ABOUT HEART, CHOLESTEROL AND SATURATED FATS
THE HEART
Cardiovascular diseases are pathologies typical of Western societies and although some of their risk factors are easily preventable, the global reach of these diseases is very high: they are the leading cause of death in the world, overcoming any type of cancer and AIDS. Usually, they do not produce symptoms until it is already late and it produces a heart attack or angina.
Apart from the non-modifiable aspects, such as age, sex, genetic inheritance or diabetes, there are other risks to the health of the heart whose negative effects we can avoid. Prevention is the pending issue of cardiovascular health so we show you the 10 key keys to keep it.
1.Practice physical exercise every day
2.Following a healthy and balanced diet
3.Give up smoking
4.Limit Alcohol
5.Maintain optimum weight
6.Performing pleasurable activities and eliminating stress
7.Controlling diabetes
8.Monitor blood pressure
9.Keep cholesterol at bay
10.Conduct periodic medical reviews
CHOLESTEROL
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is the main sterol of the human organism. Sterols are a type of natural fats present in the body.
The major disorder that causes cholesterol in the body when it is in excess is the production of fat deposits in vital arteries, causing atherosclerosis, stroke and peripheral vascular disease.
Cholesterol is also an important constituent of gallstones.
“Good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol
Lipoproteins are substances by which fats such as cholesterol, cholesterol esters, triglycerides and phospholipids are transported through the blood.
Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol is called LDL-cholesterol, and is known as “bad cholesterol,” as it is the main lipoprotein that carries cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body.
HDL cholesterol is called HDL-cholesterol, and is known as “good cholesterol” because its main function is to collect cholesterol from tissues, and take it to the liver.
The increase in LDL-cholesterol at the blood level leads to a set of processes that lead to the formation of fat plaques in the walls of blood vessels, known as atheromas.
These plaques reduce the light in the arteries and veins, and if one of these plaques breaks off it can produce an acute myocardial infarction or in the brain a stroke or stroke.
SATURATED FATS
Saturated fats (no double bonds) are found in foods of animal origin such as meats, sausages, milk and their derivatives (cheese, ice cream). They are fats that solidify at room temperature.
They can also be found in oils of vegetable origin such as coconut or palm oils (which are consumed through industrial pastries, salty snacks and processed products).
The consumption of saturated fats favors an increase of the levels of cholesterol in blood, LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol), being one of the main risk factors for heart disease.
