Hamburgers, fries,
pizzas, and fried chicken are among the foods we love to binge on.
Fast-food joints serving them make it easier for us to give in to our
cravings. As we grow older, we realize that we can no longer enjoy
these gastronomic delights the way we used to, because we have to watch
out for the cholesterol
in our diet. Otherwise, we are put in the danger zone for several
cardiovascular diseases it may lead us to.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a
waxy, fatty substance present in the body. Cholesterol is
an essential part of life. They are an integral part of the cell
membranes, take part in the manufacturing of hormones, break down
carbohydrates and proteins, and produce bile.
Cholesterol is
transported by lipoproteins in the blood stream. There are different
kinds of lipoproteins with distinct functions:
- High density lipoproteins (HDL)
They are also called the good cholesterol.
They are stable and move easily through the blood. They carry cholesterol away
from the arteries, back into the liver where they can be removed from
the body. Diseases affecting the liver can affect the HDL from
performing their beneficial roles.
- Low density lipoproteins (LDL)
These are the bad guys (aka bad cholesterol).
They are unstable and tend to stick to the arterial walls and are
implicated in the process of plaque formation or atherosclerosis, which leads to
various serious complications.
- Very low density lipoproteins (VLDL)
These carry triglycerides and cholesterol,
thus are considered to be harmful.
- Intermediate-density lipoproteins
Similar to VLDLs, these also
carry triglycerides and cholesterol.
These are very large particles
that are rich in triglycerides. Triglycerides are the main constituents
of vegetable oil and animal fats.
Cholesterol and Heart Disease
High cholesterol
level is considered to be a risk factor for the development of
heart diseases. It contributes to the
process of
atherosclerosis or
plaque formation within the wall of the arteries. This leads to serious
consequences when the blood supply to an organ is restricted, due to
the blockage by the plaque.
In the process of atherosclerosis,
cholesterol is brought to the site of injury to the arterial lining
through LDL. It interacts with free radicals and become oxidized. The
oxidized LDL releases toxins and stimulates the inflammation process
further, which adds to the damage. It joins with white blood cells to
form the lipid foam, which is later capped with calcium deposits that
cause hardening.
The elasticity of the artery is
lost, while the passage of blood is prevented by the plaque. When atherosclerosis
progresses, the plaque may rupture, dislodging its contents to smaller
arteries which can be completely occluded.
When an artery supplying the heart
is affected, it can lead to heart attack which may ultimately cause
death.
Who is Prone to
Having High Cholesterol Levels?
If you are born to a family known
to have high
cholesterol levels, chances are, you are prone to inheriting the
disease as well. But other factors play a role too. Older age, the
presence of concomitant hypertension and diabetes, a high saturated fat diet, obesity,
and lack of exercise could all increase your cholesterol levels.
The Wonders of Mangosteen
Mangosteen
is
an exotic fruit that grows in tropical countries. The mangosteen
tree requires abundant moisture and warm environment throughout the
year. It is predominantly found in Southeast Asia, in countries like
Thailand, Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, and Malaysia. In
Asia, it is regarded as the “queen
of fruits.”
For more than a thousand years, it
has been used as an herbal remedy for various ailments. Recent
researches are finding more good things about mangosteen and
how it can solve the many health problems we are facing.
Mangosteen is a
round, purple colored fruit that has a fine tasting white soft pulp
that somewhat melts in your mouth. The pericarp or rind, is the richest
source of medicinal properties of the fruit.
The pericarp is the puple hard
outer shell of mangosteen
measuring about half a centimetre thick. The purplish juice coming from
it can stain your clothes, which is almost impossible to remove. This
is the reason why mangosteen is banned from hotels in countries where
this is available. Although the health benefits can also be found in
the fruit pulp, it is lower in concentration compared to the amount
that is highly concentrated in the pericarp.
Xanthones are substances found in
mangosteen found to have powerful antioxidant effects. There are around
40 xanthones found in mangosteen
known to help prevent damage to cells by free radicals, slow the
process of aging, and protect the body against degenerative diseases.
How Does Mangosteen Help in Reversing High Cholesterol?
Supplementation with mangosteen,
coupled with regular exercise and healthy diet, are found to help lower
the levels of total cholesterol,
triglycerides and bad
cholesterol LDL (low-density lipoprotein), while raising the good cholesterol.
Scientific research studies have
revealed that gamma mangostin , a xanthone found in mangosteen, is a
powerful antioxidant that showed more potent activities than vitamin E.
It prevents the oxidation of bad cholesterol or LDL,
which is responsible for clogging the arteries, leading to serious
cardiovascular consequences.
The cyclooxygenase-2 enzyme
(COX-2) which is linked to the inflammatory process, is known to be
inhibited by gamma mangostin. Low level inflammation is often
associated with high
cholesterol levels.
Polyphenols, also present in
mangosteen, were discovered to be five times more potent than vitamin C
as to its antioxidant properties.
Choosing Mangosteen Supplements
Between the juice and capsule form
of mangosteen,
choose the latter because it will provide you with the maximum benefits
you are after. While the juice form is great-tasting, it only contains
a little percentage of mangosteen (the
main ingredient) because it has to be mixed with other fruit extracts
and preservatives. The capsule form comes in 100% mangosteen.
The juice form makes use of both
the pericarp and the pulp, while the capsule form uses only the
pericarp, where the xanthones are richest. Although the juice appears
to maximize the xanthones in both pericarp and pulp, the processes it
has to go through, to manufacture the juice, destroys the innate
healing properties in mangosteen.
Pasteurization has to be done to
the juice form to slow down the growth of harmful microorganisms. While
this protects you from infectious agents, it also kills the
biologically active components in mangosteen
needed to address your health concerns.
As required by law, the whole
fruit that has to be brought in to the United States from other
countries where it was grown, has to go through irradiation to kill
potentially debilitating pests. The capsule form only uses the husk,
where all the good stuffs are concentrated, thus doesn’t have to
undergo irradiation. The idea of taking in foods that has been exposed
to radiation is something you may want to think about.
