The Knowledge of Lipid is Essential for a Healthier Life

Lipid refers to a type of cholesterol or fat that exists in our blood. The lipid components within the plasma include cholesterol, Triglyceride (TG), phospholipids (a class of lipids, and major component of all biological membranes, along with glycolipids, cholesterol and proteins), and non-free fatty acids. These lipids or their derivatives may be covalently or non-covalently bound to the proteins, and thus they are existed in the form of lipoprotein (a biochemical assembly that contains both proteins and lipids).

Most of the cholesterol is manufactured by our body and only a small portion of cholesterol is obtained through the food we eat. Our liver alone makes most of our cholesterol that will be used for making new cells. In contrary, TG is mostly obtained from our daily diet and only a small portion is manufactured by our body.

What is high lipid?

High lipid generally, refers to the level of total cholesterol (TC) or TG is too high while High Density Lipoprotein or good cholesterol (HDL-C) is too low. In modern medical terminology, this is called Dyslipidemia (blood abnormality or a disruption in the amount of lipids in the blood).

What are the risks of high lipids?

Lipid is an important component in our body as it plays a vital role in many body’s functions. However, if its level exceeds the standard level, it may be risky for us. Too much lipids can cause our blood becomes too viscous or thick which may start build up in our arteries’ walls. The build up of lipids narrow our arteries and make them harder for blood to pass through. These patches of lipids gradually become larger and larger when time passes, and they can clog our blood vessels that carry blood away from the heart. This is known as atherosclerosis or the hardening of the arteries. It is a slow process and normally becomes worse when people getting old.

When the atherosclerosis happens in our heart, we will get coronary heart disease; in our brain, we will get a stroke; in our eyes, we will get vascular fundus which leads to vision loss or blindness; in our kidneys, we will get a hardening of the kidneys, and renal failure (the kidneys fail to function adequately); and in our lower limbs, we will get physical necrosis (natural death of body tissues) or ulceration.

Apart from that, high lipids may lead to other serious problems, including heart attack, stroke, high blood pressure, gall bladder, pancreatitis (an inflammation of the pancreas); may worsen the hepatitis and cause male sexual dysfunction and senile dementia (a syndrome of irreversible impairment of damaged or disease in the brain). The latest research showed that high lipids may have increased the outbreak of cancers.

Atherosclerosis

Heart attack

Stroke

Who may be at high risk of high lipids?

1. People who are obese
2. Middle-age people
3. Postmenopausal (time after which a woman has experienced 12 consecutive months of amenorrhea or lack of menstruation) women
4. Long-term heavy smokers
5. Alcoholics
6. Diabetes patients
7. High blood pressure (hypertension) patients
8. People who suffer liver or kidney diseases
9. People with abnormal living lifestyle
10. People with bad moody or hot temper
11. People who prefer to sleep and sit longer and seldom go out for exercises
12. People who are depressed
13. People who have a close family member (a parent, brother or sister) with a record of high lipids

Are your lipids high?

1. Total Cholesterol (TC)
   • Less than 5.20 mmol/L(200mg/dl)Normal
   • More than 5.72mmol/L(200mg/dl)Abnormal
2. Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL-C)
   • Less than 3.12mmol/L(120mg/dl)Normal
   • More than 3.64mmol/L(140mg/dl)Abnormal
3. High Density Lipoprotein (HDL-C)
   • More than 1.04mmol/L(40mg/dl)Normal

   • Less than 0.91mmol/L(35mg/dl)Abnormal

4. Triglyceride (TG)
   • Less than 1.70mmol/L(150mg/dl)Normal
   • More than 1.70mmol/L(150mg/dl)Abnormal

No symptoms, no lipids?

As the occurrences of lipids involve a relatively slow process, you will not have any uncomfortable feelings or pain. This situation always happens in mild high lipid in the blood. However, in chronic high lipid level, sufferer may have dizziness, chest pain, headache, short breath, nervous, stress, sudden sweating, body numbness and even unable to speak. If left ignored, it will finally lead to coronary heart disease, stroke, chronic diseases and other corresponding symptoms.

Six essential ways to adjust the concentration of lipid in your blood

Adjusting your diet

The principle in adjusting your daily diet: limit the intake of foods rich in fats, fatty acids, and cholesterol. Having diet low in fats such as vegetable fats instead of animal fats. Eat plenty of foods high in fibers, enzymes and vitamins such as fruits, green leafy vegetables and grains.

• Daily meal for old people: one banana, one yogurt, 500 gram of organic fruits and vegetables (it is better to have a variety and a combination of five colored fruits and vegetables. The colors include red, yellow, green, white, and purple), 50 gram of soy made foodstuffs such as tofu, dried bean curb (soak in water before cooking), cooked red beans, baked soy beans, red bean or black bean paste; 500 gram of mixed cereals, grains, oats and rhizomes. Drink a bowl of green pea soup everyday.
• Foods that help to reduce lipids: garlic (eat 1 to 2 pieces before meal in the early morning. You may also substitute it by drinking a glass of garlic vinegar). Other foods include fresh ginger, eggplant, black fungus, persimmon, Chinese hawthorns and etc.
• Food therapy for high lipid sufferers:

Breakfast:

200 milliliter of soy milk, preferably the fresh one instead of the packaging soy milk; 10 gram of cooked fresh beans, but not the processed one.

Lunch:

50 gram of rice, make sure it is not too hard to bite on; 100 gram of fried green peppers and fried okras each.

Dinner:

150 gram of rice, make sure it is not too hard to bite on; 100 gram
of fried pakchoi; 50 gram of steamed tofu; 10 gram of organic noodles and
100 gram of cooked potato (cut in long strips and does not add salt). Daily
oil usage should keep to 12 gram.

Pakchoi

Put on weight

An obese problem is closely related to excessive fats that remain beneath the skin due to an extremely high lipid in the blood stream. The high lipid has long been identified as a trademark for the hardening of arteries. Thus, you should put on weight through the food and exercise therapy.

Quit smoking

Tobacco and carbon monoxide are two poisonous components in the cigarette which may deteriorate the condition of the hardening of arteries.

Control the intake of alcohol

Alcoholic drinks are bad for our health too. Limit its intake is always a wise choice as more alcohol brings more harm to our body. Furthermore, alcohol contains high calories, so high consumption of alcohol may worsen the obese problem.

Exercise

Most of the middle-aged and old people suffer high lipids problem, so they should do mild to medium form of exercises to help reduce the lipid in the blood. Old people should do exercises according to their heart rate. The appropriate heart rate should maintain at (220-age) x (60% to 85%). Taichi (a slow motion of Chinese physical exercise helps to improve internal circulation in our body), Qigong (a traditional Chinese physical exercise that involves the coordination of different breathing patterns with various physical postures and motions of the body), jogging, cycling, walking, Calisthenics (a type of physical exercises linked to gymnastics, usually consists of a variety of simple movements to increase body strength and flexibility performed without using weights or other equipment) are some of the exercises suitable for old people.

The best time for doing exercise is at five o’clock in the early morning; 10 a.m. is another best time to do exercise; 1600 to 1700 is an appropriate time for those who wish to put on weight; 30 minutes or one hour before the dinner is an ideal time for walking, and it is also found to be a good sport therapy’s time that benefits diabetes patients.

Maintain mental and spiritual health

By adopting good mental and spiritual health, we can boost up our immune system which may also help to bring down the lipid level. Moody, stress, nervous, anger and depressed worsen the condition of high lipid sufferer as well as their existing health conditions.