Archive for the ‘Cholesterol’ Category

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Dealing with High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid

When it comes to high cholesterol, what you choose to put on your dinner plate is just as important as the foods you decide to eliminate from your daily menu. There are many temptations all around us that can have a negative impact on your overall cholesterol levels. Sometimes the difference between being able to stay away from them or indulging is knowing exactly what goes into them. If you educate yourself on common high cholesterol foods, you will begin to recognize patterns for some of the worst culprits. There are far too many people who have absolutely no idea what they are putting into their systems, and this is having negative repercussions in the long term. Rather than having to face the consequences of high cholesterol that can include heart disease and stroke, it’s far better to educate yourself on the types of foods you need to avoid now.

Most people have unhealthy habits when it comes to snacks. This is rather unfortunate since snacktime is actually great for a revving up your metabolism and keeping your hunger levels down so that you don’t overeat during meal times. But rather than take advantage of this, most people opt for unhealthy snacks that don’t add any nutritional value at all. Things like potato chips and ice cream should be at the top of your list of high cholesterol foods to avoid, not things that you regularly reach for when it comes to snack time. Most commercial snacks such as chips and cookies are high in saturated fats which elevate your levels of bad cholesterol dramatically. One cookie might not hurt, but you have to consider how many you eat during a snacking session and then multiply that by how often you snack during the week. Remember that everything you put into your system eventually builds up over time, which is why cholesterol should not be considered a sudden or random problem. It’s something that you contribute to overtime why you have to stay dedicated in dealing with it in a healthy way.

Some of the worst high cholesterol foods include egg yolks, fatty red meat, organ meats, and high-fat dairy products. As you can see, most of these things are consumed on a regular basis, and some of them are staples all of a daily diet. Dealing with high cholesterol doesn’t mean you have to eliminate all of these foods, nor should you try to attain such an unreasonable goal. It’s far better to use moderation and healthier cooking processes so that you can continue to get a full and balanced nutritious diet without exposing your body to excess levels of fat. Remember, you aren’t doing your body any favors by trying to lower your cholesterol with a so-called “fat-free” diet, and you run the risk of going too far in the opposite direction. You should always keep an eye on overall nutrition while balancing proteins, foods high in iron, and all of the essential minerals and vitamins you need on a regular basis. When you do things properly, it’s entirely possible to enjoy your daily meals while lowering your cholesterol with the help of smarter food choices.

Posted on May 25th 2011 in Cholesterol | No Comments »

Sources of the Essential Fatty Acids EPA and DHA

The polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are components of cellular membranes, where they help maintain the correct level of fluidity of these coverings of the cell and of many intracellular organelles.  They belong to the omega-3 fatty acids, because the first double bond in their structure occurs between carbons 3 and 4, counting from the omega position at the end of the molecule opposite the carboxyl (acidic) group.  Neither human beings nor any other animals can manufacture these molecules.  We need to obtain them from our diet.  So where can we find them?  Several sources exist, both direct and indirect.  Let’s take a look.

Land Plants and Land Animals
Natural sources of omega-3 fatty acids include land plants such as linseed (flax) and leafy green vegetables.  Neither of these plants has any EPA or DHA, though.   The omega-3 fatty acid found in land plants is ALA, or alpha-linolenic acid.  This fatty acid has 18 carbons and three double bonds.  Land animals eating omega-3 fatty acid-containing plants ingest the ALA, and convert it at a low efficiency to EPA (20 carbons, 5 double bonds) and DHA (22 carbons, 6 double bonds).  Birds tend to be more efficient at converting from ALA to DHA than cattle.   Chicken eggs can be enriched in the omega-3 fatty acids ALA and DHA by feeding hens a diet supplemented with whole or ground flax seeds, or with microalgae.   A French study using flax seed supplementation found that the amount of ALA in these enriched eggs was 6 times that of regular eggs, and the amount of DHA double that of regular eggs.  There was no mention of what happened to EPA.

Fish
The multiple double bonds in polyunsaturated fatty acids give them very low melting temperatures.  This is useful to fish living in cold waters (it keeps their cell membranes pliable), so cold water fish tend to concentrate EPA and DHA in their tissues to a much greater extent than land animals.  The tissues from which EPA and DHA are obtained in fish are muscle and oil from the liver.  Salmon, mackerel, trout and sardines have a high omega-3 fish oil content in their muscles, and humans can obtain it directly through eating their meat.  White fish such as cod fish do not contain much omega-3 in their muscle tissue, but their livers are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, so cod liver oil is a relatively good source of them.

Microalgae
The ultimate sources for EPA and DHA are unicellular microalgae found in the planktic layer of the oceans.  These include species of Spirulina (a blue-green bacterium) and Schizochytrium.  They produce considerable quantities of EPA and DHA in their cells.   The larval developmental stages of most fish are also part of the plankton, and they consume the microalgae, as do filter feeders and adult members of small fish species.  As small fish are eaten by larger ones, the omega-3 fatty acids originating in the microalgae get more concentrated as we move farther up the food chain.  Supplementation of cow and chicken feed with DHA from microalgae can improve the nutritional profile of milk and eggs.  In the case of cattle, the DHA supplementation can inhibit a hydrogenation process preformed by bacteria in the rumen, in which unsaturated fatty acids are converted into saturated fatty acids.

Other Dietary Sources
Less common, or unconventional sources of EPA and DHA include foods that many people would hesitate to eat, such as beef testicles and eyeballs.  Those who manage to overcome their initial apprehension will find that almost every culture has ways to prepare these unusual foods that have traditionally helped to assure a sufficient intake of these important fatty acids.

Supplements
Omega-3 fatty acids from microalgae and from fish are available as supplements, mostly in capsule or pill form.  They are also available in liquid form. There is no Required Daily Allowance (RDA) established for omega-3 fatty acids.  One to two grams a day from combined sources is considered a safe amount for healthy adults.

Posted on December 20th 2010 in Cholesterol | No Comments »

Complementary and Alternative Medicine Case Study: Hyperlipidemia

hyperlipidemiaFamilial hypercholesterolemia, Frederickson type IIa is an autosomal dominant defect of the LDL receptor that results in increased serum cholesterol levels with normal triglyceride levels. Affecting 1 in 500 individuals, it is a common disorder (Ferri, 2009), but was ruled out due to the patient’s lack of family history and physical indicators. Physical manifestations of familial hypercholesterolemia are tendon xanthomas, arcus corneae and xanthelasmas. The full spectrum of familial-type hyperlipoproteinemias (Frederickson types I, IIa, IIb, III, IV and V) are often manifested by premature CAD and peripheral vascular disease, obesity, abnormal glucose tolerance, arthritic symptoms, gall bladder disease, hepatosplenomegaly, pancreatitis (especially in childhood) and recurrent abdominal pain (Ferri, 2009). The patient did not have any of these clinical findings. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted on January 26th 2010 in Cholesterol | 1 Comment »