A Link Between High Cholesterol Levels And Diabetes

Diabetes is a chronic disease which can have numerous side effects. The condition (normally) comes about as a result of the pancreas not creating enough insulin, which you require to handle the sugar level in your blood. Having diabetes, or too much sugar in your blood can have serious results such as cataracts (treatable blindness), bad teeth and an increased risk of general infections.

However what lots of people do not realize is that there is a connection between high cholesterol levels and diabetes. This link is known as macular edema and it has an effect on eyesight. If you have diabetes and high cholesterol levels, you should be paying particular attention to your diet in order to avoid macular edema

Macular edema is often a painful, non-reversible kind of blindness.

In case you are unsure about cholesterol, it would be best if we discuss this issue in order to clarify. People talk about ‘cholesterol levels’ because there are three measurements that are vital. HDL cholesterol is frequently known as ‘good cholesterol’ and LDL cholesterol is called bad cholesterol.

It is important to have LDL because it helps in the generation of bile and vitamin D and it assists regulate hormones, but too much of it can block arteries and cause heart issues. HDL is ‘good’ because it mops up LDL and takes it back to the liver where it is got rid of.

Those are the two main levels. You might be forgiven for thinking that it is best to have as much HDL as you can, and this is the case, to a certain extent, because you do require LDL as well, but the total of both of these levels is also important. You must not have a high level of both together either.

The additional reason why these levels are more relevant to diabetics is because diabetics with a high level of LDL run approximately three times more risk of developing macular edema than non-diabetics. Therefore the danger of high cholesterol for diabetics is imperative.

This is such a significant problem that diabetics are warned to check the levels of their cholesterol very frequently. The good news is that diabetics will already be following a diet and the decreased cholesterol diet is fairly comparable and is easy to integrate into your current regime.

The foods that you ought to avoid to reduce your level of LDL cholesterol include saturated fats such as are found in red meat and dairy products like full-fat milk, butter, cream and cheese. It is also present in trans and hydrogenated fats, which are present in junk foods and cheap margarine.

The foodstuffs to eat in order to raise your level of LDL are basically mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, vegetarian foodstuffs such as fresh fruits and vegetables, soya products, fish, nuts and grains, especially whole grains. Roughage and fibre are what you ought to be looking for. Fish and olive oil are also useful in the fight against LDL cholesterol.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on numerous subjects, but is now concerned with lowering cholesterol without medication. If you want to know more, please visit our site at What Foods Lower Cholesterol?