Do you understand Cholesterol?

There are many problems common among population these days, one of which is increasing body cholesterol resulting into overweight. We try exercising, follow fad diets, stop eating foods rich in fat like eggs, non-vegetarian foods, oils, etc. But is it right? Should we stop eating all these in the name of diet? Before answering this question, it’s important to understand a little more about cholesterol.

Is Cholesterol Bad?

Your body cells contain fat like substance called cholesterol which is required for vitamin D synthesis, hormone production, bile production, supporting cell membrane, etc. And do you know that 25% of the entire body cholesterol is in your brain. This shows that it is required but when it becomes excess, it poses problems by binding with other substances and forming plaque in the arteries. Further, there are two types of cholesterols, good cholesterol (HDL) and bad cholesterol (LDL). The good one carries all the cholesterol from body organs back to your liver eliminating the excess while the bad one accumulates in the body. The amount of LDL should be less while that of HDL should be more.

Still many people are unaware of healthy oils and using wrong oils for cooking and dressings is one of the main reasons behind its increasing level. Further, using too much of oil in the form of unhealthy street foods, trans-fatty acids in the form of bakery foods has increased these days. This became a major cause behind overweight and heart problems.

Triglycerides

These are a kind of fat in your blood that your body utilizes for energy but when its level in the blood increases, it causes trouble especially heart related and leads to metabolic syndrome. This is a condition where a person gets high blood pressure, high blood glucose, fat accumulated around the waist, high LDL and low HDL, etc. which ultimately leads to diabetes, heart problems, etc.

But what causes increase in triglycerides? Consumption of more refined foods and less wholesome foods can cause an increase in triglycerides. Foods like refined grains (noodles, pasta, refined flour), refined sugars (candies, soda, cookies, cakes, sweets), etc. lead to such problems.

What Cholesterol Can Cause?

When it gets accumulated in the arteries, it forms plaque and the arteries become narrow leading to low blood flow to the heart. This condition is called ‘Atherosclerosis’; and this can lead to heart problems like Angina (chest pain), heart attack, etc.

The Aarogyahaar Way

Like we said before, one of the important reasons behind increasing LDL is usage of wrong oils. We bring changes to your kitchen ingredients by suggesting you what is right and what is wrong for your health. Though usage of wrong oils, consumption of trans-fats, high levels of triglycerides are the major reasons behind increased cholesterol levels, it is important to understand the real reason behind it by considering the individual’s lifestyle habits. Accordingly, through our diet recommendations, you can reduce its levels in a time span of 3 to 6 months.

However, we all like foods such as cakes, pastries, chips, French fries which satisfy our appetite. Thus, keeping in mind the basic interests, we plan so that it satisfies your appetite and suggest you healthy way of eating foods by keeping your cholesterol levels under control. Eating healthy is possible by choosing the right foods.