Cholesterol reduction will never be enough emphasized in its mandatory feature especially in cases where hypercholesterolemia is a problem. Because a high level of cholesterol represents a premise of some much more serious diseases of events, such as heart attacks and strokes, lowering cholesterol stands for a responsible measure able to prevent such accidents. It is true that heart diseases or strokes may be triggered by a series of other circumstances - smoking, excessive alcohol intake, stress - but studies show that high level of cholesterol is the number one cause.



The number of victims of cholesterol increases each year. But why do things look like that? First of all, some organisms have a genetic predisposition to hypercholesterolemia. Second of all, the main source of cholesterol is at the same time a basic premise for the maintenance of our lives, that is, diet. And if we count that some foods we may enjoy most are the most damaging with respect to cholesterol, the situation will only complicate some more. Therefore, if you are a passionate consumer of mayonnaise, of fatty meat, of butter and regular milk and cream, if you enjoy pastry and shrimps, and if you also are used to eating organs-based dishes, you have to realize that if you do not already have a high level of cholesterol, you will soon have issues.

However, if you want to prevent hypercholesterolemia or if you are already diagnosed with it, something must be urgently done. Lowering cholesterol involves first of all cutting out the above mentioned foods. No treatment will work unless you remove completely or at least reduce the intake of fatty nutrients. Indeed, doing so will only alleviate a part of the problem. Cholesterol is processed and produced by all animal organisms, and a balanced level of cholesterol is a conjoint situation. That is, the HDL, or high density lipoproteins - the "good" cholesterol - level and LDL, or low density lipoproteins - the "bad" cholesterol - level must be normal.

Cholesterol reduction refers to LDL. The natural propensity of LDL is to go high, whereas HDL tends to diminish under the influence of certain circumstances, diet being the most important. This is why a process referring to the restoration of a balanced level of cholesterol is a double one. We have, of course, the cholesterol reduction first, with respect to LDL, and secondly the increase of cholesterol, that is, of HDL. Lowering cholesterol is, as mentioned before, something without which a successful treatment is not possible. It involves mostly cutting off damaging foods.

Though necessary, this measure is not sufficient in itself. It must be completed with other measures. Specialists recommend us to stop smoking or to reduce the intake of alcohol, and also recommend daily physical exercises. These advices do not concern cholesterol in itself, by they aim the alleviation of some heart conditions or the improvement of blood pressure, both of these being at risk if the level of cholesterol is anyway but normal. But the second most important compound of this complex process of reducing cholesterol is the increase of the intake of other healthful nutrients. These nutrients may be taken from food or may come as supplements.