In the pages of lifestyle magazines, cholesterol is often portrayed as a potential demon ruthlessly affecting the quality of your life. The rises in the cardio vascular diseases have made the people aware of the harmful effects of cholesterol. But not many people are aware of the fact that cholesterol can both be good and bad.

Good and Bad Cholesterol

Cholesterol is good?! Yes of course; this soft, waxy substance found in the lipid fats in the bloodstream and in all your body’s cells is an essential part of a healthy body; it helps in manufacturing cell membranes and in the production of some types of hormones.

So when does this apparently helpful substance actually pose a threat to your health?  When the level of the cholesterol is too high in the blood —a condition known as hypercholesterolemia — it becomes a risk factor for your heart health. A high level of cholesterol in your body is the precursor for the coronary heart disease that ultimately culminates into heart attack.

Types of cholesterol

Depending on the types of lipoprotein— special carriers that help cholesterols to be transported to and from the cells—the cholesterol can be of two major types:

• Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol
• High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol 

HDL

Now HDL cholesterol is regarded as the good variety, while the LDL acts as the chief villain. The HDL is good because it drives cholesterol away from the arteries and transport them back to the liver that helps it eliminate from the body. In a nutshell a high level of HDL cholesterol acts as a shield against heart attack. So be careful if you find HDL level in your blood is less than 40 mg/dL. (In case of women the amount is 50 mg/dL.

LDL

When the level of LDL cholesterol is too high in your blood, it ends in being accumulated in the walls of the arteries carrying blood to two important organs of heart and brain. The net result is clogging of those arteries by hard plaques made of cholesterol and other substances. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. When the plaque tends to block blood flow to your heart, the result is a heart attack. When the clog disrupts blood flow to the brain, a stroke is the final outcome.

Dealing with Cholesterol

• A regular cholesterol checking will ensure that you never face these consequences. So go for a cholesterol check right away and if you happen to find the level of LDL cholesterol is 160 mg/dL or above, there are enough reason to raise alarm. Make sure that LDL cholesterol level in your blood never exceeds the mark of 100 mg/dL.
• Cholesterol is produced in our own body. The additional source of cholesterol is the foods rich in both saturated fat and Trans fat. For a cholesterol free life, restrict your cholesterol intake to 300 milligrams per day.
• Shake off the sedentary lifestyle and make physical activity a compulsory part of your daily routine.
• Try to give up smoking and cut back on alcohol consumption.

Most of the people fall prey of the harmful effects of the cholesterol because of their lack of awareness. But now that you know the basic facts about cholesterol, don’t let this menace mess up your health and your life. Take necessary precautions and enjoy your life to the fullest.

Tags: cholesterol, Health, healthy, heart health, tips

Even thousands of years ago, at the early stage of civilization, human beings in such parts of the world as Egypt and Babylon were aware of the many health benefits of Flax towards making a healthy and disease free system.

But what flex seed exactly is?

Flex is a kind of oil seeds that had been produced for thousands of years in the fertile soils at the bank of the river valleys.

The flax can be classified into two broad types:

• The first variety falls under the category of oil seed and is grown for the sole purpose of being used as seeds.
• The second variety is cultivated as fiber to be specifically used in the textile industry.

Where to find?

The ancient flax crops were produced as field crops in large scale in the fertile lands of Babylon and Egypt. From these places, the flax production has spread across the countries of Africa and from there to Europe. It didn’t take much time to cross the Atlantic to arrive at USA. Today flax is grown all over the world. But majority of the flax production of world today comes from USA and Canada. In North America as a whole, flax is produced commercially as oil seed varieties. In the USA, vast regions of North and South Dakota are known for their extensive flax production.

The health benefits of flax

It was around 650 B.C. that Hippocrates had made known the magical qualities of flax in reducing abdominal pains. Over the course of history, many health and nutritional benefits have been discovered by the scientists. Today it is considered that flax as the part of balanced diet has the potential of cutting on the risk of many dangerous diseases including cancer and cardio vascular diseases. But how does it make this magic possible? Let’s describe one by one.

Flax seed is the best source of good fats in our body

Flax seed oil comes with a high content of Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA). ALA is an essential fatty acid which we have to consume through the foods, as our body does not manufacture it. Once inside the body, ALA is converted into EPA and DHA. These two substances help maintain heart health and brain function and prevent arthritis and thrombotic disease. ALA also helps in improving immune function, cancer prevention, and male infertility.

Great laxative

Flax is also a great source of soluble and insoluble dietary fibers. Thus consumption of flax seeds or flax oils works for improved bowel movement and colon function.

Antioxidant properties

Among the vegetations, flax is the highest supplier of lignans—by fighting against some environmental toxins. Lignans also help reduce the risk of certain forms of cancer, especially breast and colon cancers.

Prevents Male Infertility

DHA deficiency in sperm cells leads to male infertility. The ALA in flax helps to overcome this shortcoming.

Now that you know the many natural health benefits of flax, consider adding flaxseeds or flax seed oil to your daily diet in whole, milled or capsule form. For adequate supplementation of ALA and lignans in your body, consider consuming 30 gm flax on regular basis.

Tags: alternative health, flax, flax seed, flax seed oil, flaxseeds, Health, natural health