Grapefruit, cholesterol and high blood pressure
Many people take grapefruit juice every morning at around the same time they take their cholesterol or high blood pressure medicine. Grapefruit juice has been said to contain many substances that can prevent cancer and prevent hardening of the arteries (artherosclerosis) amongst other things.
Unfortunately, grapefruit juice also contains substances that block certain enzymes in the intestines. These enzymes normally break down cholesterol and hypertension medication that you take so that only a small amount of the drug goes into the blood. When the enzymes are blocked, more of the medication gets into the blood which can cause overdose.
These effects of grapefruit juice can last for some time so simply drinking it at a different time may still have negative effects, so you may have to stop taking it altogether while you are taking these medications.
Many of them are common drugs which a lot of people take for various conditions like allergies, hypertension, depression and psychiatric problems.
Cholesterol
High blood cholesterol levels are an important risk factor for developing heart disease and unlike inherited you can do something about it.
You need cholesterol
Cholesterol is not some evil stuff that you have to flush out of your system at all costs. Cholesterol is important for your body to function. It forms part of the walls of the cells in the body. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your point of view), your body makes enough cholesterol for all needs so you don’t actually need to eat much of it. So what happens to all that extra fat that you eat? Over time it’s laid down in the walls of your arteries including those that supply blood to your heart, brain and kidneys. (It’s also laid down around your middle, amongst other places, as fat but I’m sure you know that already.)
As the arteries get narrower and narrower, they may eventually get blocked. No blood gets through and this leads to an ischaemic stroke if it’s in the brain and a heart attack if it happens in the heart.
Cholesterol levels
Cholesterol travels around the blood combined with substances called lipoproteins:
- Low density lipoproteins (LDL or bad cholesterol) - this carries most of the cholesterol in the body.
- High density lipoproteins (HDH or good cholestrol) - this removes cholesterol from the blood so that it’s not deposited on the walls of the arteries.
- Another type of fat you need to look out for are triglycerides.
This means that you want lots of HDL and as little LDL as possible.
Cholesterol levels vary in women according to their age:
- below age 45 cholesterol in women is lower than in men
- between age 45 and 55, cholesterol levels begin to be higher than in men
- above 55 the gap in cholesterol levels increase even more with levels in women rising even more.
Exercise boosts “good” cholesterol
If you’re not exercising already, here’s another good reason to do so. According to a report published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a review of previously-published studies showed that aerobic exercise (the kind that gets your heart pumping fast) can help increase the levels of “good” (HDL) cholesterol in your body. The increase was greatest in people who were obese and those with high cholesterol.
Unfortunately a couple of jumping jacks are not going to do the trick! Apparently, you need to exercise for at least 30 minutes at a go and for a total of 2 hours a week to get the full benefits.
What kind of exercises should I do?
Some examples:
- walking
- jogging
- skipping (jumping rope)
- swimming
- cycling
The good news is that:
- the intensity of the exercise was less important than the duration, i.e. you can exercise gently and still enjoy the benefits, and
- you don’t have to go on any special diet (though you are watching what you eat already, right?)
Why the fuss about HDL?
HDL has a protective effect on the heart and blood vessels. Higher levels of HDL decrease your risk of developing cardiovascular disease (heart disease, strokes e.t.c.). When you combine this with other lifestyle changes it can make a big difference.
There a drugs that can raise you HDL levels much higher than aerobic exercise, but if you’re looking for drug-free options, this may be the way to go.