Cholesterol is the main indicator of lipid metabolism, which is a determining factor for the possible development of vascular atherosclerosis. When examining people with cardiovascular diseases, dyslipidemia and liver pathologies, it is mandatory to determine the level of a substance such as cholesterol in the blood. The norm for women of this biochemical indicator is slightly higher than for men. Why is this happening? This will be discussed in this article, as well as how to reduce blood cholesterol through diet, folk and medicines.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is an organic lipid compound found in the cell membranes of humans and all living organisms. About 80% of cholesterol is produced in our body. It is synthesized by the cells of the liver, kidneys, adrenal glands, intestines and sex glands. The remaining 20% comes from the diet.
What is cholesterol for?
As already mentioned, it is necessary as a building material for cell membranes, precisely fordue to this, the cell membrane is dense. Cholesterol plays a huge role in the nervous and immune systems, it is needed for the synthesis of vitamin D, steroid hormones and sex (male - testosterone, and female - estrogen).
Cholesterol is essential for the human body:
- Bile acids and their derivatives are synthesized from it in liver cells. Without these substances, the digestion process is impossible.
- Without cholesterol, the synthesis of sex hormones, both male and female, is impossible. And their lack can negatively affect reproductive function.
What does blood cholesterol mean for a little man? What is its rate? These issues will be de alt with in this article. It is clear that the deficiency of this substance is bad for human he alth, just like its excess.
Cholesterol in the blood. Norm for women
The normal value of this indicator varies from 3.0 to 7.2 mmol/l, depending on the age of the fair sex. The younger the lady, the lower the normal cholesterol levels, and with age this figure increases slightly, this is normal and depends on many factors.
With the normal values of such an indicator as total cholesterol in the blood, in women, according to age, can be found in the table below.
| Age of woman (years) | Norm of total cholesterol, mmol/l |
| 15-20 | 3, 0-5, 15 |
| 21-25 | 3, 1-5, 4 |
| 26-30 | 3, 3-5, 6 |
| 31-35 | 3, 3-5, 8 |
| 36-45 | 3, 8-6, 5 |
| 46-50 | 3, 9-6, 6 |
| 51-60 | 3, 9-7, 0 |
| 61-70 | 3, 9-7, 2 |
| 71-80 | 3, 9-7, 25 |
| over 80 | 3, 9-7, 4 |
The table shows that the upper limit of cholesterol increases with age. It is important to check your blood cholesterol levels at least once a year. The norm for women (its upper limit), as can be seen from the table, increases along with the number of years lived. This is due to the restructuring of the hormonal background of women, especially during menopause. All working people, as a rule, once a year undergo a medical examination (medical examination), where they must examine the level of cholesterol and blood sugar.
The norm of cholesterol in men
Cholesterol in the blood of men is an important indicator. The fact is that male sex hormones do not protect the cardiovascular system (CVS), as female sex hormones do in the fairer sex. Therefore, the risk of atherosclerosis, cholesterol plaques and complications associated with blockage of blood vessels in men at a fairly young, working age is higher than in women. You can get acquainted with the norm of total cholesterol in men according to age in the table below.
| Man's age (years) | Norm of total cholesterol,mmol/l |
| 15-20 | 2, 91-5, 1 |
| 21-25 | 3, 1-5, 5 |
| 26-30 | 3, 4-6, 3 |
| 31-35 | 3, 5-6, 5 |
| 36-40 | 3, 7-6, 9 |
| 41-50 | 3, 9-6, 9 |
| 51-70 | 4, 0-7, 1 |
| over 70 | 3, 7-6, 8 |
Statistics show that the incidence of strokes and heart attacks in middle-aged men is higher than in women. In the fair sex, the risk of these diseases, as a rule, increases already at a fairly mature age, during menopause.
Reasons for increased cholesterol levels
Why does blood cholesterol rise? The reasons for the increase in this indicator (hypercholesterolemia) are very different, but most often the patient himself is to blame for this, or rather, his lifestyle.
- Unhe althy diet, eating foods high in saturated fats lead to an increase in blood cholesterol. Products such as lard, fatty meats, all sausages, pastries, fatty cheeses can only be included in the diet in very limited quantities.
- Sedentary, hypodynamic lifestyle is a risk factor for increased cholesterol levels.
- Bad habits, in particular smoking and drinking alcohol, are risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis.
- Being overweight and obese.
- Heredity.
- Middle-aged men have a higher risk of developing atherosclerosis and CVD than women. These diseases are the result of high cholesterol. The chances of both sexes to develop these diseases are leveled only in old age, more precisely, after the onset of menopause in women, because in this period they may have increased cholesterol in the blood. The norm for women of this indicator in middle age (before menopause) is lower than for men.
How to normalize cholesterol?
If the level of this indicator has increased, then it must be reduced in order to avoid negative consequences. How to reduce blood cholesterol? This can be done in many ways: balance the diet, folk methods, taking medications (statins), etc. How to reduce blood cholesterol through dietary modification?
If hypercholesterolemia is insignificant, there are deviations from the norm of no more than 10%, then you can normalize cholesterol levels with a balanced diet, eliminating all fatty foods, confectionery from the diet and giving up bad habits - smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages. Alcohol in any concentration negatively affects he alth, so it should be completely avoided.
Cholesterol Diet
Food should be consumed:
- Fresh vegetables and herbs, can be in the form of salads with a little olive or linseed oil.
- Fresh fruits, especially green apples and avocados (these can reducetriglyceride levels).
- Low fat dairy products.
- Whole grain bread, optional with bran.
- Soy products.
- Protein omelettes and cereals.
- Berry fruit drinks and natural juices.
- Chanterelle mushrooms contain natural statins, so they should also be included in the diet.
- Herring contains natural statins, but should not be eaten s alted, but baked or steamed. S alt, on the other hand, is able to retain water in the body, thereby contributing to an increase in pressure, which, combined with high cholesterol and atherosclerotic plaques, increases the risk of strokes and heart attacks.
Folk methods for lowering cholesterol
What to do if the cholesterol in the blood has risen? Folk remedies will help in this matter if this figure has increased by no more than 10-15% of the upper limit of the norm.
Eating garlic and onions every day for one month can reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or the so-called bad cholesterol, by 30%. Due to this, the total cholesterol in the blood will also decrease.
A widely known recipe for lowering cholesterol based on lemons and garlic. To prepare it, you need 24 lemons and 400 grams of peeled garlic. Squeeze juice from lemons, grind garlic with a blender or pass through a meat grinder. Mix everything and insist in a dark place for 7 days. A teaspoon of this drug, previously diluted with cold boiled water,taken on an empty stomach in the morning. The therapeutic mixture prepared in this way is enough for a course of treatment, which is repeated once a year. Contraindicated in stomach ulcers and exacerbations of pancreatitis.
Flaxseed can lower blood cholesterol, it should be added to food.
Cholesterol in the blood. Medical treatment
With a significant increase in cholesterol, you should consult a cardiologist. He will prescribe statin drugs, such as Vasilip, Lovastatin, Lescol Forte, Simvacard, and others.
These drugs should be taken under the control of biochemical tests such as ALT, AST and bilirubin, as some of them can provoke an increase in these indicators, that is, have a negative effect on the liver. Therefore, it is better if a doctor prescribes a cholesterol-lowering drug after a full examination.
