How to lower (reduce) Cholesterol & Triglyceride

What is Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy substance made naturally in the body. Your body needs some cholesterol to work properly, and it can make all it needs. Cholesterol may cause problems if you get too much in your food. The extra cholesterol can lead to blocked arteries. If an artery that supplies blood to your heart becomes blocked, a heart attack occurs. If an artery that supplies blood to your brain becomes blocked, a stroke occurs.

Not all cholesterols are harmful. There are two kinds of it, one is a "bad" kind and other is a "good" kind. The "bad" kind is called LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol, and the "good" kind is called HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) cholesterol. The bad cholesterol tends to block the arteries, but the good kind helps to clear out this bad cholesterol inside the arteries.

What is Triglycerides

Triglycerides are the chemical form in which most fat exists in food as well as in the body. They're also present in blood plasma and, in association with cholesterol, form the plasma lipids.

Triglycerides in plasma are derived from fats eaten in foods or made in the body from other energy sources like carbohydrates. Calories ingested in a meal and not used immediately by tissues are converted to triglycerides and transported to fat cells to be stored. Hormones regulate the release of triglycerides from fat tissue so they meet the body's needs for energy between meals.

Excess triglycerides in plasma are called hyperlipidemia (Presence of excess lipids in the blood). It's linked to the occurrence of coronary artery disease in some people. Elevated triglycerides may be a consequence of other disease, such as untreated diabetes mellitus. Like cholesterol, increases in triglyceride levels can be detected by plasma measurements. These measurements should be made after an overnight food and alcohol fast because other risk factors for coronary artery disease multiply the hazard from hyperlipidemia, control high blood pressure and avoid cigarette smoking. If drugs are used to treat, dietary hyperlipidemia management is still important. Patients should follow the specific plans laid out by their physicians and nutritionists.

Food instructions for Triglycerides: Take plenty of fruits in the diet. Use oat bran, wheat bran in the preparation to reduce the triglycerides. If you are vegetarian you need to avoid only refined products, saturated fats like butter, cream, and ghee.

How Yoga Helps

Yoga for controlling cholesterol reduces the fat content in your blood and ensures you a healthy heart, brain and blood circulation. Don't misguide yourself with certain ideas that the LDL cholesterol is very hard to get rid of. Th main factor with cholesterol is that the fats in your body don't get burned up due to lack of physical activity or improper life style.

• Sun-Salutation
• Anulom-Vilom (Anuloma Viloma)
• Kapalbhati
• Bhastrika

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