The concentration of LDL cholesterol in the blood affects the length and quality of your life. Keeping it at the right amount reduces the risk of atherosclerotic plaque formation in the walls of blood vessels. What can you do to maintain proper levels of this substance in your body?
Eat with your head
A balanced diet is crucial for cardiovascular health and LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that diets should include plenty of vegetables, especially legumes, fruits, whole grains, lean meats and fish, and be limited in salt, sugar, fats and highly processed foods. Alcohol should also be consumed in moderation, as it has an adverse effect on the body’s lipid and carbohydrate metabolism.
Move regularly
According to the WHO, healthy adults should undertake at least half an hour of physical activity of varying intensity five times a week. This improves cardiovascular function and helps achieve and maintain a normal body weight (within 18.5-25 BMI). Thus, regular exercise is one answer to the question of how to support the maintenance of normal levels of LDL cholesterol in the body.
Avoid smoking
Nicotine is a substance that is very harmful to health. Most tobacco products – traditional and electronic cigarettes, cigarettes with heaters, regular and water pipes and cigars – contain it. The WHO estimates that smoking could lead to the death of up to one billion people worldwide in the 21st century. Exposure to secondhand smoke inhalation is also very dangerous to our health. Quitting smoking can be helpful in maintaining proper LDL cholesterol levels in the blood.
Don’t neglect research
People in high-risk groups for atherosclerosis (those with genetic burdens, post-menopausal women and men over 55) should regularly measure their blood pressure and check their blood lipid levels. The tests also help determine whether measures taken to maintain normal levels of LDL cholesterol in the body are having the desired effect.
Normal LDL cholesterol levels in the blood will be easier to take care of if lifestyle changes are made early enough. A healthy, balanced diet, regular physical activity, and avoidance of tobacco and alcohol are its key elements. It is also very important to control blood pressure and take a lipid profile regularly to see if the measures taken are having the desired effect.