Medical Questions & Answers » cholesterol level

Cholesterol and Dairy Products

medicalquestions — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:00:54 +0000

Question: Are dairy products and sugar safe to eat? I keep hearing how cholesterol and sweets are bad for you.
Dairy products are a staple food in the diet of nearly every civilization around the world. The intake varies from one place to another. The Japanese have virtually none, Europeans quite a lot, and some Arab tribes live almost entirely on dairy products. They are an excellent source of carbohydrates, protein and fat and the sugar lactose.
People can live virtually on milk alone if necessary. Some specialized dairy products, such as yogurt and junket, are excellent aids to digestion and bowel function. Cheeses are compressed energy, and are included in survival rations.
As with all foods, too much can be harmful. Those who have a high cholesterol level in their bloodstream and the more obese members of the community should not eat whole milk products, but skim milk and fat-reduced dairy products can still be consumed. Milk with added calcium (’Shape’) is now available to help prevent osteoporosis in middle-aged women.
Sugar is also an essential part of your diet, and it is found to some extent in nearly all fruit and vegetables. It acts as a natural preservative for a wide range of foods, and glucose (a form of sugar) is essential for the normal functioning of the brain. Once again, moderation is appropriate, and sugar intake should be minimized in the overweight and care should be taken not to take excess sugar in a concentrated form (sweets, soft-drinks etc.) that will cause dental caries.

Cholesterol level

medicalquestions — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:00:43 +0000

Question: What should your cholesterol level be?
This is a very controversial area. Cholesterol is a type of fat which is essential for the functioning of the body, but it can cause severe diseases if present in excess amounts. I have heard figures between 4.5 and 7.0 quoted as being the upper limit of normal for cholesterol, but most laboratories use a value of 5.5.
Your sex and age is important too. A higher value is accepted in older people and females than in younger males.
Doctors are more likely to treat the problem if you are overweight, have high blood pressure or diabetes, or have a family history of heart disease or stroke. Cholesterol is divided into high-density and low-density fats. If the amount of high-density fats is high, there is less to be concerned about, as it is the lo density fats that are a factor in heart disease and hardening of the arteries. I recommend a diet to anyone who has a level of 5.5 or more. Treatment with drugs as well as diet would certainly be given at a level of 7.0.

Cholesterol

medicalquestions — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 06:00:11 +0000

Question: What is Cholesterol and why should I avoid it?
Cholesterol is essential for the normal functioning of the human body. It is responsible for cementing cells together, is a major constituent of bile, and is the basic building block for sex hormones. Only in excess is it harmful. If too much cholesterol is carried around in our blood stream, it may be deposited in gradually increasing amounts inside the arteries. Slowly the affected artery narrows, until the flow of blood is sufficiently obstructed to cause the area supplied by that artery to suffer. If that area is the heart, a heart attack will result; if it is the brain, a stroke will occur.
This deposition of fat is known as arteriosclerosis, or hardening of th arteries. If you are in the high-risk group, there are several measures you can take to bring you back to normal. The first step is to stop smoking, limit your alcohol intake, take more exercise and lose weight if you are obese. If these measures are insufficient, doctors will recommend a diet that is low in cholesterol which involves avoiding most dairy products, fatty meats sausages, offal, fried foods, and egg yolk. Despite a strict diet, there are still some people who cannot keep their cholesterol levels under control. They will require further life-long medical management by the regular use of tablets that are designed to lower the level of fat in the blood.