Cholesterol is called a kind of fat that sits on the wall that surrounds and protects every cell of our body. This substance is essential for synthesizing steroid hormones, a hormone that play a lot of functions within the organism.

As we all know, cholesterol can be very harmful to our health, especially when it accumulates in different walls of blood vessels (ie arteries) because in this way begins a hardening of the same.

This process, called atherosclerosis, the effect is less clarity, and predisposes people to developing heart attacks and strokes.

The amount of cholesterol necessary for the biochemical function of the body, is formed within the body. However, when consumed a large amount of animal fats, eggs and oils and other derivatives, there is an excess of that substance.

Persons at risk
There are many reasons that can lead a person to suffer from coronary vascular problems. However, statistics show that is family history, smoking too much, or lead a very sedentary life, which leads the risk of these problems.

In addition, twenty different studies conducted in fourteen countries, they noted that those people who have high cholesterol, are prone to diseases in the coronary vessels, prematurely.

In the same studies, showed that the three main risk factors relate to:
1. increased cholesterol,
2. increased blood pressure and,
3. smoking excessively.

Normal cholesterol numbers
The normal amount of cholesterol in the blood of healthy adults varies by age, sex, place of residence, as it also depends on environmental conditions (at lower temperatures, increased cholesterol).

In fact, there is another parameter that has blood banks and such varied figures. However, in no case should exceed cholesterol 200 mg / dl, as in this case would have serious risks of heart disease. Difference between plant and animal fat, and other important data

Animal fats-also called saturated-greatly increase cholesterol levels. However, vegetable fats, also called poly-have no harmful effect.

Only one quarter of the cholesterol circulating in our blood comes directly from our digestive system, or more specifically, of the same foods.

Part of the cholesterol found in blood, is taken up by the same liver, where it is metabolized and secreted by the bile through the gallbladder.

But that power can intelligently varying successfully combat this evil.

For example:
- The artichoke liver acts as an antioxidant and prevents the accumulation of cholesterol, also favoring the secretion of bile and decreasing the amount of sugar in the blood of diabetics.

- Onions are a source of vitamins and minerals and silica content relaxes the arteries.

- Vitamin C helps fight heart disease, and is present in citrus fruits, kiwifruit and peppers.

- Oils: Use only olive, corn, soybeans and sunflowers.

- Oats allows better food transit through the small intestine and contains specific fibers that reduce cholesterol absorption.

Stress is another cause of blood cholesterol levels and therefore the risk of arteriosclerosis (atherosclerosis). The word stress in English etymology, literally means ‘aggression’. There is no doubt that excessive labor or distressing, is very important in heart disease, circulatory disturbances such as tachycardia or increased blood pressure observed in states of anxiety or insecurity, they are very harmful.

All people have individual characteristics. Those with features of aggressiveness, ambition, competitive spirit and a constant urgency, and play an executive function or command, and must make many decisions every day, make it a person in a state of constant tension.

The internal pressures (desire for success, sense of competence, perfectionism), and external pressures (deadlines to meet, socioeconomic needs, job demands, etc..) Can easily lead to hypertension, high blood fat and cholesterol and myocardial infarction.

The constant work and imbalance due to lack of rest days, in a climate of permanent tension and competitiveness requirements, can produce devastating effects through biochemical substrates of the human organism.

Among the various tests and studies in this field, it is worth noting one, conducted with students and through which it was shown that a few days before final exams, their blood cholesterol levels had increased remarkably compared with those for a few weeks earlier.

Besides overwork, there are other important elements such as the social factor and the same personality of the individual. This means that there are people who, by way of being and certain external Characterology are more predisposed to suffer from the problems associated with cholesterol.

Although, within the scope of the risk factors identified by the individual’s personality and lifestyle, there are many constraints to take into account, it is interesting to highlight a few of them that may be of greater or lesser risk.

Increased risk:
* Change of life from a rural to an urban
* Competitiveness individual work or
* Financial problems
* Separation or Divorce
* Death of a loved
* People with multiple jobs
* Days more than 60 hours per week
* Occupy her professional positions of great responsibility
* Feelings of dissatisfaction
* Feeling spurned by a loved one
* Women who work outside and inside buildings
* Retirement
* Playing sports too much and without considering the possibilities
* Obsessions and phobias
* An excessive desire for constant improvement
* Being male.

LOWER RISK:
* Being female under 45 years
* Marriage and family stability
* Low competitiveness
* Control diet
* Sleep an average of 8 hours per day
* Healthy living
* Conduct a sport in a controlled
* Satisfaction of work done
* Desire to overcome obsessions and competitive without
* Learn to have self self
* Have a full spiritual life.

When a person is after a blood test with the unpleasant news that your cholesterol is too high, you should follow a proper diet. To begin, you should avoid foods with cholesterol much prefer those containing little or nothing, but watching over everything, not gaining weight, because it is very easy to introduce an excess in the diet of foods such as nuts, with which would increase the calories eaten excessively.

With little …
These foods contain a cholesterol between 10 and 90 mg. approximately. Its use can be normal, taking into account the balance of the diet, and with the exception of those that the doctor has forbidden the use of any of these other causes. Among these foods are hake, cod, skimmed milk, semi yogurt, cottage cheese or low fat, veal, beef, horse, rabbit and chicken.

Without …
Can be taken freely, but always taking into account their high level of calories: cereals and cereal products (rice, pasta, soup, corn), potatoes, fruits, vegetables, vegetables, legumes, margarine, vegetable oil (olive, corn, sunflower or soybeans), milk or low fat yogurt and nuts.

The properties of the sardine
Besides tasty and cheap, the sardine is very healthy. It is a blue fish with a high cardioprotective effect due to its content of polyunsaturated fatty acids called Omega-3 series. These fatty acids are significantly lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood and also prevent the formation of blood clots and reduce inflammation associated with arthritis and psoriasis.

In addition to their tasty meat and perfume characteristics, in Omega 3 fatty acids is 1.69 to 1.80 g. per 100 grams of food. Cantabrian Sardines are the richest in this type of fat.

Despite his modesty and his bad reputation obsolete, sardines are currently a staple food in the Mediterranean Diet. In summer, when freshly caught and can be consumed in all their glory.

Fried in olive oil
To respect the balance of fatty acids in the diet, it is more appropriate to fry, once clean, with virgin olive oil very hot. Before you fry flour may have passed (increasing their caloric value) or simply to iron fry with garlic and parsley. Curiously, the more fat contains raw fish, such as blue fish, fried to absorb less fat.

Canned sardines in oil with a composition different from the crude fat, but maintain their benefactors cardiovascular effects. Also, bring canned sardines much calcium as available as that found in the dairy, where the bones are edible (from 24 months of ripening).