While diabetes and obesity have dominated media attention most recently, cholesterol is as important as ever. We’ve learned a lot since cholesterol caught our attention the last time around. Here are a few cholesterol facts – plus info about how you can get your cholesterol levels tested confidentially from the privacy of home sweet home.
· Some cholesterol is good and some is bad. Cholesterol is an essential component of your cell membranes. It also serves other important functions, like helping you access Vitamin D. You will always produce cholesterol and you reuse about 50% of it, so you want to limit your external sources.
· Ideally you have a high HDL score and a low LDL score. It’s LDL that can build up on arterial walls. HDL cholesterol “patrols” LDL and helps keep your system clean.
· Chicken eggs aren’t all bad! According to an expert at the Mayo Clinic, a person with high cholesterol can generally eat one large egg per day without raising their risk for heart disease. Most others can eat about two per day. If you’d like to extend your omelet or scrambled egg dish, add just the whites from additional eggs. The whites are cholesterol-free and high in protein but lack many of the nutrients found in the yolks.
· Some eggs are naturally low in cholesterol. Mass market chicken eggs are, on average, lower in cholesterol than they used to be. Also, free range chickens and certain species of hens have always provided lower-cholesterol eggs. Find out what’s available in your town – and if all else fails, raise your own chickens! Seriously, urban chicken coops are now in style.
· Cholesterol problems can be tied to oral health. When your teeth go bad, bacteria enter the bloodstream and jostle your blood vessels’ smooth linings. This makes is easier for cholesterol to build up and lead to cardiovascular stress. A visit to the dentist can improve your overall health.
You can test your cholesterol levels in the privacy of your own home. Health Testing Centers saves you time and money by letting you submit a blood sample on your own. The results are 100% confidential! Because high cholesterol rarely has external signs until it’s too late, it’s important to be tested at least every five years and much more frequently if you have health issues.
To submit a test, you’ll need to fast for a minimum of nine hours. You can read more about getting a complete lipid profile with no doctor’s fee at HealthTestingCenters.c
