Wrong beliefs about blood cholesterol

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  • 2015-09-20 13:32:31
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Cholesterol is known as a waxy substance of the essential components of cell membranes in all tissues of living organisms, which plays an important role in the metabolism. That explains the presence of a beneficial type for the body and another harmful type. The beneficial cholesterol is high-density fatty protein, its normal rate is of higher than 40 blood mg / dL. The harmful type is less than 100 mg / dL, it is a low-density lipoprotein LDL, the high ratio of harmful cholesterol is a threat to health as it precipitates on the arteries and increases the risk of heart disease, but this case is famous for much beliefs, some are true and many are wrong. So, we must clarify the medical truth about them, which is what we are going to brief in the today`s article.

 - High cholesterol is a danger to men only: estrogen in women helps in the maintenance of cholesterol levels around the normal level, which is lost at the age of menopause, so men over the age of 45, and women over the age of 55 are more prone to high cholesterol.

 - High cholesterol is a genetic factor that cannot be controlled: genes already play a role in developing high cholesterol in the blood, but there are other factors causing it such as food behavior, lifestyle has more effect on it, increasing the gravity of the existence of genetic factor, which requires following the preventive measures to keep cholesterol levels at normal levels.

 - Blood cholesterol can be reduced by taking medicine only: You cannot rely on cholesterol reducing drugs only, but you must know the reasons that led to its raise such as diet, infection, tension,  mental stress, in addition to a following a healthy diet, friendly to heart lifestyles to increase the effectiveness of the medication.

 - You should eat foods that contain 0 milligrams of cholesterol: a ratio that exist on food products, which is one of the most important reasons for the high level of cholesterol, such as saturated fats found in animal foods and dairy products, fat contrastive in canned food, which has a major influence on the harmful cholesterol that causes atherosclerosis.

 - Children do not get high cholesterol: research has shown that narrowing of the arteries and their hardening which is leading to heart attacks may occur at an early age, starting from the age of eight, so it is recommended to measure cholesterol level from two years of age in children with obesity, high blood pressure, or with a history of the heart disease, while following a healthy diet for children to limit the intake of saturated fat and cholesterol diet, while exercising regularly.

 - Cholesterol is always harmful: As noted earlier that cholesterol is important for many biological processes, such as insulating nerve cells in the brain, providing membrane cell structure, and the role of cholesterol in heart disease is explained in the transport of cholesterol through the bloodstream by low and high density lipoproteins LDL, HDL. Where LDL is the harmful cholesterol which is responsible for atherosclerosis.

 - Low cholesterol is healthy: a health reality, but a study has shown that cancer patients often suffer from low levels of harmful cholesterol in the years before the diagnosis and detection of cancer, as well as that of people with low cholesterol levels in the blood are more vulnerable to infection and danger.

 - There are no symptoms of high cholesterol: indeed, it may be true, but others are infected by red swelling yellowish slash known as the yellow tumor, and it appear on the eyelids, joints, hands and in the diabetic patients, or patients with hypersensitivity family-cholesterol (genetic) . They are more likely to get yellow tumor.

- There is no harm when cholesterol drugs are ceased when the cholesterol level in the blood is lowered: wrong information as cholesterol can increase abruptly which will increases the risk of heart attack risks, strokes, and despite the lack of full cure for high cholesterol, it can be controlled successfully, but it needs a lifetime commitment.

 - High cholesterol is associated with obesity: It is not necessary that the person suffers from obesity to have high cholesterol as it can affect a slim person and with a normal weight, however, people with heavy weights have higher blood cholesterol as a result of eating fatty foods.

- Butter can replace with margarine to reduce cholesterol: each of butter and margarine contain high levels of fat, as most types of margarine contain saturated fat that work on raising the cholesterol, however it is recommended to use vegetable oil that does not freeze (non-hydrogenated) i.e. does not contain isomorphic fats.

- It is not necessary to make cholesterol test until the middle age: wrong information, as we have stated previously that the children can get high cholesterol especially those who have a family history of heart disease, so you should conduct the test at an early age.

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