Health Information Center

Cholesterol is a type of fat that is produced by your body and is also found in foods that come from animal sources (meat, milk products, eggs, poultry, and fish). Your body’s cells need cholesterol to function properly. However, excess cholesterol in the blood can build up inside your arteries (atherosclerosis), causing them to narrow. Atherosclerosis is the starting point for most heart and circulation problems.

Good and Bad Cholesterol

Cholesterol travels through your bloodstream attached to protein, in a combination called a lipoprotein. Two lipoproteins are the main carriers of cholesterol: low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL). High-density lipoproteins contain more protein than they do fat. Continue reading ‘High Cholesterol in Old Age’ »

After my family physician insisted that I begin to take Lipitor for my high cholesterol, I became determined to lower my cholesterol naturally, without the aid of prescription drugs.

Here are a few simple tweaks I made to my diet to do so:

1. Breakfast: Instead of a bagel and cream cheese, I opted for oatmeal and an apple.

Why does this work?

It works because both oatmeal and apples contain soluble fiber, which help me to lower my cholesterol– the bad kind, that is (otherwise known as LDL cholesterol). Soluble fiber also reduces the absorption of cholesterol into your bloodstream. All it takes is 5 to 10 grams (or more!) a day to reduce your total and LDL cholesterol levels. There are 5 grams of fiber in one medium apple. 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal has 6 grams of fiber– so I reach my daily quota by breakfast time alone!

See, little tweaks make a big difference. Let’s continue, shall we? Continue reading ‘Lower My Cholesterol – 5 Simple Diet Tweaks That Help Me to Do Just That’ »

HDL or “good” cholesterol can help prevent heart disease, but did you know it can also protect you against cancer?  A new study shows that it can cut your risk of cancer by 21% for every 10 point rise in your HDL cholesterol.  Here are a few things you can do to pump up your HDL cholesterol.

• Eat soy.  Soy protein improves the liver’s ability to product HDL cholesterol.  British studies suggest that consuming 14 grams of soy protein daily can raise your HDL cholesterol by 4%.  This is the equivalent of two 8-oz. glasses of soy milk or one soy burger. Continue reading ‘Prevent Cancer With Good Cholesterol’ »