High Cholesterol Doesn't Have To Be A Permanent Condition

It's estimated that at least half of all Americans have either high or borderline cholesterol levels. These elevated levels will put you at a much higher risk of experiencing a stroke or heart attack.

The liver naturally produces cholesterol. It helps in forming cell membranes. It creates certain kinds of hormones and even aides our bodies in digesting fats. It is present in all of the body's cells, the bloodstream, skin, brain, nerves and muscles.

Many of the foods we eat add even more cholesterol to the amount naturally produced by the liver. Our weight, stress, age and heredity are other things that also contribute to elevated cholesterol in the body.

There are 2 types of cholesterol, often called good and bad. The good cholesterol, HDL, returns it to the liver where it can be broken down. The bad cholesterol, LDL, acts in just the opposite way. It ferries cholesterol away from the liver and into the bloodstream.

When the bloodstream contains too much cholesterol, it clings to the walls of the vessels and hardens, restricting the blood flowing to the brain and heart. This in turn greatly raises the occurrence of strokes or heart attacks.

If your cholesterol level is too high there are some things you can try to help lower it and reduce the risks associated with it. For many people following a diet low in cholesterol, getting exercise and reducing weight will be all that is required to lower the levels.

Simple changes in diet by adding some cholesterol fighting foods like fish, oats, whole grains, yogurt and eliminating a lot of saturated fats will often get your cholesterol levels back to normal.

The simple lifestyle changes that you can make won't have much effect on your cholesterol if it is an inherited condition or your body has just begun to produce too much for some reason. In these cases the only alternative may be for your doctor to prescribe one or several medications.

There are other factors that increase the risks of heart attacks and strokes, but elevated cholesterol is one thing that you can actually have some control over. If you've been diagnosed with high or borderline cholesterol start making those basic changes that might extend your life by years!

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