, and swimming for 30 minutes a day is considered good cardiovascular exercises and can also increase the amount of HDL cholesterol in your blood, while reducing the amount of LDL cholesterol bringing your body into balance. Integrating antioxidants into this regimen will help you keep your cholesterol levels under control and reduce or eliminate your dependency on prescription medications and their side effects.
Ray Thompson is a health and wellness consultant who promotes life-changing alternatives to prescription medication. Visit the author's website: http://www.mopwaterenterpises.com and get your FREE Report to learn more about natural supplements, antioxidants and how to achieve and maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Raynard_Thompson
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Showing posts with label cholesterol. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cholesterol. Show all posts
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Green Tea and Cholesterol Facts
By: Sudhir.k.Pandit
A green and lush oasis in the middle of a scorching dessert. A cool breeze on a hot summer night. A bright light in the end of a cold and dark tunnel. Green tea and cholesterol.
For the millions and millions of people suffering from high cholesterol green tea may be that light. You can browse and search the Internet for topics on green tea and cholesterol and would come up with hundred of hits.
Cholesterol, triglycerides, the protein apoB in LDLs, are words dreaded by humans of the modern age. This new century is expected to become the century of medical miracles, the green tea, lowly as it may sound looks very promising as several researches have shown. This could be the decade of green tea and cholesterol.
More good news is it's not just green tea and cholesterol; it's also green tea and cancer. Several studies have shown that the antioxidants are present in green tea. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute published the results of an epidemiological study indicating that drinking green tea reduced the risk of esophageal cancer in Chinese men and women by nearly sixty percent. Another research done by the University of Purdue researchers recently concluded that a compound in green tea inhibits the growth of cancer cells. In another study by the University of Kansas determined that EGCG may explain why the rate of heart disease among Japanese men is quite low, even though approximately seventy-five percent are smokers.
And more good news! It's not just green tea and cholesterol; it's also green tea and high blood pressure. Habitually drinking 5 to 10 cups a day of green tea lowers high blood pressure.
For more that 4,000 years the Chinese have known about the medicinal benefits of green tea since using it to treat everything from headaches to depression. So it's not just green tea and cholesterol; it's also green tea and depression!
Drinking green also is reported to be helpful with rheumatoid arthritis, Cardiovascular disease, infection, and impaired immune function.
Green tea is rich in catechin polyphenols, especially epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a good anti-cancer element. Polyphenol limits the negative effects of smoking and a fatty diet.
There's more! It's not just green tea and cholesterol; it's also green tea and weight loss. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a report that found out that men who were given a combination of caffeine and green tea extract burned more calories than those given only caffeine.
How about green tea and tooth decay anyone? Its bacteria-destroying abilities kill the bacteria that cause dental decay. So it's not just green tea and cholesterol, it's also green tea and bacteria.
Why is it that it's green tea and cholesterol not oolong tea or black tea? As we all know there are 3 types of tea, green, oolong and black. All of these come from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. But why green? Green tea leaves are steamed, which prevents the EGCG compound from being oxidized while black and oolong tea leaves are made from dried or fermented leaves, which causes loss of EGCG.
We should have learned speaking mandarin or fukien a long time ago and got to know green tea and cholesterol lowering the Chinese way.
There is more to green tea and cholesterol, search the web and get to know more of the heath benefits you may get from green tea. Does anyone know how to say green tea in Chinese?
Article Source: http://www.articlesbasecamp.com
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