Cholesterol, a yellowish fatty substance, is one of the essential ingredients of the body. Although it is essential to life, it has a bad reputation, being a major villain in heart disease. Every person with high blood cholesterol is regarded as a potential candidate for heart attack or a stroke. Most of the cholesterol found in the body is produced in the liver. However, about twenty to thirty per cent generally comes from the food we eat. Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per 100 millimetres of blood.

The normal level of cholesterol varies between 150 – 200 mg per 100 ml. In blood, cholesterol occurs in combination with certain lipids (fats), hence, known as lipoptroteins. There are two main types of lipoproteins: a low density one (LDL) and a high density one (HDL). The low density lipoprotein is the one which is considered harmful and is associated with cholesterol deposits in blood vessels. The higher the ratio of LDL to the total cholesterol, the greater will be the risk of arterial damage and heart disease. HDL, on the other hand, plays a salutory role by helping remove cholesterol from circulation and thereby reducing the risk of heart disease.

Causes:

Hereditary:
Hypercholesterolaemia or increase in cholesterol is mainly a hereditary disorder.

Excessive consumption of rich foods:
It is also caused by taking rich foods and fried foods: excessive consumption of milk and its products like clarified butter, butter, and cream; white flour, sugar, cakes, pastries, biscuits, cheese, and ice cream; and non-vegetarian foods like meat, fish, and eggs.

Smoking, Drinking and Stress:
Other causes of increase in cholesterol are irregularity in habits, smoking and drinking alcohol. Stress has also been found to be a major cause of increased level of cholesterol.

Symptoms of High Blood Cholesterol:

Following are the major high blood cholesterol symptoms:

1. General fatigue
2. Excess sweating and feel of uneasiness
3. Pain and heaviness in chest area
4. Breathlessness

Home Remedies:

High Blood Cholesterol treatment using Lecithin:
Lecithin, also a fatty food substance and the most abundant of the phospholipids, is beneficial in case of increase in cholesterol level. It has the ability to break up cholesterol into small particles which can be easily handled by the system. With sufficient intake of lecithin, cholesterol cannot build up against the walls of the arteries and veins. Lecithin also increases the production of bile acids made from cholesterol, thereby reducing its amount in the blood, Egg yolk, vegetable oils, wholegrain cereals, soyabeans, and unpasturised milk are rich sources of lecithin. The cells of the body are also capable of synthesizing it as needed, if several of the B vitamins are present.

High Blood Cholesterol treatment using Vitamins:
Vitamins B6, choline, and inositol are particularly effective in reducing the level of blood cholesterol. Wheat germ, yeast, or vitamin B extracted from bran contain high quantities of these vitamins. Vitamin E also elevates blood lecithin and reduces cholesterol. The patient should take liberal quantities of vitamin E-rich foods such as sunflower seeds, safflower, soyabean oils, butter, and sprouted seed and grains.

High Blood Cholesterol treatment using Coriander Seeds:
Regular drinking of a decoction of coriander seeds helps lower blood cholesterol. It is a good diuretic and helps stimulate the kidneys. It is prepared by boiling two tablespoons of dry seeds in a glass of water and straining the decoction after cooling. This decoction should be taken twice daily.

High Blood Cholesterol treatment using Fibre:
The amount of fibre in the diet also influences the cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol can be lowered by taking diets rich in fibres. The most significant sources of dietary fibre are unprocessed wheat bran, whole cereals such as wheat, rice, barley, rye; legumes such as potatoes, carrots, beet, and turnips, fruits such as mangoes and guavas; and leafy vegetables such as cabbage, ladys fingers, lettuce and celery. Oat bran and corn bran are specially beneficial in lowering LDL cholesterol.

High Blood Cholesterol treatment using Coriander Seeds:
Regular drinking of a decoction of coriander seeds helps lower blood cholesterol. It is a good diuretic and helps stimulate the kidneys. It is prepared by boiling two tablespoons of dry seeds in a glass of water and straining the decoction after cooling. This decoction should be taken twice daily.

Herbal Remedies for High Blood Cholesterol

1. Eat garlic regularly. It is an effective herbal remedy for lowering cholesterol
2. Take 3 grams of mixture of giloye with black pepper powder twice a day. It is also an effective herbal remedy for lowering cholesterol
3. Taking one tablespoon of honey is also good for lowering cholesterol
4. Take guggulu for natural cholesterol lowering
5. Take one teaspoon of oil of the ishabgul seeds twice a day. It will help in lowering blood cholesterol

Discovery could lead to new treatment targets, researchers say

Twenty genes that play major roles in controlling cholesterol within cells have been identified by German researchers, who said that some of the genes may play a role in heart disease risk and offer new targets for drug treatment.

The 20 genes are likely to be “immediately relevant” for maintaining cholesterol levels in the cell, as well as controlling the uptake of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, the researchers explained in the July 8 issue of Cell Metabolism.

“High cholesterol in the blood is considered to be responsible for excess cardiovascular morbidity and mortality,” Dr. Heiko Runz, of the University of Heidelberg, said in a news release from the journal’s publisher. “Blood cholesterol levels are controlled by cholesterol in cells. Therefore, some of the genes identified by us as regulators of cellular cholesterol in future studies might turn out to be disease genes that contribute to hypercholesterolemia [high cholesterol] in some cases.”

[relatedposts]The genes identified in the study may also have potential as targets for new cholesterol-lowering drugs, the researchers say. And the new methods used in the study could help identify many more cholesterol genes.

“Until now, disease-associated genes affecting blood cholesterol levels have successfully been identified in single families and, more recently, genomic studies involving large number of patients,” Runz and colleagues wrote.

“Most of what we know about the molecular machinery that keeps cholesterol levels balanced, however, comes from using cultured cell models,” they said. “A functional analysis of many genes at once by the integrated functional genomics technology applied here now harbors potential not only to ease identification, but also to better describe the molecular roles of cholesterol regulators in health and disease.”

Source: HealthDay News