Cholesterol + Original Articles

The Best & Worst Foods for Your Cholesterol Levels

Want to lower your cholesterol levels? Here are 11 foods to eat, and several to avoid. At one time, it was thought that cholesterol-rich foods—like red meat and eggs—contributed to high cholesterol in the blood. But newer research shows that the connection between high cholesterol foods and high cholesterol in the blood isn't as clear as medical experts once believed.

Statins and Diabetes Risk

What you need to know about these medications. Plus, 6 tips to keep your cholesterol levels in check. If you take statins to lower your cholesterol, you may be putting yourself at a sharply increased risk for type 2 diabetes, says a new study. In fact, men on statins faced a 46 percent higher risk of diabetes than men who were not treated with statins.

Can Good Cholesterol Harm You?

There s some surprising news about your HDL cholesterol: The good stuff contained in high-density lipoprotein may not be so good for you after all. Learn more. If you've just received a good report at a recent physical because your LDL cholesterol (aka the "bad" one) was low and your HDL cholesterol (aka the "good" one) was high, you’re probably feeling pretty confident about your heart health. Not so fast, say the authors of a new study.

It Is Not Possible to Be Obese and Healthy, Study Shows

Although they may feel healthy in the present, obese individuals are not exempt from the long-term consequences of carrying extra pounds. Being severely overweight can increase your risk of dying early by as much as 24 percent. And this fact remains true even if you don't have any other identified health problems. This finding, which comes from researchers affiliated with Mount Sinai Hospital's Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute in Toronto, Canada, disputes an earlier premise that it's possible to be both obese and healthy.

High Cholesterol May Promote the Growth of Breast Cancer

New research from Duke University Medical Center finds a byproduct of cholesterol may be linked to the growth and spread of breast cancer. But are cholesterol-lowering drugs the answer? If you have high cholesterol, your doctor has probably warned you that you're at an increased risk of heart disease. Now it appears that women with high cholesterol may have another health worry: breast cancer. Obesity and high cholesterol are linked to an increased breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, according to a study published in the journal Science.

Eat More Avocados

The healthy fats in an avocado make this fruit a skincare superstar. But that's not all it has to offer. Here are some other great benefits. If your only contact with avocados is your annual Super Bowl party guacamole dip, you're missing out on a real super food. Avocados are loaded with nutrients, healthy fats, and great flavor, and they are spectacular additions to a wide variety of dishes.

The Benefits of Barley

Learn why this nutritious, heart-healthy grain should be part of your daily diet. Poor barley. In spite of its impressive history as a monetary unit, standard of measure and valuable part of the ancient diet, this delicious, nutrient-dense whole grain is an unglamourous, little-noticed food in comparison. But the benefits of barley are hard to ignore.

Diet, Bacteria, and Your Heart

The foods you eat can end up hardening your arteries, but not in the way you think. Scientists think they've found a link between the bacteria that lives in everyone's gut and the process of hardening arteries. What does that mean for you and your family? Diet and Disease Risk Eating too much red meat has long been associated with increased levels of blood cholesterol, which can contribute to the build-up of plaque (debris made up of substances like cells, fats, and connective tissue) in the arteries.

Health Benefits of the Prickly Pear Cactus

Here are a few healthy reasons to try this fruit, vegetable, and flower all wrapped into one. It's a fruit, vegetable, and flower all wrapped into one. It's got vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Yet the prickly pear cactus is not exactly a supermarket staple. "I believe the prickly pear cactus is destined to be the next herbal superstar," says Ran Knishinsky, author of Prickly Pear Cactus Medicine.

5 Important (But Rarely Explained) Medical Terms, and What They Mean

Struggling to understand what your doctor s saying? Here are some helpful translations. No one wants to seem ignorant when they see their doctor, but no one should be expected to be bilingual either. If your doctor's medical jargon is incomprehensible, you're not getting your money's worth. In fact, not knowing what your doctor is talking about can be downright dangerous.
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