Cholesterol

    If you have heart disease, your body is probably not very efficient at metabolizing dietary cholesterol and saturated fat.  Despite all the bad press, cholesterol isn’t really ‘bad’. Your body makes all the cholesterol that it needs, even if you don’t eat any cholesterol in your diet and even if you reduce your saturated fat intake. In fact, three fourths of the cholesterol in your blood is manufactured by your body. It is the excessive amounts of cholesterol and saturated fat in the diet that led to coronary heart disease.

Your body makes exactly the right amount of cholesterol to meat your needs, telling your liver to increase or decrease the amounts of cholesterol it manufactures as needed. Within limits, when you eat more cholesterol, you  produce less of it.  But when you eat excessive amounts of cholesterol, you overwhelm your body’s ability to handle it. You also produce more cholesterol when you are feeling emotionally stressed.

    For many years doctors have considered a cholesterol level between 240 and 280 as normal. This was determined by averaging the cholesterol of most Americans, which average was between 240 and 280. Since the average American gets a heart attack average in this case is not a great goal is it? In actual fact,  according to the medical world, they have now lowered the desired cholesterol reading to one of 150 or less is normal for a healthy person.

The natural world disagrees with these numbers, and there are lots of articles showing actual facts as our foundation.

Margarine Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is bad cholesterol)
Lowers  HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Information According to WebMD.com
Do you have high triglyceride levels? If you do, you're hardly alone. Overall, more than a third of adults in the U.S. have high triglyceride levels, a type of fat in the blood.

Although it's a common problem, many of us don't know the first thing about high triglycerides. Studies have consistently linked high triglycerides levels with heart disease, heart attacks, and stroke, especially in people with low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and in those with type 2 diabetes.

The good news is that there's a lot you can do on your own to lower triglycerides and improve health.

First, find out if your triglycerides are high. Then, find out what to do about it.
Know Your Triglyceride Numbers 
Here are the levels, based on a fasting blood test.

• Normal: Less than 150mg/dL
• Borderline: 150 to 199 mg/dL
• High: 200 to 499 mg/dL
• Very High: 500 mg/dL or above

Anyone over age 20 needs to get regular tests to track their cholesterol and triglyceride levels, according to the American Heart Association.

Why Are High Triglycerides Bad?Very high levels of triglycerides are associated with liver and pancreas problems.

But studies show conflicting results on the role of high triglycerides and the risk of heart disease. Not all experts agree that triglycerides play a significant role in heart problems.

High triglycerides tend to show up along with other problems, like high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol, and low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol. So it’s hard to know for sure which problems are caused by high triglycerides alone.

For instance, some people have a genetic condition that seems to cause high triglyceride levels. But they don’t have an increased risk of heart disease. Still, there is some evidence that high triglycerides, on their own, increase the risk of disease. Other studies show that high triglycerides may only play a minor role when other heart disease risks are taken into account.

With ongoing studies, scientists hope to find out whether drugs that lower triglycerides also reduce the risks of heart disease.

Overall, it's important to remember that improving diet and lifestyle will lower triglycerides and lower the overall risk of heart and blood vessel problems.

Controlling High Triglycerides: Lifestyle Changes

Although finding out that you have high triglycerides might be upsetting, there's a lot you can do on your own to lower them. Making changes to your lifestyle can have a dramatic benefit. Here are some suggestions:

• Get more physical activity. Exercise can have a big impact on triglyceride levels. Experts recommend that everybody get at least 30 minutes of exercise at least five times a week. If you're out of shape, start slowly. Begin with a quick walk three times a week and then build up from there.
• Lose some weight. If you're heavy, shed a few pounds and try to maintain an ideal body weight. Exercise will help, but you also need to focus on diet. The key is to eat fewer calories -- whether they come from fats, carbs, or protein. Focus on a diet that's high in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy products. Cutting down on sugary foods -- like sodas -- could really help, too.
• Choose better fats. Pay more attention to the fats you eat. Eat less foods with unhealthy fats (found in meat, butter, and cheese) and trans fats (in processed foods and margarines), as well as cholesterol. Boost your intake of healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which are found in olive oil, nuts, and some fish. Studies have found that the omega-3s in fatty fish -- like tuna, salmon, mackerel, and sardines -- are particularly good at lowering triglyceride levels. Because even healthy fats are high in calories, you still need to eat these foods in moderation.
• Cut down on alcohol. Even small amounts of alcohol seem to cause big spikes in triglyceride levels. Limit alcohol intake to one drink a day.

• Fibrates can lower triglycerides. They modestly improve cholesterol levels, too.
• Fish oil with omega-3 fatty acids can help keep triglycerides under control. Ask your doctor whether you should use prescription fish oil. Omega-3 acids from plant sources like flax seed may help.
• Niacin (nicotinic acid) can lower triglycerides by up to 50%. It's available as a non-prescription supplement 

• Remember that to stay healthy and keep your triglycerides down, you still have to focus on improving your lifestyle.
  
  When you talk to your doctor, discuss all of the medicines,supplements, and vitamins you take. Some common drugs -- like beta-blockers, birth control pills, and diuretics -- can cause high triglycerides as a side effect. It's possible that one of them could be causing your problem.
  
  

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