#CHOLESTEROL

The Cambridge Advanced Learners dictionary defined Cholesterol as "a substance containing a lot of fat that is found in the body tissue and blood of all animals. It is one of the major cause of heart disease if there is too much of it.
Cholesterol is a type of fat (lipid) in the blood. Our cells need cholesterol, and our body makes all it needs. But we also get cholesterol from the food we eat. If we have too much cholesterol, it starts to build up in our arteries. (Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart.)
It is the starting point for some heart and blood flow problems. The buildup can narrow the arteries and make it harder for blood to flow through them. The buildup can also lead to dangerous blood clots and inflammation that can cause heart attacks and strokes.

There are different types of cholesterol.

1. LDL which is the "bad" cholesterol. It's the kind that can raise your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
2. HDL which is the "good" cholesterol. It's the kind that is linked to a lower risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke.

We may ask, why does cholesterol matter?

Your cholesterol levels can help your doctor find out your risk for having a heart attack or stroke. But it's not just about your cholesterol. Your doctor uses your cholesterol levels plus other things to calculate your risk. These include:
Your blood pressure.
Whether or not you have diabetes.
Your age, sex, and race.
Whether or not you smoke.

What affects cholesterol levels?

Many things can affect cholesterol levels, including:
1.The foods you eat. Eating too much saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol can raise your cholesterol.
2.Being overweight. This may lower HDL ("good" cholesterol.
Being inactive. Not exercising may lower HDL ("good" cholesterol.
Age. Cholesterol starts to rise after age 20.
Family history. If family members have or had high cholesterol, you may also have it.
How is cholesterol tested?

You need a blood test to check your cholesterol.
A cholesterol test, also called a lipid panel, measures all of the fats in your blood, including total, LDL, and HDL cholesterol.High cholesterol levels don't make you feel sick. So the blood test is the only way to know your cholesterol levels.

How can you lower your cholesterol level?

Eating a healthy diet that is rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and low-fat or non-fat dairy foods. Such as, Almond, Oatmeal, Garlic, Olive oil, Avocado, Tomatoes, Fibre, Salmon, Green tea, etc. Also note that all fruits and vegetables are low in saturated fat so eating more helps to keep the fat intake low.

Being active on most, if not all, days of the week. An active lifestyle can help lower cholesterol levels. Activities can range from walking and cycling to more vigorous exercise such as running and dancing.
Doing 150 minutes of moderate - intensity aerobic activity every week can improve your cholesterol level.
Moderate intensity aerobic activity means you are working hard enough to raise your heart rate and break a sweat.

Smoking can raise LDL and lower HDL, and quitting often improves those numbers, study shows that people who stopped smoking saw their “good” cholesterol rise 5% in one year. But if you’re regularly around smokers, take heed: Breathing secondhand smoke every day can also raise levels of bad cholesterol.

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