High cholesterol – how to fight it

In fact, high cholesterol can also be called the silent killer. Cardiovascular disease is a big bogeyman and also accounts for a very large percentage of deaths. And since cholesterol is a fat that is found in the blood, it is understandable that its increase is not at all good for health. And what does this have to do with cardiovascular disease? In this article you will get the answer to that. We will also introduce you to what cholesterol is, what are the causes and manifestations of high cholesterol levels in the blood, and what is the possible treatment to reduce this bad cholesterol.

What is cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in the blood and in every single cell of our body. It is an important part of the cell walls, is used to make hormones, vitamins and bile, and helps in the digestion of fats. It is very essential for every single human body as it plays a key role in many bodily functions. This cholesterol is produced by our body itself, and although it is important, it is essential to keep its levels within the normal range. Because once cholesterol levels are elevated, it is such a raised warning finger to our body that should alert us that something is wrong and we need to take action somehow.

What are the types of cholesterol

You’ve probably heard terms like “bad cholesterol” and “good cholesterol”. Well, these are exactly the two types of cholesterol that we recognise, namely LDL a HDL cholesterol.

LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein)

We may know this type of cholesterol as ‘bad cholesterol’. LDL cholesterol transports cholesterol from the liver to cells throughout the body. Well, this type is bad because it slowly clogs the arteries, which of course makes it impossible for blood to flow through them. Well that’s bad, of course, because clogged arteries are dangerous – they cause heart attacks or even strokes. So once you find that you have high cholesterol levels, you need to make some changes in your lifestyle, like going on a diet. This change is essential if you don’t want to gamble with your health unnecessarily.

HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoprotein)

On the other hand, we have HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol that our body needs. Its role is the exact opposite to the bad (high) cholesterol. The role of HDL cholesterol, simply put, is to continually collect waste (LDL cholesterol) from the arteries and carry it back to the liver where it is excreted from the body. It is the type of cholesterol that we should have in our bodies as much as possible. High levels of HDL help protect the heart and blood vessels from disease, so it reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cholesterol values

Do you know what the right cholesterol levels you should have? And when should you be more alert? You should have your cholesterol measured at least once every three years if you are over 20 years old. And such more frequent checks are especially recommended for people who belong to risk groups for cardiovascular disease, that is, if they are smokers, have high blood pressure, diabetes or a predisposition to cardiovascular disease.

• Total cholesterol – If all is well, total cholesterol should not exceed more than 5.0 mmol/l. If the levels are above 5 or up to 6.2 mmol/l in this case it is elevated cholesterol. High is above 6.2 mmol/l.
• LDL cholesterol – i.e. bad cholesterol, should have values of 3.0 mmol/l. Anything above these values is already considered elevated and high cholesterol.
• HDL cholesterol – men should have values above 1.0 mmol/l and women above 1.2 mmol/l.

How does high cholesterol manifest itself?

How do you know if you have high cholesterol? The problem with high cholesterol is that you can hardly see or feel its symptoms at all, which is why it is dangerous. This is one of the reasons why high cholesterol is called the “silent killer”.

Of course, some people may experience certain problems, such as dizziness, headache, chest pain, gastrointestinal problems, but these manifestations are mostly definitely not attributed to high blood cholesterol levels. It is therefore extremely important to have these values measured regularly by having your blood taken by a doctor.

Causes of high cholesterol.

What causes high cholesterol? This is a question you should definitely be interested in if you care about your health and want to maintain optimal cholesterol levels in your blood. The causes of high cholesterol can be attributed to poor lifestyle choices, which is why all you need to do to cure high cholesterol is to make drastic changes in your life, such as diet, natural treatments and other healthy habits. Thanks to this, you can get its levels back to normal again.

For such the most common causes of what increases cholesterol is, for example, an unhealthy lifestyle, which includes:

• Poor catering – if you frequently eat foods that are high in saturated fat, such as fatty meats, butter, cheese, fatty milk, low-quality chocolates, fried foods, etc.
• Insufficient movement – Surely you know that every single person needs movement, because physical activity is important for overall health. Unfortunately, lack of exercise, combined with poor eating habits and possibly smoking, can lead to high cholesterol.
• Overweight and obesity – this problem is dangerous. Not only does it increase the risk of high cholesterol, but it has an adverse effect on the human body. And in general, the higher the weight, the higher the cholesterol level in the blood.
• Smoking and drinking more alcohol – these two addictions are obviously unhealthy habits and lead to a multitude of health problems, such as cardiovascular disease and liver problems, but they also raise cholesterol.

These are the causes of cholesterol increases that you can control by making changes in your life and adopting a healthier lifestyle. However, on the other hand, high cholesterol can also be caused by factors that are no longer very controllable, that is, factors that are not your fault.

• Genetics – prevention and early treatment is needed.
• Age – Older people usually have higher cholesterol.
• Diseases – such as diabetes, hypertension or kidney problems.
• Gender – High cholesterol usually troubles men more than women.

Medicines – some medicines cause an increase in cholesterol in the blood (diuretics, corticosteroids).

How to lower high cholesterol?

The great news is that treatment for high cholesterol is possible. Especially if an unhealthy lifestyle is behind the cause of high cholesterol. So, in case you belong to this group of people who do not live the healthiest life, you should start with regular physical activities. In case you smoke or indulge in alcoholic beverages to a great extent, you should do away with these things once and for all. Diet is also a great treatment for high cholesterol. And what should you eat in this case? This is the best natural treatment, thanks to which you can tame your high cholesterol and get its levels back to normal with the help of food:

• Eat healthy, avoid fried and fatty foods. Include lean meat, skinless fish in your diet.
• Eat fibre regularly.
• Your diet should be rich in fruits and vegetables (salads, apples, avocados, legumes).
• In case of high cholesterol, you should eat foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as olive oil or hemp oil.
• Definitely cut out all kinds of unhealthy sweetened drinks and avoid unhealthy sugars.

CBD in the fight against high cholesterol.

In every single human body there is an endocannabinoid system (ECS), which is like a kind of conductor that controls various functions in the body. Its main instruments are the CB1 and CB2 receptors, which influence multiple processes in the body. One of them that controls the ECS is reverse cholesterol transport, which means that our body gets rid of excess cholesterol by transporting it to the liver where it is broken down. Cannabinoids also have a very large effect on our ECS, such as CBD.

CBD has been found to have a positive effect on cholesterol levels due to its ability to control fat intake and blood pressure. The mechanism of this effect is that cannabidiol is able to bind to receptors that affect cholesterol and blood pressure levels. In addition to its anti-inflammatory and anxiolytic properties, CBD can provide an effective treatment for high blood pressure, which is associated with stress and tension. So from this alone, it follows that consuming CBD oil, may be one of the natural treatment options for elevated and high cholesterol.

One interesting study was conducted in 2020which had as one of its aims to investigate the effects of CBD oil on a sample of 65 people who were overweight. The results of this study produced the remarkable result that those people who took 15 mg of CBD daily had better HDL (good) cholesterol results compared to those who did not take cannabidiol. In addition, they had better sleep and stress tolerance.

Sources:

• https://www.npz.sk/sites/npz/Stranky/NpzArticles/2018_04/Poznate_hladinu_svojho_cholesterolu__Vysoke_hodnoty_mozu_za_mnoho_chorob.aspx?did=6&sdid=81&tuid=0&page=full&
• https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/high-cholesterol/
• https://www.bhf.org.uk/informationsupport/risk-factors/high-cholesterol
• https://www.pennmedicine.org/for-patients-and-visitors/patient-information/conditions-treated-a-to-z/high-cholesterol
• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/11920-cholesterol-numbers-what-do-they-mean
• https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19390211.2020.1765941?journalCode=ijds20

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