How To Manage Cholesterol Level?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in all cells of the body. While human body requires some cholesterol to make hormones, Vitamin-D and substances that help digest foods, high cholesterol levels can increase the chance of getting heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

Fasting lipid blood test is one way to find out information on one’s total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol or bad cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol or good cholesterol, and triglycerides.

Of all the readings, LDL is the most important figure one should pay attention to. For a person without diabetes or a history of heart disease or stroke, an LDL level of above 4.0mmol/L or 160mg/dL is considered high. But if one has diabetes, heart disease, or has previously suffered a stroke, the threshold is lower, at 2.6mmol/L or 100mg/dL. LDL causes fat deposits to accumulate on blood vessel walls. This will eventually create a blockage that might lead to heart attack and stroke.

The human body can make all the cholesterol it needs but cholesterol can be added to the body in some of the foods consumed. Cholesterol is found in foods that come from animal sources, for example, egg yolks, meat, and cheese. Some foods have saturated fats and Trans fats that can also raise the cholesterol level.

Besides diet, level of physical activity, body weight, heredity (genes) and age can determine the cholesterol levels, too. People who do not have adequate physical activity tend to gain weight. Overweight would raise the LDL levels and lower the HDL levels. LDL levels appear to rise with increasing age, and sometimes, high cholesterol can run in families and this is of course uncontrollable. 

Patients with high cholesterol levels are usually advised to perform moderate aerobic exercise to improve their cholesterol levels. Regular exercise could help one lose weight, increase HDL levels and lower LDL levels.

Meanwhile, they should adopt a diet low in saturated fats and high in vegetables and fruits. Vegetables like cabbage, carrot, onion and tomato, and fruits such as blueberries, avocado, grapefruit, grape, and soybeans are rich in cholesterol-lowering antioxidants. In addition, one should try to have a diet contains omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to lower one’s triglyceride levels.

However, if one’s cholesterol levels do not reduce after 3 to 6 months, he or she should see the doctor who might prescribe cholesterol-lowering medications like statins.

People are mostly not aware of the high blood cholesterol levels in their body because there is no signs or symptoms. It is advised that adults aged 20 and above should have their cholesterol levels checked at least once every 5 years. 

Are Kids Eating More Healthy Food Now?

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2009-2010) showed that about one-third of children and adolescents aged between 6 and 19 are considered to be overweight or obese and among them, more than 1 in 6 are considered to be obese.

Overweight and obesity are known to be the risk factors of a number of chronic diseases including heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, Type-2 diabetes and even certain types of cancer. Hence, childhood obesity is a big health issue for the Americans. For years, scientists have been blaming unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle for causing the obesity epidemic.

Every day, about 32 million students eat at school. For many low-income students, up to half of their daily energy intake comes from school meals. The breakfast and lunch served at schools used to be high in sodium and saturated fats and low in whole grains and fiber.

In 2012, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommended a series of guidelines to schools to improve the nutritional quality of their lunches, including adding more whole grains, offering fruits and vegetables and only fat-free or low-fat milk, reducing saturated fat, trans fat and sodium and monitoring portion sizes for calorie control.

But does the new guidelines have any positive impact on the kids’ meal? To find out the answers, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed the food waste of 1,030 students from 4 low-income schools in Massachusetts, before and after the USDA guidelines were in place.

Their analysis showed that after the new guidelines were introduced, fruit selection increased by almost 23 percent (from 52.7 to 75.7 percent.), and vegetable consumption increased 16.2 percent (from 24.9 to 41.1 percent). Kids loved fresh vegetables, especially baby carrots. They published their report in April 2014 issue of the ‘American Journal of Preventative Medicine’.

According to researchers, the food waste did not increase after the new guidelines were introduced suggesting students were actually eating the fruit rather than throwing it away. But it was noted that large amounts of food still end up in the trash. Approximately 60 to 75 percent of vegetables and 40 percent of fruits were discarded after they were served.

There is no doubt that schools are required to offer more fruits and vegetables under the new recommendation. But doing this alone might not be enough to raise the overall standards. In order to lower the overall waste levels, schools need to focus not only on the quality and palatability of the fruits and vegetables offered but also on creative methods of engaging students to taste and participate in selection of menu items.

Can Tomato Cut Stroke Risk?

Intake of fruits and vegetables and levels of serum carotenoids have been tied to lower risk of stroke but the so far the findings have been inconsistent.

To examine if serum concentrations of major carotenoids (alpha-tocopherol and retinol) were related to any stroke risk in men, researchers from various institutions in Finland looked at 1,031 Finnish men when they were first enrolled in the study in the early 1990s.

These men, aged between 46 and 65 years old, were part of a larger study examining at risk factors for the development of cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke). The findings were published in the October 9, 2012’s issue of the medical journal ‘Neurology’.

When the study began, blood levels of lycopene, alpha- and beta-carotene, and Vitamins E and A of these participants were measured. 7 years later, same measurements were done for most men. The men were followed an average of 12 years.

During the follow-up period, there were 11 strokes among the one-quarter of men with the highest lycopene levels, compared to 25 among the one-quarter with the lowest levels. Even after taking into accounts of some major factors that affect stroke risk, like smoking, high blood pressure and diabetes, the high-lycopene group still had a 55 percent lower risk of suffering a stroke.

The study had some limitations, though. For instance, it lacked information on the men's overall diet habits that might explain why lycopene was linked to lower risk. The findings did, however, support the current advice to get plenty of fruits and vegetables, and reinforced the prevailing recommendations for people to get a well-balanced diet, with fruits and vegetables.

Lycopene is a chemical that gives a reddish hue to foods like tomatoes, red peppers, watermelon and papaya. It is a potent antioxidant that helps protect body cells from damage that can ultimately lead to disease. Research also suggested that lycopene might help fight inflammation and blood clots better than other antioxidants.

But in cutting stroke, diet does play an important role. The so-called “DASH” diet, which has been shown to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, suggests cutting salt and getting more fiber-rich grains, nuts and legumes, and a low-fat dairy, as well as 4 to 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day.

In 2010, the United States updated its dietary guidelines, stating that Americans should raise their fruit and vegetable intake - at least 2 and half cups of fruits and vegetables per day can reduce risk of heart attack and stroke.

Fiber Can Be Bad, Are You Sure?

"Too much fibre might be harmful in some cases for some people?"

Surprising? I bet you will but you are not alone!

I was quite astonished when I first looked at the above statement because we are always being reminded by doctors or dieticians to take sufficient amount of fiber everyday.

Nevertheless, most people just do not consume enough fiber on a daily basis, according to statistics.

People do not take enough fiber either because they do not like food of high fiber (usually not too nice to eat) or they do not keep track of what they eat: just grab whatever available to them during meal time.

Doctors and dieticians observe that people not taking enough fiber likely end up with constipation. For people with severe constipation, adding more fiber into their diet may actually worsen the condition.

When the colon is already clogged up as a result of constipation, adding more fiber into the body will add to the bulk. Therefore, it is better to consult doctor and get some medication to ease the constipation.

Consuming too much fiber-rich food may also cause other problems such as a feeling of bloatedness. This is because gas is produced when the bacteria in the guts break down soluble fiber. This will cause tummy bloat and wind. Cramps and mal-absorption may also occur if substantial amount of fiber is being added to one's diet suddenly.

But how do we know we are taking excessive fiber?

It is simple, for a person of average height and weight, consuming 4 servings of vegetables instead of 2 is considered excessive. For your information, 1 serving equals to three-quarters of a cup of vegetables.

Besides preventing constipation, fiber also has many other benefits:

• good for our gut as it helps clear unwanted wastes from our body,
• helps maintain intestinal health and cholesterol levels,
• improves one's blood sugar levels as fiber-rich food take a longer time to break down into sugar in the body,
• boosts immune system,
• reduces risk of heart disease,
• soothes inflammation in the body.

A high-fibre diet may help prevent colorectal cancer and also make us feel satiated on less, thus helping to refrain us from overeating.

Fiber can be found in vegetables such as spinach, cauliflower and carrots; fruits such as guava and apples; and wholegrain.

The conclusion is:

The problems mentioned above should never be used as an excuse for us to reduce our fiber intake. We should eat the recommended 2 servings of fruits and 2 servings of vegetables on a daily basis but remember not to take excessively.