High Cholesterol over the years has amassed a notorious reputation among the health community along with sugar and fat. We often see lower cholesterol food being prescribed for elder adults. Joint specialists particularly knee specialists also prescribe a low-cholesterol diet to reduce the risk of arthritis.
Is high cholesterol that detrimental to human health? Will food with lower cholesterol help improve knee health? We asked these questions to a renowned famous orthopaedic doctor in Mumbai Dr Chirag Patel.
And with these inputs, we have gathered complete information you need to know about cholesterol – the reason for its bad reputation, its effects on knee health and ways to lower the cholesterol levels for improved knee health. Read on to know:
What is Cholesterol ?
Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is present in the foods we eat. This waxy substance does play an important role in making vitamins, and hormones and building cells.
Our liver makes some portion of the cholesterol and the remaining is received through our daily foods. Our body needs only a limited amount of cholesterol and when the total cholesterol exceeds this volume it tends to create problems with our regular functioning.
Why High Cholesterol is Bad for Health?
Cholesterol circulates in the body along with the blood. When the cholesterol level increases beyond what is necessary it tends to interfere with the regular functioning of the vital organs:
- Cholesterol can join with other substances circulating in the blood to form thick deposits inside the blood vessels (arteries). These deposits eventually narrow the arteries resulting in blockages that can damage the heart muscle or even cause a heart attack.
- The same can happen to the arteries that feed blood to the brain and cause problems to the brain’s health too. High cholesterol levels are also responsible for causing different types of medical conditions based on which organ’s blood vessels are clogged. Coronary artery diseases, peripheral artery diseases, chronic kidney diseases, thyroid, diabetes, lupus, & PCOS are some of the diseases caused by high cholesterol levels in the blood.
High Cholesterol & Knee Health:
High cholesterols levels in the blood, due to their propensity to clog the blood vessels, tend to significantly increase the risk of a variety of medical conditions as stated above. According to research conducted by orthopaedic specialists, high cholesterol levels are also found to accelerate the onset of knee osteoarthritis by causing tendon complications.
“High cholesterol levels in the blood tend to increase the induced inflammation, joint pain and risk of tendon injuries in elder adults triggering osteoarthritis. This is the reason most orthopaedic specialists suggest a low-cholesterol diet to mitigate these symptoms” says leading joint specialist and orthopaedic doctor in Mumbai Dr Chirag Patel.
How to Lower Cholesterol Quickly ?
Fixing your diet is the best way to lower the cholesterol levels in the body. Swap foods with high saturated fats with low-cholesterol foods and sticking to this diet for a long time can help lower those cholesterol levels. List of foods that lower cholesterol include : oats and barley, nuts, soya foods, fruits, vegetables and foods rich in unsaturated fats. However, it must be taken into account that quick results are not to be expected and it takes a consistently healthy diet to reduce cholesterol levels.
In a few cases, an individual may have other medical conditions and this will need a consultation from an orthopaedic specialist. A joint or orthopaedic specialist can monitor the current health condition and prescribe the right plan to lower the cholesterol levels and improve joint health. If you are looking for tips to reduce your cholesterol levels and improve your knee and joint health, Dr Chirag Patel is the best orthopaedic specialist with an excellent track record in mitigating the impact of osteoarthritis with the right dietary changes. You can contact Dr Chirag Patel at his Joints and Sports Clinic in Mumbai