Cholesterol is a fat or animal sterol that is required in a small amount to produce certain hormones, vitamin D, bile acids, and to build cell wall. Cholesterol is mainly found in animals and animal products, like eggs, meat and dairy products, for which it is known as animal sterol. The excess cholesterol gets deposited within the arteries causing narrowing of the arteries. Narrowing of the arteries can reduce the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the heart, and is considered as one of the leading causes for strokes and heart attacks.

The fats and cholesterol that we consume goes to the liver, where they are combined with proteins to make lipoperoteins. There are mainly two types of lipoproteins, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL). These are the main cholesterols found in our body. Out of them LDL cholesterol is termed bad cholesterol, while HDL cholesterol is called good cholesterol. It is the high level of LDL cholesterol that is associated with an increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. Ideally, the total level of cholesterol in blood should be less than 200mg/dl and the LDL cholesterol level should be less than 130mg/dl. On the other hand, an HDL cholesterol level more than 60mg/dl is considered as desirable. Find out more about the normal HDL and LDL levels.

How to Reduce Cholesterol Fast

The first and the foremost requirement for lowering the level of cholesterol is discipline. High level of blood cholesterol is mainly regarded as a lifestyle problem, and hence, people trying to reduce cholesterol fast should be prepared to correct their lifestyle. They should be ready to do regular physical activities, and adopt a healthy diet. If one is determined to make these changes, then lowering the level of cholesterol is not such a big issue. Here are some simple tips on how to reduce cholesterol quickly and naturally. More on reduce cholesterol naturally.

Cholesterol Lowering Diet
A wrong eating habit is one of the main culprits for raising the level of blood cholesterol. This can be often attributed to consuming excess fats, especially saturated fats. It is true that fats are important for our health along with proteins and carbohydrates, and so, we need not avoid fats altogether. What we need to do, is cut down or reduce the intake of saturated fats, and replace them with the healthy fats such as, mono unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The important sources of saturated fats and cholesterol are, dairy products like, whole milk, butter, cheese, margarine, eggs, red meat such as, pork and beef, and junk foods. On the other hand, foods rich in the good unsaturated fats are, fish, nuts like, almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts and peanuts, olive oil and canola oil. Read the rest of this entry »