Specialist at Unimed-BH (Brazil), stresses the importance of awareness about permanent care
The last day of August 8 was marked by the National Day of Cholesterol Control, a day instituted with the objective of raising awareness of the problems caused by high blood cholesterol. According to the Ministry of Health, about 40% of Brazilians have high cholesterol.
The word cholesterol has been linked to something malefic, but it is essential for the proper functioning of the body. "It is necessary for some body functions such as the production of certain hormones, but the body itself already produces the amount it needs.
Thus, controlling feeding is very important to avoid high rates of bad cholesterol in the blood rather than to raise good cholesterol, "explains Unimed-BH cardiologist José Pedro Jorge Filho. According to the Brazilian Society of Endocrinology and Metabolism, about 70% of cholesterol is produced by the body itself, in the liver; The other 30% come from the diet.
The cardiologist clarifies that the intake of processed foods is the factor that contributes most to the increase of cholesterol in the blood, besides the sedentarism. "The most important thing in the food aspect is avoiding saturated fat and trans fat. It is observed that, over the decades, the life expectancy of the new generations has always been higher than the previous one. However, the fear now, due to health issues, is that children have less expectation than parents. The change of habits is fundamental ", he points out.
Doctor José Pedro points out that a product widely adopted in diets, coconut oil, impairs health when it comes to cholesterol. "Most vegetable oils, such as olive, canola, corn, sunflower and soybeans, are unsaturated and therefore healthier. Coconut oil and palm oil are the exceptions, they are naturally saturated and they do as bad for health as animal fat, "he explains.
The cardiologist also advises that the reuse of any vegetable fat is also contraindicated, since the process transforms the unsaturated oil into saturated. "So we do not recommend the frying habit in which food is dipped into the oil-filled pan, even when healthy vegetable oils are used." It gives an interesting tip to check if fat is bad for your health: put the fat in the refrigerator. "If a solid layer is formed, it is a sign that it is saturated and therefore bad," he says.
Cause of heart problems
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 17.5 million people die every year from cardiovascular diseases such as heart attacks and strokes. Most of the victims are affected by some of the major preventable causes of illness, including high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or smoking. For the WHO, many lives could be saved by controlling those conditions that increase the risks of cardiovascular disease.
Product designer, Osvaldo Cotrim, is an example of how changing habits can bring benefits. He weighed 152 pounds and, although young at 22, he already had a high cholesterol for age and suffered from hypertension. "I used to say I was not ashamed, I was scared. I decided to take care of myself, I added physical exercises to my routine, I improved my diet and I lost 60 kilos. Now, my feeling is of tranquility, I feel relieved to avoid other problems that could affect my health even more, "he reports.
Today, at age 26, Osvaldo weighs 92 pounds and still wants to lose more. "I did not walk any small distances. My exams were on the edge, which is also dangerous, and the change was motivated by fear, because I was aware of health problems. I suggest that everyone should have a good sense of eating and exercise. I already feel the improvements daily "he says.
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