Heart disease and excessive cholesterol are two of the most common health problems in the United States today. Therefore, our cholesterol levels are something we should all be worried about in our desire to live long and healthy lives. Cholesterol that is out of control is a significant cause of heart disease, blood clots, and stroke.
Smoking and atherosclerosis is highly related to each other and today, we are talking about how green tea can help you avoid Atherosclerosis.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is available in two forms. The term “good cholesterol” refers to HDL cholesterol (high-density lipoproteins). Bad cholesterol is carried away from the heart by HDL cholesterol, which deposits it in the liver for elimination. This form of cholesterol has a protective effect against heart disease. If you have too little of this sort of cholesterol, the bad cholesterol will take control.
The “bad cholesterol” is LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoproteins). When the blood has too much LDL, it can build up in the inner walls of the arteries that supply the heart and brain. As a result, plaque, a hard material that clogs the arteries, is formed.
This is referred to as atherosclerosis. Because of the narrower arteries, it is easier for a clot to form and produce a blockage. A heart attack or stroke can occur when a pathway is obstructed. Peroxidation is a part of the “hardening” process in LDL. It is through this process that LDL becomes plaque.
It’s vital that we all know our cholesterol levels and that we have high HDL levels and low LDL levels. Although some people are just genetically predisposed to have high LDL levels, lifestyle choices may substantially impact cholesterol levels.
If you fall into this category, you may require medicine as well as a change in your lifestyle to lower your cholesterol. To assess your cholesterol levels, see your doctor for a blood test.
What Can I Do to Lower My Cholesterol?
(Here is an awesome recipe by the way)
You may take numerous things to enhance your cholesterol statistics if you are aware that they might be better. Here are the fundamentals:
Exercise: Walking for 30 minutes 3-5 times a week will help lower your cholesterol levels.
If you’re overweight, lose weight. Overweight folks have greater LDL levels. As a result, losing weight can help to improve these figures.
Smoking And Atherosclerosis
Don’t smoke: Smoking raises LDL levels while lowering HDL levels.
Managing your diet
Controlling your cholesterol levels requires a healthy diet. Whether or whether you need to lose weight, keeping decent cholesterol levels requires a balanced diet. Here are some diet fundamentals to follow.
Limit the quantity of red meat you eat. Instead, eat more chicken, fish, and turkey; beef and pork should only be eaten once or twice a week. Instead of egg yolks, use egg replacements or egg whites.
Choose low-fat choices, such as skim or 1% milk. Low-fat cheese, yogurt, and sour cream are also good choices.
Replace simple, white flower-based goods with whole grains to increase your intake of whole grains. Oatmeal and whole wheat are also excellent choices.
Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables – these foods are high in vitamins and fiber. As a result, they provide you with more energy while using fewer calories, allowing you to eat less and reduce weight.
They’re also high in antioxidants, which can help prevent disease by fighting free radicals in our bodies. Consume plenty of blueberries, red beans, artichokes, and tomatoes for the maximum antioxidant levels.
Use healthy fats: We all need fat in our diets, but the type of fat we eat matters. Anything marked “hydrogenated” should be avoided. Lard, butter, and hard shortenings should not be used. Anything with “trans fats” should be avoided. Instead, make your main fats out of olive oil, flaxseed oil, and canola oil. These healthy fats can help you improve your HDL levels without raising your LDL levels.
Consuming Green Tea
Green Tea should be a part of your daily routine.
Green Tea is one of the most underappreciated health-promoting beverages. Green Tea, like fruits and vegetables, is high in antioxidants. Green Tea’s antioxidants have been shown in several trials to be effective in reducing heart disease.
It’s worth mentioning one research in particular. Green Tea and its capacity to prevent atherosclerosis were studied at the University of Shizuoka in Japan. Some mice were given green tea extract in their drinking water in this experiment, while others were given plain water.
The mice were also provided a diet heavy in saturated fats and other foods that are known to promote lousy cholesterol.
Green tea-fed mice had a considerably lower risk of developing atherosclerosis after eight weeks. This is because while there was still a significant quantity of LDL in the blood, it was not being converted to plaque.
Green Tea, the researchers determined, has the capacity to prevent LDL peroxidation, most likely due to its high antioxidant content. In addition, green Tea appeared to prevent the cholesterol in the blood from developing into artery-blocking plaque even when the diet was higher than normal in “bad cholesterol” items.
This isn’t to say that you can consume a high-fat, high-cholesterol diet and expect green Tea to solve your problems. But, on the other hand, Green Tea appears to be quite helpful at preventing the harmful cholesterol we eat from turning into artery plaque.
Following a low-cholesterol diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular exercise are best to avoid heart disease and stroke. However, it’s also good to include green tea in your diet. It might offer you an advantage in the cholesterol war!
