Whats the difference between high cholesterol due to poor diet, and high cholestoral that had been inherited?

Q. My doctor has recently put me on medication having just found out that I have high cholesterol and he believes it has very little to do with my diet and is genetic. My father is on medication for high cholesterol that he inherited from his father, I was just wondering how he was able to tell, and what the difference between the two is?

Additional information: He is my own doctor, not a family doctor. He also did a range of tests, including checking my salt, sugar and iron levels, which were all ok. So I assumed he was able to tell I have a good diet based on this and the fact my good cholesterol was fine, just wondering if there was a difference between the two.

A. There is no difference between high cholesterol from diet or inherited high cholesterol. It is the same cholesterol, and it has the same health effects. You cannot tell the difference between them based on blood tests or clinical signs.

The only potential difference is that if someone has a diet that is obviously high in cholesterol, then they may be able to lower their cholesterol relatively easily by making modifications to their diet. However, if your diet is not very high in cholesterol then any minor modifications you can make to your diet will be unlikely to reduce your cholesterol significantly.

Your doctor wasn't able to tell for sure that your cholesterol is inherited, but he is making an educated guess by asking you about your diet and from looking at your family history.

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where can i find a good diet and rescipes to help combat high chloresterol and high triglycerides?

Q.

A. triglycerides are a tough one as your body can produce this when eating a large amount of fruit. weird but true. Taking an Omega 3 supplement helps with triglycerides too.
Also, generally any low fat, high fiber diet will help but adding oat bran to your diet is suppose to really work better so that means adding oatmeal or Cheerios as a breakfast food is a good thing.
Be aware that your body produces a certain amount of cholesterol itself and for some people, no matter what they eliminate from their diet, they still have high cholesterol counts and those folks need to take a medication for that.

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Whats the difference between high cholesterol due to poor diet, and high cholestoral that had been inherited?

Q. My doctor has recently put me on medication having just found out that I have high cholesterol and he believes it has very little to do with my diet and is genetic. My father is on medication for high cholesterol that he inherited from his father, I was just wondering how he was able to tell, and what the difference between the two is?

Additional information: He is my own doctor, not a family doctor. He also did a range of tests, including checking my salt, sugar and iron levels, which were all ok. So I assumed he was able to tell I have a good diet based on this and the fact my good cholesterol was fine, just wondering if there was a difference between the two.

A. There is no difference between high cholesterol from diet or inherited high cholesterol. It is the same cholesterol, and it has the same health effects. You cannot tell the difference between them based on blood tests or clinical signs.

The only potential difference is that if someone has a diet that is obviously high in cholesterol, then they may be able to lower their cholesterol relatively easily by making modifications to their diet. However, if your diet is not very high in cholesterol then any minor modifications you can make to your diet will be unlikely to reduce your cholesterol significantly.

Your doctor wasn't able to tell for sure that your cholesterol is inherited, but he is making an educated guess by asking you about your diet and from looking at your family history.

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What is a safe level of cholesterol and at what level does it start getting dangerous?

Q. My mum just had a blood test and her cholesterol level was 8.3. Is that dangerously high?

A. ALL studies show that women will live longer with high cholesterol, up to 400, than they will with cholesterol in the normal range.
This from Weston A Price foundation.
Cholesterol is not the cause of heart disease but rather a potent antioxidant weapon against free radicals in the blood, and a repair substance that helps heal arterial damage (although the arterial plaques themselves contain very little cholesterol.) However, like fats, cholesterol may be damaged by exposure to heat and oxygen. This damaged or oxidized cholesterol seems to promote both injury to the arterial cells as well as a pathological buildup of plaque in the arteries.50 Damaged cholesterol is found in powdered eggs, in powdered milk (added to reduced-fat milks to give them body) and in meats and fats that have been heated to high temperatures in frying and other high-temperature processes.

High serum cholesterol levels often indicate that the body needs cholesterol to protect itself from high levels of altered, free-radical-containing fats. Just as a large police force is needed in a locality where crime occurs frequently, so cholesterol is needed in a poorly nourished body to protect the individual from a tendency to heart disease and cancer. Blaming coronary heart disease on cholesterol is like blaming the police for murder and theft in a high crime area.

Poor thyroid function (hypothyroidism) will often result in high cholesterol levels. When thyroid function is poor, usually due to a diet high in sugar and low in usable iodine, fat-soluble vitamins and other nutrients, the body floods the blood with cholesterol as an adaptive and protective mechanism, providing a superabundance of materials needed to heal tissues and produce protective steroids. Hypothyroid individuals are particularly susceptible to infections, heart disease and cancer.51
Pharmacist who's life was almost ruined by Lipitor

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what is triglyceride in the blood?

Q. Is there a direct relationship between heart stroke and blood triglyceride levels?

A. This Article will help you out in understanding :

Triglycerides" is the chemical name for fat. Chemically, triglycerides have a three-carbon backbone (glycerol) to which are attached fatty acids, which are strings of carbon and hydrogen atoms, most of which will eventually be oxidized to carbon dioxide and water, producing energy in the process. When not being actively oxidized or metabolized, triglycerides are stored in adipose, or fatty tissue, for oxidation at a later time. High levels of triglycerides in the blood have been associated with increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. Triglycerides may be increased by heredity, abdominal obesity, resistance to insulin, diabetes, and certain medications. They may be decreased by weight loss, control of glucose in diabetes, decreased simple sugar intake in the diet, and increased activity.

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Is it ok to give young children the margarine that lowers your cholesterol absorption?

Q. I have very slightly raised LDL, but my total cholesterol is fine...thought the special margarine that lowers cholesterol would be a good idea for me...can I give it to my 2 and 4 yr old?

A. I wouldn't personally, growing kids need the fat for their brains to develop.

It's just butter so I don't think its a big deal if you buy two different kinds.

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wat is the process of of triglyceride absorption after digestion, from the small intestine?

Q.

A. Triglycerides are broken down into free fatty acids and glycerol by pancreatic lipase. They then enter the enterocytes in the small intestine where they are re-esterified into triglycerides and packaged into chylomicrons (which are composed of proteins, phospholipids, triglycerides, etc). The chylomicrons enter the lymphatic system via the lacteal. The chylomicrons are broken down in the lymph vessels by lipoprotein lipase and the fats are taken up by tissues that need it.

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my triglycerides are high what does this mean?

Q. I don't even know what they are but the dr told me the levels were a bit high, I can't even spell it

A. Triglycerides are fatty acids, there are 'good' ones and 'bad' ones, your doc was probably referring to the 'bad' ones. You will find 'good' fatty acids in oily fish and avocados, these ones are very good for you. You will find 'bad' ones in animal fat including dairy products.

I recommend making these simple changes to your diet in order to limit your intake of 'bad' fatty acids;

Cut the fat off your meat before you cook it,
Buy the lean/heart smart meats,
Avoid deep fried food,
Swap butter for margarine,
Use oil when cooking instead of butter,
Cut back on soft cheeses,

You may also like to serve yourself slightly less meat and more vege to compensate.

Hope this helps

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what is triglyceride in the blood?

Q. Is there a direct relationship between heart stroke and blood triglyceride levels?

A. This Article will help you out in understanding :

Triglycerides" is the chemical name for fat. Chemically, triglycerides have a three-carbon backbone (glycerol) to which are attached fatty acids, which are strings of carbon and hydrogen atoms, most of which will eventually be oxidized to carbon dioxide and water, producing energy in the process. When not being actively oxidized or metabolized, triglycerides are stored in adipose, or fatty tissue, for oxidation at a later time. High levels of triglycerides in the blood have been associated with increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. Triglycerides may be increased by heredity, abdominal obesity, resistance to insulin, diabetes, and certain medications. They may be decreased by weight loss, control of glucose in diabetes, decreased simple sugar intake in the diet, and increased activity.

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where can i buy an pure 100% MCT OIL(Medium Chain Triglycerides Oil) ?

Q. pure 100% MCT OIL(Medium Chain Triglycerides Oil) is capric acid / caprylic. saturated fat. good for ulcerative colitis desease children.
where in sydney drugstore ?
is there any email / adresses / website ?

A. where are u located !? I have heard of a product called Simyl MCT oil but i m not sure if u get it in ur country. search it up.

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Is it ok to give young children the margarine that lowers your cholesterol absorption?

Q. I have very slightly raised LDL, but my total cholesterol is fine...thought the special margarine that lowers cholesterol would be a good idea for me...can I give it to my 2 and 4 yr old?

A. I wouldn't personally, growing kids need the fat for their brains to develop.

It's just butter so I don't think its a big deal if you buy two different kinds.

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Does anyone know of a good diet for lowering your triglycerides?

Q. I need to go on a diet which will lower my Triglycerides FAST. Can anyone help me out? Thanks

A. Low sugar/simple carbs, high fiber, low trans fat/high "good" fats (omega 3 and 6).

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What to feed chickens to lower cholesterol?

Q. I read on a previous posting that it is what you feed the chickens that increases or lowers the cholesterol content. Unfortunately there was no mention on what you should feed them. I have noticed that some chicken feed contains blood and bone, and that would obviously play a role. Is there anything else I should be aware of? Please note I do not live in the USA so please do not give brand names.
Sorry am talking about lowering the cholesterol content of the egg.
JD, would that affect the egg?

A. To lower cholesterol, you would want to lower the fat content of what you are feeding since cholesterol is found in the fat. If you are referring to meat birds and you mean that you need to lower the cholesterol in your diet, you can do that by not eating the fat and skin of the chicken.

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What is a known natural substance for lowering cholesterol?

Q. Apart from eating all the right foods and excersing what is a good natural proven substance I can take to lower cholesterol? I dont want to take Statin Drugs.

A. oatmeal, cheerios (but in HUGE quantities), anything with good whole fiber...i also like flax oil capsules, which have lots of good omega 3s and 6s but don't make me have fish burps (like the fish oil capsules do).

phytostearols are a naturally occuring substance in a lot of fruits and vegetables said to help, can be easily found in said items, but also in enough quantity to help in pomegranate juice and a new yogurt-shot drink type thing from promise (but the name escapes me as of this moment). right in the grocery store.

by all means, DO try all of these methods first before ever going on a statin! also know, if your levels aren't extremely high, that some people's bodies just make more cholesterol naturally than others, regardless of how good their diet is.

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How to cook a low cholesterol Christmas dinner?

Q. My father has recently been diagnosed with angina and this means cutting down on cholesterol. He loves his food and I don't want him to miss out on christmas dinner so i am wondering if anyone had any recipes and tricks to make the whole dinner, with all the trimmings. I am from the UK.

A. Try using Fry Light, its an alternative to oil. Its a spray that you could cover your spuds in instead of more traditional fats for roasting. Cook Turkey as its a very lean meat and again use the fry light to cover instead of more traditional fats. Make sure he eats breast meat without the skin on. For the veg either steam or boil them.

The fry light does make food a little dryer but it does a great job - use some good herbs and it will still be tasty.

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Where are triglycerides stored in the body?

Q.

A. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triglycerides http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatty_acid_metabolism

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wat is the process of of triglyceride absorption after digestion, from the small intestine?

Q.

A. Triglycerides are broken down into free fatty acids and glycerol by pancreatic lipase. They then enter the enterocytes in the small intestine where they are re-esterified into triglycerides and packaged into chylomicrons (which are composed of proteins, phospholipids, triglycerides, etc). The chylomicrons enter the lymphatic system via the lacteal. The chylomicrons are broken down in the lymph vessels by lipoprotein lipase and the fats are taken up by tissues that need it.

Original Question

what is triglyceride in the blood?

Q. Is there a direct relationship between heart stroke and blood triglyceride levels?

A. This Article will help you out in understanding :

Triglycerides" is the chemical name for fat. Chemically, triglycerides have a three-carbon backbone (glycerol) to which are attached fatty acids, which are strings of carbon and hydrogen atoms, most of which will eventually be oxidized to carbon dioxide and water, producing energy in the process. When not being actively oxidized or metabolized, triglycerides are stored in adipose, or fatty tissue, for oxidation at a later time. High levels of triglycerides in the blood have been associated with increased risk for heart attacks and strokes. Triglycerides may be increased by heredity, abdominal obesity, resistance to insulin, diabetes, and certain medications. They may be decreased by weight loss, control of glucose in diabetes, decreased simple sugar intake in the diet, and increased activity.

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Is it ok to give young children the margarine that lowers your cholesterol absorption?

Q. I have very slightly raised LDL, but my total cholesterol is fine...thought the special margarine that lowers cholesterol would be a good idea for me...can I give it to my 2 and 4 yr old?

A. I wouldn't personally, growing kids need the fat for their brains to develop.

It's just butter so I don't think its a big deal if you buy two different kinds.

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why is it dangerous to have Implanon when you have high cholesterol?

Q. i just had Implanon on put in then found out i have high cholesterol, i have read that people with high cholesterol shouldn't use implanon but it doesn't say why.. anyone have any ideas? i need to use some kind of contraception as i jus had a baby 6 weeks ago and the pill doesn't work and the injections contain the same thing as the implant

A. Hi
There is a question as to whether Implanon increases cardiovascular risk factors including C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation.

The following recent study suggests that there is no risk:
https://www.zora.uzh.ch/4110/

However, it's important to take all results with a grain of salt.

I hope this helps!

Some related links below.

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What is medically most advised for patients with exceptionally high cholesterol readings from drawn blood?

Q. What diet makes it betfer? What medications have the history of being of most help?

A. Diet low in saturated fats which would mean cutting out red meat, butter, also other fats like fried foods, cheese, etc.
Remember this rule: Cholesterol is made in the liver, therefore any food that comes from an animal contains cholesterol as it is made in the liver. Fish is the best thing to eat because it has good fats that lower cholesterol. Chicken, baked, not fried is low in fat but not totally fat free. You should really try a vegetarian diet.
a diet high in fiber lowers cholesterol by taking it out of the body,
fiber is in fruits and vegetables, and high fiber cereals such as bran and shredded wheat, also oatmeal is high in fiber.
As for meds, the statins such as simvastatin or rosuvastatin are often recommended.
Also the the B vitamin niacin may be recommended.
Red rice yeast can be purchased over the counter, it has the same properties as the statin drugs.

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why is it dangerous to have Implanon when you have high cholesterol?

Q. i just had Implanon on put in then found out i have high cholesterol, i have read that people with high cholesterol shouldn't use implanon but it doesn't say why.. anyone have any ideas? i need to use some kind of contraception as i jus had a baby 6 weeks ago and the pill doesn't work and the injections contain the same thing as the implant

A. Hi
There is a question as to whether Implanon increases cardiovascular risk factors including C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammation.

The following recent study suggests that there is no risk:
https://www.zora.uzh.ch/4110/

However, it's important to take all results with a grain of salt.

I hope this helps!

Some related links below.

Original Question

What is medically most advised for patients with exceptionally high cholesterol readings from drawn blood?

Q. What diet makes it betfer? What medications have the history of being of most help?

A. Diet low in saturated fats which would mean cutting out red meat, butter, also other fats like fried foods, cheese, etc.
Remember this rule: Cholesterol is made in the liver, therefore any food that comes from an animal contains cholesterol as it is made in the liver. Fish is the best thing to eat because it has good fats that lower cholesterol. Chicken, baked, not fried is low in fat but not totally fat free. You should really try a vegetarian diet.
a diet high in fiber lowers cholesterol by taking it out of the body,
fiber is in fruits and vegetables, and high fiber cereals such as bran and shredded wheat, also oatmeal is high in fiber.
As for meds, the statins such as simvastatin or rosuvastatin are often recommended.
Also the the B vitamin niacin may be recommended.
Red rice yeast can be purchased over the counter, it has the same properties as the statin drugs.

Original Question

How does a vegetarian raise their hemoglobin, hemotocrit and HDL cholesterol?

Q. I'm 26 years old and I participate in drug studies for a living and recently got rejected from one because my hemoglobin and hemotocrit were too low. My HDL cholesterol was too low as well. I'm thinking this is because I'm a recent vegetarian... its been about 5 months since I've stopped eating animal flesh. Otherwise, I'm healthy. I don't smoke and my BMI is a low 19.

Since getting rejected, I've started taking a multivitamin with iron, started drinking one glass of red wine each night (to help increase my HDL) and started exercising every day as well. Any thoughts on what else I could be doing that I'm not already? I want to screen for another study in a week or so.

A. Your HDL is effected by your intake of saturated vs. unsaturated fats and your exercise level. Your hemoglobin is directly related to your intake of iron. Your hematocrit should not be low unless you've experienced blood loss, or your diet is very insufficient of protein and iron.

It's very important that you get adequate protein despite being a vegetarian. You might try soy products or even protein supplement shakes. Green leafy veggies (spinach is great and yummy fresh or cooked!) have lots of iron. For your HDL, make sure you are getting enough physical exercise. Also make sure the majority of the fat you are taking in is unsaturated. The red wine is an acceptable supplement, but won't do much on it's own.

Hope this helps! Best wishes!

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What is the difference between a triglyceride and a phospholipid?

Q. What is the difference between a triglyceride and a phospholipid? How does this difference account for the hydrophobic and hydrophilic nature of phospholipids?

A. I'm doing this at A-level now, are you?

We did this today...

A Phospholipid is Glycerol + 2 Fatty acids + 1 Phosphoric Acid

In a condensation reaction, this produces 1 phospholipid, and 3 water molecules.

The phosphate part of this has OH groups, which can form hydrogen bonds with water.
The fatty acid parts don't have Oh groups, so they are hydrophobic.

A triglyceride is made up of glycerol + 3 fatty acids (the phosphoric acid is replaced by another fatty acid, in comparison to the formula for phospholipid).

Because the phosphate part contained the OH group in the phospholipid, and it is absent in this molecule, triglyceride can not form hydrogen bonds, and so is hydrophobic.

hope this helps, i know research can be tricky, often there's either not enough, or too much more advanced information.

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What can I do as a woman after menapause do to improve on my Cholesterol and Triglyceride blood results?

Q. In April 2006 my blood work showed: Cholesterol 167.6; Triglyceride 220.4 and HDL 38.1. I am talking Lipitor during both of these blood tests.
In October 2006 my blook work showed: Cholesterol 211.1; Triglyceride 143.7 and HDL 48.5.
I listed the HDL because I was afraid the Lipitor was effecting my Good Cholestrol count.
I'm looking for someone that can tell me why my cholestrol went up this time and triglycerides went down and what is my next course of action.

A. Eat cabbage, oatmeal, apples, etc. for soluble fiber and of course some type of exercise.

Also, here's some all-natural supplements that are very effective.

OmegaGuard: reduces the risk of heart disease/stroke, lowers triglycerides and cholesterol

Soluble Fiber (e.g. Fiber Plan): prevents fat absorption; reduces stress on heart by minimizing fat accumulation

Lecithin: converts serum cholesterol to good HDL

CoQHeart: Reduces LDL oxidation

Garlic Complex: prevents clotting; dilates small blood vessels; dissolves fatty deposits & thins blood

Hope this is useful and feel free to contact me with questions.

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What determines whether a triglyceride is saturated or unsaturated?

Q. Is it the bonds?

A. A trigylceride (fat) is basically a glycerol molecule joined to three fatty acid molecules. The fatty acid molecules are often called "fatty acid chains" or "fatty acid tails".

Triglyceride structure:
http://www.indiana.edu/~oso/Fat/FatImg/triglyceride.jpg

If a triglyceride contains fatty acid tails with only single bonds in their structure, it is said to be saturated (saturated with hydrogens - it contains the maximum no. of C-H bonds).

If a triglyceride contains one or more fatty acid tails which contain at least one double bond in their structure, it is said to be unsaturated.

Here is a pic which shows the difference between saturated and unsaturated fats:
http://www.realfitnessblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/fat_f2.jpg

As the pic above shows, saturated fats are usually straight, so the molecules can pack together tightly, which is why saturated fats are solids at room temp. The double bonds in the structure of unsaturated fats makes kinks in the chain preventing the neat packing together of these molecules, so most unsaturated fats are liquids at room temp.

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