Important Information On Cholesterol

Important Information On Cholesterol
Cholesteryl esters are composed of a single fatty acid esterfied to cholesterol, in which the polar component is an alcohol.

Cholesterol is normally found in the body in cell walls and
membranes, vitamin D, hormones, and fat-digesting enzyme. Excess
cholesterol can get deposited in the walls of blood vessels, leading to
atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. Atherosclerosis leads to
heart attack and stroke. Cholesterol is divided into LDL ("bad"
cholesterol), which carries cholesterol in the blood and can get
deposited onto the walls of blood vessels, causing atherosclerotic
plaques. HDL ("good" cholesterol) helps clear the blood of cholesterol,
and may even remove cholesterol from atherosclerotic blood vessels.

Cholesterol is a major component of all cell membranes. It is
required for synthesis of sex hormones, bile acids, and vitamin D. It
is also a precursor of the steroid hormones produced by the adrenal
cortex and gonads.

Dietary cholesterol is found only in foods derived from animals
(meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products); it is not present in
plants. Saturated fats have a profound hypercholesterolemic (increase
blood cholesterol levels) effect. They are found predominantly in
animal products (butter, cheese and meat) but coconut oil and palm oil
are common vegetable sources. Saturated fat raises blood cholesterol
levels more than anything else in the diet, even more than dietary
cholesterol.

Findings suggest that blood lipid cholesterol levels predict
subsequent mortality in men, especially those with preexisting
cardiovascular disease. Those with high blood cholesterol levels have a
risk of death from cardiovascular disease, including coronary heart
disease, that was 3.45 times higher than that for men with a "desirable"
blood cholesterol level.

Lowering cholesterol levels decreases the incidence of heart
disease. In fact, several studies have convincingly shown that adequate
hypercholesterolemic treatment can not only prevent CHD, but can also
reverse it.

Dietary therapy is the cornerstone of all hypercholesterolemic
therapy, and it has been estimated that 65 million adult Americans may
be candidates for dietary instruction.

The efficacy of hypercholesterolemic diets lowering cholesterol and
in some cases, in preventing CHD, has been convincingly demonstrated.
Such efficacy does depend, however, on the vigour which the physician
and dietitian support dietary therapy. Many physicians have declared
dietary therapy a failure without providing their patients with real
dietary advice and support.

Two factors that probably contribute to physicians disinterest in
dietary therapy are extensive advertising of hypercholesterolemic drugs
compared with the little advertisingof dietary therapy and patient
reluctance to alter diet and life-style. Getting patients to alter
their life-style is often a challenging task.

To further facilitate dietary therapy, recent research suggests that
certain forms of fat (eg. fish and monounsaturated fatty acids) may be
hypocholesterolemic, especially if they replace saturated fatty acids
in the diet. Food technology is improving daily in palatably, removing
fat from items like cheese, chips, and crackers. Frozen yogurt has
become a popular replacement for ice cream. Fat substitutes, as they
become available, may also facilitate compliance with a low-fat diet.

Scientists first suspected a connection between soy and lower
cholesterol levels after observing that people in Asian countries where
diets contain much more soy than in the United States have
significantly lower levels of heart disease than Americans. Experts
believe natural soy compounds called isoflavones act like human
hormones that regulate cholesterol levels. A 1998 study concluded that
regular consumption of soy isoflavones may reduce total cholesterol
levels by up to 10 percent.

A minimum of 25 grams of soy protein must be consumed daily in order
to reap optimal cholesterol-lowering benefits. Good sources of soy
protein include soy milk, tempeh, tofu, and textured soy protein, a
main ingredient in many meat substitutes.

The amount of cholesterol synthesized and metabolized by the body is
far greater than the amount usually consumed in the diet. It must also
be noted that in healthy people little correlation has been found
between the intake of cholesterol and blood cholesterol levels. Yet the
level of cholesterol in the blood is increased with high intakes of
dietary saturated fat and can be lowered by increasing the intake of
linoleic acid and fiber, which leads to a reduction of cholesterol
absorption from the intestine and an increased faecal excretion of
dietary cholesterol.

There is some evidence indicating that other nutrients can lower
blood cholesterol levels. Choline emulsifies cholesterol thus helps to
control a build up. Inositol metabolizes fats and cholesterol. Vanadium
inhibits the formation of cholesterol in the blood vessels and aids in
preventing heart attacks. Zinc also helps to decrease cholesterol
levels.

If you are on a cholesterol reducing drug, you will suffer a
decrease in the absorption of Vitamin A, thus needing to increase the
amount available in your diet.

Psyllium is an especially attractive hybrid intervention in that it
is well tolerated, lowers LDL-cholesterol by 10% to 20%, has no adverse
effects on triglycerides, high-density-lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol,
or serum glucose, and is readily available and fairly inexpensive. It
has a long history of use without any evidence of long-term adverse
effects. Onions, Garlic, and Ginger are also recommended for their
ability to help lower cholesterol levels.

A recent article estimated that oat bran supplementation (90 gm per
day) was a much more cost-effective method of lowering serum
cholesterol than either cholestyramine or colestipol.

The Food and Nutrition Board's Committee on Diet and Health
recommend that dietary cholesterol should be less than 300 milligrams
per day.