cholesterol
For years, cholesterol has been a major concern for millions of people around the world. This fear of cholesterol has led to many consultations with specialists like physicians and nutritionists. It seems that there is a great misconception about this molecule. A majority of the population is conscious of the harm that it can cause, but they are not aware that it has pertinent values to our body. There are two major forms that cholesterol comes in: 1) low density lipoprotein, which is generally considered "bad" cholesterol and 2) high density lipoprotein, which is known as "good" cholesterol. Although given these names, there is nothing inherently good or bad about them. This research will clarify a lot of the misconceptions that are associated with cholesterol and the overall effect that cholesterol has on the human body. Cholesterol is a soft, fat like substance made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, that is found in all the body's cells and is used to form cell membranes, manufacture hormones and other necessary substances. It is an organic compound belonging to the sterol family that also encompasses steroids. Cholesterol is produced two ways. The first is by the liver. "The liver produces about 50,000,000,000,000,000
American Heart Association. "Atherosclerosis." Heart and Stroke Guide. http://www.amhrt.org/hs98/athero.html (1998). Both LDL's and HDL's are relatively safe as long as their levels found in the body do not exceed what is recommended. When getting cholesterol checked by a physician, there are two variables that are looked at: 1) the concentration of total cholesterol in the blood, and 2) the HDL cholesterol in your blood. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), below 200 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter of blood) is the desirable measurement for total cholesterol. With this reading, the risk for a heart attack is relatively low and should be checked every five years. A reading of between 200 and 239 mg/dL, which is the average for most Americans, is borderline to high blood cholesterol according to the AHA. Someone with this reading is at twice the risk of a heart attack than someone with a reading of 200 mg/dL, and should change or modify your diet and do physical activity 3-5 times a week. They should also get their levels rechecked at least every other year. The third measurement bracket is above 240 mg/dL. This reading is considered high blood cholesterol by the AHA. Someone with this reading is in serious risk of a heart attack, and should work very closely with a physician to work out a program to reduce this reading. There are many factors that can lower the LDL in the blood. The first is the diet. Cutting down on saturated fats in a diet can decrease your total cholesterol ratio. Eating healthier, like using unsaturated fats such as corn, peanut, safflower, olive, and soybean oils can raise HDL levels in the body. Other safe foods are: lean meats, skinless chicken, beans, fruit, low fat milk, grains, fish, substituting eggs with egg beaters, margarine, etc.. Cigarette smoking is another factor that can raise LDL build up. Another problem is smoking. Smoking causes the heart to beat and pump harder, which is able to push LDL's into the arteries easier than nonsmokers to cause a build up. The cholesterol levels are higher in men than in women. There is evidence that has shown that women during their childbearing years have a much lower level of cholesterol than men. The estrogen that is produced before
Some common words found in the essay are:
Body Mechanics, Association AHA, According AHA, , ATP Chapter, VLDL's LDL's, LDL's HDL's, Stroke Guide, LDL LDL's, heart association, american heart, american heart association, Heart Association, heart stroke, heart stroke guide, stroke guide, 1998 american heart, 1998 american, heart disease, risk heart, blood cholesterol, low density, cholesterol blood, low density lipoproteins, risk heart attack,
Approximate Word count = 1511
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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