Heart Disease: A Leading Killer
Heart disease is one of the leading killers in America, responsible for 29 percent of all U.S. deaths in 2006. Yet as deadly as it is, heart disease is largely preventable. Part of the prevention lies in understanding the difference between good and bad cholesterol. This article will focus on the good cholesterol, HDL, and how it helps you fight heart disease.
Technically, any condition that negatively affects the heart can be called heart disease. Heart disease can strike a person at any moment in the form of a heart attack. One of the most diagnosed forms is coronary heart disease, which involves a clogging of the arteries. Your arteries deliver oxygen to the heart, which in turn pumps the blood throughout the body via the veins.
Hard Arteries and Cholesterol
If the arteries become clogged, the heart must work much harder to pull in blood. Hardening can be caused by plaque. Plaque is made up of dead fibrous tissue from damaged arteries, and fatty deposits known as cholesterol. Those deposits come from the foods that you eat.
As mentioned earlier, there are two types of cholesterol: Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL), the "bad" cholesteroll and High Density Lipoprotein (HDL), the "good" cholesterol. The LDL is the type that lines against your arteries and traps other fatty deposits, narrowing the blood-flow path and adding stress to your heart. According to Americanheart.org, you shouldn't have more than 100mg of LDL per day.
What clears away LDL is the HDL cholesterol. Doctors believe that HDL takes the LDL out of plaque and down to the liver. The liver then breaks it down and passes it through the body. That helps fight heart disease, because it slows down the growth of plaque.
Raising Your HDL
Having knowledge about cholesterol levels in your food can help you fight heart disease. Your liver already produces a natural amount of cholesterol, so balancing your cholesterol intake can be beneficial. Natural plants contain virtually no cholesterol, while nearly all animals and dairy products have it. The trick to managing cholesterol intake is that no foods have been discovered that raise your HDL. However, there are certain meals that lower your LDL levels. Blueberries, garlic, and foods rich in Omega-3 acids are known to do this.
Physical activity may also play a part. The Mayo Clinic says that getting 30 to 60 minutes of exercise per day for a month can raise HDL levels by 5 percent. That's a 5 percent greater chance of living and fighting off a leading killer. Losing weight also raises your HDL by 1 percent for every 6 lbs. lost.
Tags: fight heart disease, good cholesterol, heart disease, cholesterol intake, Density Lipoprotein, fatty deposits, fight heart