High cholesterol can be of concern, as it increases the risk of a heart attack, stroke, mini strokes and atherosclerosis. One popular drink could help to lower “bad” cholesterol.
LDL “bad” cholesterol is troubling as it can build up along the artery walls.
The arteries carry oxygenated blood away from the heart to the rest of the body.
When cholesterol sticks to the side of the artery walls, the passageway for blood becomes narrower.
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In turn, the heart exerts extra force to ensure that blood is able to reach all the muscles and organs in the body.
Too much stress on the heart can lead to a heart attack, which can be fatal.
“Good” cholesterol, on the other hand, helps to pick up “bad” cholesterol and transport it to the liver, where it can be broken down and released from the body via the bladder.
A research paper in the Cochrane Library wanted to determine the effects of a specific drink on the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
High cholesterol levels are one major risk factor cardiovascular disease – a general term to describe conditions affecting the heart and arteries.
They identified 11 clinical trials, with a total fo 821 participants, that examined the health benefits of green tea.
Collating the data, the researches noted that green tea reduced total cholesterol levels and, most importantly, LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
The authors concluded that the evidence suggests green tea has favourable effects on cardiovascular disease risk factors.
However, they admitted there are very few long-term studies to examine the data on green tea consumption and cholesterol levels.
The Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong also investigated the link between green tea and health.
They stated that green tea increases the antioxidant capacity of the blood, which protects LDL cholesterol from oxidation.
Oxidised cholesterol may be mistaken as bacteria by the body’s immune system.
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When this happens, the immune system tries to fight if off with inflammation inside of the artery wall. This is a factor that contributes to atherosclerosis and heart disease.
Published in the Journal of Nutrition, the researchers examined the association between green tea consumption and mortality from cardiovascular disease, cancer and all-causes mortality.
They looked at data from 40,530 people and concluded that green tea has an inverse association with mortality from cardiovascular diseases and all causes.
The NHS encourages people who want to lower their cholesterol levels to partake in regular exercise.
The national health body insists that engaging with 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week can improve cholesterol levels.
Moderate activity means you’re working hard enough to raise your heartbeat and to break a sweat.
Such activities include jogging, dancing and pushing a lawn mower, as well as hiking.
Working out at this level of intensity means you’re still able to talk, but you wouldn’t be able to sing.
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