These days people have the intention to eat healthily more so than any other time in history, but so many of us still seem to misunderstand the health benefits of cholesterol, imagining that the benefits of low cholesterol outweigh anything we might gain by eating more of the substance. Cholesterol benefits us in a huge number of ways, yet we often go out of our way to avoid it. Knowing exactly what cholesterol is, what its purpose is in our bodies, and how to raise our levels of HDL cholesterol, thereby lowering our risk of heart disease through the benefits of high cholesterol, can help us to stop making the all too common mistakes associated with this substance. This article will give you the full lowdown on cholesterol benefit.
Sterols are waxy steroid substances found in plant and animal lipids (fats). Cholesterol is a type of sterol found only in animals. Whenever you consume an animal product you are increasing your cholesterol levels. Most of the cholesterol in our bodies is made by us; only a small amount comes from what we eat. It’s an essential part of us, without which we wouldn’t be able to function.
Cholesterol plays a role in many of the vital functions of our bodies, ranging from that of cell formation to the synthesis of important hormones you will have heard of, such as testosterone and oestrogen. There are two types of cholesterol, and they have different effects on our health.
There’s HDL (high density lipoproteins) and LDL (low density lipoproteins). Excessive levels of LDL cholesterol in our bodies can greatly increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. HDL, on the other hand, is something you want a lot of in your body, with numerous far reaching health benefits, including increased life expectancy.
To increase your HDL cholesterol levels, we recommend you start by consuming more omega-3, whilst decreasing your intake of omega-6. It’s unlikely that you’ll get enough omega-3 from your diet alone, so you should take supplements; you should even be able to find vegan products online fairly easily towards this end.
Soluble fibers are also extremely important in this regard, so you should eat a lot of whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables; you won’t go wrong by concentrating on plant foods!
Eat complex carbohydrates and avoid the simple ones. If you must eat something with simple carbohydrates, try to include a good amount of protein within your meal.
Finally, exercise is a critical factor when it comes to healthy cholesterol levels, but recent studies have proven that our traditional forms of exercise have highly damaging effects on other aspects of our health. We recommend The Fat Loss Formula, which takes a comprehensive approach to both diet and exercise, allowing you to optimize your cholesterol health in the shortest time possible.
Other articles in Healthy Eating Benefits:
Food for heart attack prevention
