Alcohol and cholesterol

If you worry about high cholesterol, here is a brief list of things for you to consider.

High cholesterol is an increasing problem for an increasing number of people. It is a leading cause of death in the world. Researchers have calculated that a death occurs at least every 30 seconds that has to do with high cholesterol, with heart disease. High cholesterol is something to take very, very seriously.

A relatively easy, painless test is available that can tell you whether or not you are suffering from high cholesterol. There are two kinds of cholesterol, good and bad. Good cholesterol is called HDL, bad cholesterol is called LDL. Your cholesterol level will determine what levels you have of each. If your HDL levels are high and your LDL levels are low, good for you, you can keep up the good work and confer with your doctor on making little improvements here and there. If your LDL levels are high and your HDL levels are low, you have a more serious problem, and will need to work with your doctor on making big lifestyle changes.

High cholesterol comes with eating to much fattening, greasy food, and not exercising enough. Eating a lot of animal products will lead to high cholesterol. Animal products include meat, cheese, milk, eggs, and cream. Anything, in short, that comes from animals. Too many processed foods will hurt you as well, cookies, crackers, doughnuts, etc.

When you eat too much of the foods listed above, fatty deposits begin building up in your arteries which stop the blood from flowing as smoothly. When the blood stops flowing, stops smoothly streaming to vital places like your brain and heart, a lot of terrible side effects result. Depression, lack of sleep, lack of focus, and weight gain are just a few of these. Even worse, if the blood creeps along too slowly, if the fatty deposits in your arteries are too thick and can't be bypassed, a blood clot can form which will lead directly to heart attack, stroke, and even death.

The way to avoid high cholesterol is to eat right and exercise. Eating right means eating a lot of natural foods - foods that grow straight from the earth. Grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans are all great weapons in fighting off cholesterol, and what's more they taste good. Certain oils, like olive and corn oil, help in the fight against cholesterol as well. They allow good fat to enter your body and help to flush your system of unwanted elements.

Many people wonder about the relation of alcohol to cholesterol. Too much alcohol, of course, is never a good thing, and leads to all sorts of health problems. Beer, for example, is an alcoholic drink that is high, high, high in calories and usually high in alcohol levels as well. High levels of calories and alcohol are a terrible combination in your blood.

There is, however, research that shows that red wine in moderation is an alcoholic drink that will actually help to lower LDL (bad cholesterol) in your blood while at the same time raising HDL (good cholesterol) levels. Red wine is full of antioxidants that may help to fight LDL. You shouldn't start drinking alcohol, though, to fight heart disease! If you do not drink alcohol, it's best not to start. If you do drink alcohol, and want to have a healthier heart, it is probably a good idea to switch to red wine from whatever it is that you are already drinking. Moderation, as always, is the key. Most doctors who proclaim the health benefits of red wine say you should have a glass or so at dinnertime. Otherwise, alcohol is definitely not a cure for anything, far from it. Alcohol is usually a cause of things that need to be cured.

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