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It's a fact that anything in excess is harmful. It's also a fact that everything in adequate amounts is necessary and important. Likewise, cholesterol here is no culprit! It, in fact, has a lot of benefits to provide to a human body.
Our body synthesises approximately 75 per cent of cholesterol and this synthesis is retarded when there is ingestion of dietary cholesterol which contributes to 25 per cent. Alterations in the ratio between endogenous synthesis and dietary cholesterol can, in future, lead to a gradual rise in blood cholesterol levels. n Cholesterol is important for normal body functioning involving the daily performance of our cells or tissues. n In addition to that, it also acts as a precursor in production of a number of hormones, including sex hormones, vitamin D etc. n It also helps in maintaining a healthy skin by preventing absorption of harmful chemicals and agents and thereby preventing dryness of this largest organ of the human body. The richest sources of cholesterol are mainly the ones that have an animal origin. Hence topping the list is eggyolk followed by meat (especially the liver or red meat), butter, margarine, processed meats like sausages and salamis, to some extent shrimps, shell fish, poultry and cheese.
There are 2 types of cholesterol in our body - HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or the good cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or the bad cholesterol. Why have we classified them in to good and bad categories is important to realise. With a regular diet of fatty foods, there has been observed an increase in the LDL cholesterol levels in the circulation. Now this cholesterol (LDL) mainly gets lodged in the walls of arteries of the heart and the brain. It undergoes modification to form a blockage in the arteries which could prove fatal. HDL, on the other hand, prevents LDL to get deposited in these arteries, hence the name: good cholesterol. Hence it is important to have an ideal LDL: HDL ratio which could be achieved by the adoption of the following measures: n The first step is reduction in fat consumption which will help improve the overall blood lipid profile. Hence do avoid of butter, cheese, margarine etc. Since these are key ingredients in cakes, pastries, chocolates etc as well as in savoury, junk food, snacks and processed foods, these should be avoided.
n Consumption of soluble fibre present in whole wheat, barley and oats and beans and legumes also helps reduce LDL cholesterol levels. n Fenugreek seeds are considered most hypocholesterolemic. These have the potent ability to target and bind with LDL cholesterol and thus making it unavailable for absorption in the blood. n Psyllium, commonly known as Isaphgol, and guar gum are also rich sources of fibre. Hence consumption of a teaspoon every day post dinner is ideal for cholesterol reduction. n Consumption of a lot of anti-oxidants in the form of fruits and vegetables will help prevent the modification of LDL in the blood thereby preventing clot formation in the arteries that causes blockage. n Vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E are potent anti-oxidants. Hence include apples, oranges, sweet lime, strawberries, cranberries, raspberries, peaches, guavas, amla etc in your daily diet.
n Flavanoids are a class of compounds that play an important role in prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Best sources of flavanoids include grapes and grape juice, legumes, green tea, red wine and fruits and vegetables. n According to many studies, garlic has also been known to bring a decrease in the LDL Cholesterol levels. Do eat 2-3 flakes of raw garlic every day. n Phytosterols are significant plant sterols structurally similar to cholesterol present in sesame seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, soybean, wheat germ and peanuts. Having 1.5-1.8gm of these substances daily will reduce cholesterol by as much as 30-40 per cent. n Another worth-mentioning foods which lower cholesterol are flax seeds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds etc which are rich sources of essential fatty acids. These have anti-inflammatory properties and thereby help prevent the oxidative modification of LDL that cause damage to the heart.
n Do cut back on saturated animal fats found in whole milk, cheese, meats, poultry etc. The food sources listed above efficiently combat cholesterol and improve the ratio of LDL: HDL cholesterol levels. This is done mainly by bringing blood LDL levels back to normal which is at 150-200mg/dl of blood. Research states that regular physical activity such as yoga, power yoga, intensive cardio, aerobics, swimming, cycling etc and a good diet significantly and gradually improves HDL cholesterol levels. A calm mind, focus and the will to be determined enough to follow the above listed measures will surely ensure not just healthy cholesterol levels but also a healthy heart, a healthy mind and thereby a healthy you. — The writer is one of the leading holistic health gurus and has a health portal www.mickeymehtahbf.com
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India
Washington: With multiple
suicides committed by children due to cyberbullying, parents
need to be more aware of their children's online activity, a new
study suggests. The study found that parents underestimate how
often their children engage in risky online behaviour, like
cyberbullying and viewing pornography. Researchers surveyed 465
parent-child pairs on their children's online behaviour. They
found that parents underestimate how often their child is a
victim or perpetrator of cyberbullying, exposed to sexual
imagery, and approached by strangers online. The disparity
between these behaviours and a parent's perception of the
behaviour increased when the parent executed a permissive style
of parenting. The study found that while 30 per cent of youths
admit to having been cyberbullied, only slightly higher than 10
per cent of their parents reported that they knew. About 15 per
cent of the youths in the study admitted to cyberbullying
others; fewer than 5 per cent of those parents were aware. The
study also suggested that parents of younger teens - those who
believe their child is smarter than others online, or who are
not able to monitor their teen's internet use - are more likely
to be unaware that their child has been cyberbullied. The study
is published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated
Communication. — ANI
Scientists have
found that a drug used to treat epilepsy and migraine headaches
could also be the first reliable medication to treat cocaine
dependence. Topiramate, a drug approved by the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) may decrease cocaine craving, researchers
found. The study by the Department of Psychiatry at the
University of Maryland School of Medicine, is one of the first
to establish a pharmacological treatment for cocaine addiction,
for which there are currently no FDA-approved medications.
Addiction affects 13.2 to 19.7 million cocaine users worldwide.
A team of German researchers
has devised a novel, non-invasive way to make diabetes
monitoring easier, which means keeping a check on blood glucose
(sugar) levels to ensure they remain at stable levels. The
researchers, using infrared laser light applied on top of the
skin, measure sugar levels in the fluid in and under skin cells
to read blood sugar levels. "This opens the fantastic
possibility that diabetes patients might be able to measure
their glucose level without pricking and without test strips,
researcher Werner Mantele, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universitat,
said. Their new optical approach uses photoacoustic spectroscopy
(PAS) to measure glucose. A painless pulse of laser light
applied externally to the skin is absorbed by glucose molecules
and creates a measurable sound signature. This signal enables
researchers to detect glucose in skin fluids in seconds. The
study is published in Review
of Scientific Instruments. — Agencies