How to Cheat a Cholesterol Test? Is it Possible or Not?

Cholesterol is an organic fatty substance that belongs to the steroid family and is present in every cell of the human body. This waxy substance is pivotal for human existence because it serves as a material to synthesize many of the body’s compounds, such as hormones and bile acids.

Due to the above-mentioned reasons, the body has the capacity to produce cholesterol, this process is conducted in the liver to be more precise.

However, this is not the only source, cholesterol is also found in animal foods, like egg yolks, milk, cheese, and meat. In other words, the cholesterol of your blood can come from two sources, liver production or food.

As cholesterol is a fatty substance, in order to travel in the blood stream, it has to be transported through a particle called lipoproteins.

There are three types of lipoproteins that are more common and usually appear in your blood test when the doctor wants to check your cholesterol levels, these are LDL (low density lipoprotein), HDL (high density lipoprotein), and VLDL (very low density lipoprotein).

Afraid of “failing” in your next blood cholesterol test? Follow me in this article to understand how your blood cholesterol is measured and if it is possible to cheat a cholesterol test.

How to Cheat a Cholesterol Test – Blood Lipoproteins

In order to get started, let’s make a quick review of the most common lipoproteins.

Lipoproteins are macromolecular compounds whose function is to transport lipids in the blood stream. It has two parts, the protein fraction and the lipid fraction, and it is classified according to the content of each one of these.

This classification also determines the density of the lipoprotein, so for example, the higher the lipid content the lower the lipoprotein density. On the contrary, the lower the lipid content the higher the density.

Having said that, we can conclude that VLDL and LDL lipoproteins have a higher lipid content, whereas HDL lipoproteins have a lower lipid content.

What is a normal blood cholesterol test level?

In a blood cholesterol test, the laboratory checks for each of the cholesterol fractions in your blood. In the chart below, you can check each of the fractions that are commonly measured and the desired range for a healthy adult.

Cholesterol Fraction	Desired Range
LDL	Less than 100 mg/dL
HDL	40 mg/dL and higher (the higher, the better)
VLDL	Between 2 and 30 mg/dL
Total Cholesterol	Less than 200 mg/dL
Triglycerides	Below 150 mg/dL

How quickly does cholesterol level change?

According to doctors and dietitian, it can take several months to see a pronounced change in the cholesterol fraction levels.

In addition, some people might suffer from a health condition called dyslipidemia, where the liver produces way more cholesterol than needed, hence increasing the total cholesterol level all the more.

Unfortunately, these fractions of the blood cannot be changed overnight, nonetheless, there are some actions that you can take to change it, keep on reading to check them out.

Can you trick cholesterol test?

So, the big question is, is it possible to cheat a cholesterol test? Unfortunately, the answer is no.

Firstly, think about it this way, if you cheat a blood cholesterol test, the only person affected by it would be yourself as blood cholesterol levels are an essential indicator of cardiovascular health.

For instance, people with high levels of LDL are at a much higher risk of having a heart attack, while on the contrary, having the desired values of blood cholesterol can be considered protective against certain heart diseases.

How to Reduce Cholesterol Levels?

If you have high levels of blood cholesterol don’t be afraid, diet and exercises can help you out, in addition to medicine in some cases.

From the dietary perspective, it is recommended to follow the guidelines proposed by the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III).

Their recommendations include consuming less than 200 mg of cholesterol daily, less than 7% of the total calorie count should be from saturated fatty acids, up to 13% of the total calorie count for unsaturated fatty acids, no trans fats, and increase the dietary fiber consumption to somewhere between 10 and 25 grams daily.

In addition, it is proven that maintaining an exercise routine helps to increase HDL levels (good cholesterol).

HDL acts by removing excess cholesterol from the blood stream and tissues and returning them to the liver, as a consequence it diminishes blood cholesterol levels and helps protect the body against heart diseases.

Causes of false high Cholesterol test

There are some external elements that can potentially increase your blood cholesterol levels, keep an eye on them next time you go for a test to make sure that there is nothing interfering with your blood test results.

Here are a few things that can alter your cholesterol test results:

Medications – corticoids, and beta-blockers can potentially increase blood lipid levels. Let your doctor know about any medication that you are taking before your test.
Alcohol – Even occasional drinks can produce an alteration in your blood lipid levels. Make sure to not consume any type of alcohol at least 24 hours before your test.
Pregnancy – Cholesterol levels can be higher than normal during pregnancy.
Improper fasting – it is extremely important to fast for at least 12 hours before your cholesterol test. If you eat right before the exam, the results will be altered by your last meal.
Human error – although very unlikely, laboratory mistakes can be a possibility.

If you suspect any type of error in your lab results, report it to your doctor and repeat the test.

How to Cheat a Cholesterol Test Conclusion

It is extremely important to regularly check in with your doctor and submit yourself to blood tests periodically.

Cholesterol blood levels are the most important indicator of your overall heart condition and this is especially relevant if you are 50 years old or more.

Some people could be afraid of “failing” and might even consider cheating the cholesterol test, however, it is important to face the truth and take corrective actions in order to normalize blood cholesterol levels.

These actions include start a proper diet, exercise regularly, quit smoking, diminish alcohol intake, and in some cases, medications will be needed to support all of these actions.

How Much Cholesterol is in Shrimp – The Answer Will Surprise You

How Much Cholesterol is in Shrimp

Shrimps are small animals that belong to the crustaceous family. There are around two thousand species of shrimps all over the world, living in oceans, lakes, and rivers. Shrimps play a huge role in the food chain, serving as a food source to animals ranging from fish to whales, as well as, to humans.

The shrimp industry moves approximately fifty billion dollars a year. The majority of shrimps for human consumption comes from shrimp farms, also known as aquaculture, these farms are specifically designed to produce shrimps. In the supermarket, most shrimps are sold frozen, separated according to factors such as size, color, grading, and uniformity.

In terms of cooking, shrimp is a very delicious seafood, vastly used worldwide in many recipes, and easy to incorporate into many diets.

However, is shrimp a healthy food? For instance, do you know how much cholesterol is in shrimp? Follow me in this article to discover all the health aspects of this common seafood.

How Much Cholesterol is in Shrimp – Nutrition Data

To start with, let’s take a closer look at the shrimp nutrition facts. According to the USDA database, in every 100 grams (3.5 ounce) of cooked shrimp there are:

Name	Amount
Energy	94 Kcal
Protein	17.65 g
Total lipid (fat)	1.18 g
Fatty acids, total Saturated fat	0 g
Fatty acids, total monosaturated	0 g
Fatty acids, total trans	0 g
Carbohydrate	1.18 g
Fiber, total dietary	0 g
Sugars	0 g
Calcium, Ca	24 mg
Iron, Fe	3.18 mg
Sodium, Na	588 mg
Vitamin C	0 mg
Vitamin A	0 IU
Cholesterol	189 mg

It is important to mention that these numbers can be altered depending on the cooking method, nonetheless, they can give you a general idea about cooked shrimp’s nutritional aspects.

By analyzing the table, you can see that cooked shrimp are extremely low in calories. In addition, they have virtually no significant amount of carbohydrates, they are a great source of protein and iron, and they have low quantities of lipids.

Is Shrimp High in Cholesterol?

One thing that might have caught your attention after checking the shrimp nutrition data is their surprisingly high cholesterol level.

In 100 grams (or 3.5 ounces) of cooked shrimp, there are around 189 mg of cholesterol and this number might be even higher depending on how the shrimp was prepared.

Yes, you read that right, shrimps are considered high in cholesterol, so high in fact that their cholesterol quantity is similar to butter and heavy whipping cream, foods that are commonly known for their high levels of cholesterol.

However, this is not something that should scare you off, keep reading this article to understand why.

Shrimp Cholesterol Myth

By now I believe you might be wondering, does shrimp raise blood cholesterol levels? The short answer is no, shrimp doesn’t make a difference in your blood cholesterol levels. Keep on reading to understand why.

The recommended daily intake of dietary cholesterol for a healthy adult is around 300 mg, with less than 7% of calories coming from saturated fat. If you go back to the chart, you can check that despite having a relatively high cholesterol count, shrimp is exceptionally low in saturated fats.

It is worth mentioning that is much more important to cut down foods that contain high levels of saturated fatty acids than cholesterol, the reason is that saturated fatty acids can affect how the liver handles cholesterol.

In other words, eating too much saturated fatty acids can increase your blood cholesterol levels.

Should I Include Shrimp in my diet?

The answer is yes, absolutely. Shrimps are easy to prepare and very versatile, meaning that you can incorporate them in many ways in your diet.

Needing more references? According to an interesting study called “ Effects of Shrimp Consumption on Plasma Lipoproteins” scientists provided subjects with a very high shrimp diet, around 300 grams of shrimp, totaling approximately 590 mg of cholesterol. Results have shown that a shrimp-based diet tended to increase HDL (“good” cholesterol) more than LDL (“bad” cholesterol), arriving at the conclusion that shrimps consumption did not alter blood lipoproteins profile, and thus offer no major risk for the overall cardiovascular health.

Shrimp Recipe

Wanting to include shrimp in your diet? Below you will find a delicious and easy recipe to try out.

Honey and Garlic Shrimp Recipe

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of fresh minced garlic
13 cup of honey
14 cup of soy sauce
400 grams (or 1 pound) of fresh peeled shrimp
2 teaspoons of olive oil

How to Prepare:

Combine the garlic, honey, and soy sauce in a medium bowl. Then, combine the fresh shrimps with half of the marinade mixture and leave in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

Once ready, heat the olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Cook each side of the shrimp for about 45 seconds. Pour the remaining marinade mixture and cook for one more minute. Serve it hot.

How Much Cholesterol is in Shrimp Conclusion

Shrimps are nourishing seafood, surprisingly low in calories and filled with essential nutrients such as omega 3, iron, zinc, vitamin B12, and much more. Despite your surprise about how much cholesterol is in a shrimp, you should not right off this seafood from your diet.

Just try to be careful when buying shrimps and make sure that you are buying them as fresh as possible in order to prevent the consumption of undesired substances and toxins.

Here are some tips to help you tell if the shrimp is fresh, pay attention to the smell, it should have a clean smell just like the ocean; it is also important to pay attention to the color, it should range from white to shades of gray, pink is also acceptable.

Regarding the body, if the head is on it means that is fresh, the eyes should be tight and firm and the legs should be able to bounce back and not decompose.

Including fresh shrimps, three times a week in your diet won’t affect your cholesterol blood levels and you will be benefitted from the various advantages of this flavorful seafood.

How Much Cholesterol in Chicken Breast + Pro Tip For Cooking Delicious Chicken Breast

How Much Cholesterol in Chicken Breast

Chicken is one of the most consumed meat worldwide. There are hundreds of species and its massive consumption is associated with its easy and low-cost farming.

In addition, chickens not only yield meat, but they also yield many famous by-products such as eggs, blood, carcass, heart (famous in Brazilian cuisine), liver, and schmaltz (chicken fat in traditional Jewish cuisine).

This massive industry moves roughly 46.3 billion dollars a year according to the last USDA update and in many countries, chicken consumption surpasses beef and pork. Besides being tasteful and nutritious, chicken can be used in many recipes with a variety of ingredients, being very easy to incorporate into your diet.

Follow me in this article for a closer look at the nutrition data of chicken, from how much cholesterol is in chicken breast to a nutritional comparison between chicken breast and other types of meats.

Chicken Breast Nutrition Data

To start, let’s take a closer look at the chicken breast nutrition facts, According to the USDA database, in every 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of cooked chicken breast there are:

Name	Amount
Water		67.78 g
Energy		144 Kcal
Protein		28 g
Total lipid (fat)		3.57 g
Fatty acids, total Saturated fat		0.863 g
Fatty acids, total monosaturated		1.444 g
Fatty acids, total polyunsaturated		0.49 g
Fatty acids, total trans		0 g
Carbohydrate		0 g
Fibre, total dietary		0 g
Sugars		0 g
Calcium, Ca		13 mg
Iron, Fe		0.51 mg
Sodium, Na		328 mg
Phosphorus, P		246 mg
Potassium, K		284 mg
Niacin		9.634 mg
Selenium, Se		23.1 ug
Vitamin A		5 ug
Cholesterol		86 mg

Now, here is the tricky part, it is important to mention that these numbers apply only for the chicken breast without the skin, when consumed with the skin, the cholesterol amount, for instance, rises to 90 mg per 100 grams, while the calorie count and total lipid fat rise to 175 Kcal and 7.67 grams respectively, a significant increment.

Also, these numbers can be affected by the cooking method, nonetheless, they can give you a general idea of a cooked chicken breast’s nutritional aspect.

After checking the chart, you can see that chicken breast is relatively low in cholesterol, 86 grams in every 100 grams of meat, this is especially relevant when compared to other meats, we will see that more in-depth later in this article.

Chicken breast is also a great source of protein and it is loaded with calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. And that’s not all the good news, chicken breast is also considered lean meat, meaning that has low fat and calorie count, however, only if consumed skinless.

Cholesterol in Chicken Thighs

Now I believe you might be wondering, “does that mean that all chicken meat is considered lean meat?” Unfortunately, the answer is no. Some chicken parts are pretty fatty, let´s take a closer look at the chicken thigh for example.

According to the USDA database, in every 100 grams or 3.5 ounces of chicken thigh, there are 128 mg s of cholesterol. That is almost 33% more – yes, you read it right – a considerable increment. The same cholesterol amount is found in chicken wings, around 33% more than the amount of cholesterol in chicken breast.

So, if you are looking to decrease your cholesterol and fat consumption, you already know which chicken part should be on the top of your list. Chicken breast contains the same amount of protein with much less fat and cholesterol.

Cholesterol in Chicken Vs Beef

By now you might have asked yourself, “how are these numbers look compared to beef?” Let´s take a look at it.

According to the USDA database, 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of lean cut beef has approximately 90 mg of cholesterol, pretty similar when compared to a chicken breast. Fatty beef cuts such as short ribs, also have a considerably low amount of cholesterol, 94 mg per every 100 grams, much less than chicken thigh or wings for example.

The scenario changes, however, if we compare the amount of cholesterol in organ meat, for instance, beef liver has approximately 389 mg of cholesterol in every 100 grams, which is a whole other level of cholesterol.

How Much Cholesterol in Turkey

Finally, as the year is coming to an end and it is very common in many traditions to celebrate it with turkey, let’s compare the amount of cholesterol in chicken breast with the amount of cholesterol found in turkey.

Again, according to the USDA database, in every 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of turkey, there is 109 mg of cholesterol. This is 22% more than the amount of cholesterol found in the chicken breast, however, this number is still lower than the amount of cholesterol in both chicken thighs and wings.

So, if your family has the tradition of celebrating the holidays with turkey, eat it in moderation, especially if you are under a cholesterol control diet.

Pro Tips for Cooking Chicken Breasts

Some people tend to think that the chicken breast meat is dry and tasteless, however, this is simply not true. If well prepared, chicken breast can taste as good as chicken thigh or wings and provide you with the same amount of protein with fewer calories. You just need to cook it differently to make it delicious.

Here are some tips to take into account next time you prepare chicken breast:

The first step is to brine, if you want to cook a breast chicken in the oven and conserve its juiciness you should brine it first. Add the chicken breast to a bowl filled with lukewarm water and salt, and leave for fifteen minutes. Once ready, wash off the salt and pat dry with a paper towel.

The second step, season it! Don’t be afraid to use condiments, and then brush the chicken breast with either olive oil or butter to help the seasoning stick.

In the third step, sear it in a very hot pan. This will help the say it is juicy, if possible, use a cooking thermometer to check the temperature, it should reach around 450°F or 232°C.

So why don’t you try these tips next time?

How Much Cholesterol in Chicken Breast Conclusion

Chicken is the most commonly consumed poultry worldwide. It is an ingredient for many recipes, including traditional foods.

Besides being tasteful, chicken is also nutritious and for those of you who were wondering about how much cholesterol is in a chicken breast, the good news is that chicken breast is considered lean meat, it has low cholesterol and fat content in addition to being low in calories. So, what are you waiting to include chicken breast in your diet?

How Does Cholesterol Affect Membrane Fluidity – Easily Explained!

How Does Cholesterol Affect Membrane Fluidity

Cholesterol is an organic substance that belongs to the steroid family. This waxy substance is extremely important in order for the body to carry out several functions such as producing steroid hormones, vitamin D, and other compounds from which the body synthesizes bile acids.

Due to the above-mentioned reasons, the body has the capacity to produce cholesterol – this process occurs in the liver to be more precise – however, this is not the only source of cholesterol as it can also be found in animal foods like egg yolks, milk, cheese, and meat.

Moreover, cholesterol is the primary substance which composes the membrane that surrounds each cell and it has the capacity to either make the cell membrane fluid or rigid, due to its chemical characteristics.

Interested to understand how this process works? Follow me in this article for a quick review of the cell membrane, some factors that can affect membrane fluidity, and to understand how cholesterol affects membrane fluidity.

Cell Membrane

The cell membrane, also known as the plasma membrane is a semipermeable lipid bilayer, whose function is to separate the interior of the cell from its outside surroundings. This thin membrane surrounds every living cell.

Inside the cell membrane are the cell’s components such as lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, and many other substances implicated in cellular metabolism, whereas in the outside of the cell membrane there is a water-based environment filled with acids, ions, alkalis, and nutrients that the cell absorbs in order to live and grow.

Some of the functions of the cell membrane are acting as a barrier to maintain undesired substances outside the cells; providing structural support for the cell; transporting nutrients into the cell, and also transporting toxic substances outside of the cell.

Cell Membrane Components

In terms of composition, cell membranes are composed primarily of fatty-acid lipids, but it also contains proteins and carbohydrates. In 1972 scientists proposed that the cell membrane resembles a “fluid mosaic” due to the fact that the phospholipids, cholesterol, and proteins move fluidly and freely, continually sliding past one another.

Lipids are the predominant component of the membrane cell and there are three types of them, phospholipids, glycolipids, and sterols (mainly cholesterol). Their distinguishing characteristic is that they have the capacity to dissolve in organic solvents and part of them is attracted and soluble in water.

How Does Cholesterol Affect Membrane Fluidity – Importance of Membrane Fluidity

Maintaining membrane fluidity is extremely vital for the continues existence of the cell as it provides it with continuous protection. For instance, if you insert a needle into a cell membrane, it will penetrate without causing it to burst and once the needle is removed, the membrane will seamlessly self-seal. Other reasons why membrane fluidity is important include, allowing membrane fusion; guarantying equal distribution in membrane molecules; enabling separation of the membrane during cell division, and many others.

Factors Affecting Membrane Fluidity

Cell membrane fluidity can be affected by multiple factors and depends in large part on its lipid’s composition. Some of the factors that can affect membrane fluidity are:

Degree of Fatty Acids Saturation

Fatty acids can have saturated or unsaturated tails. Saturated fatty acids have no double bonds, for this reason, they are relatively straight. On the other hand, unsaturated fatty acids contain one or more double bonds and as a result they are crooked.

Due to this bending effect, unsaturated fatty acids increase fluidity, while saturated fatty acids increase rigidity in the cell membrane.

Length of the Fatty Acids Tail

The longer the fatty acid tail the more rigid the membrane will be. On the contrary, short length fatty acids can potentially increase cell membrane fluidity.

Temperature

Saturated and unsaturated fatty acid tails behave differently under changes in temperature. When the temperature drops, saturated fatty acids become closer and firmer, thus making the membrane more rigid. Contrarily, unsaturated fatty acids, due to their bent structure cannot pack together, so they keep fluid in lower temperatures.

How does Cholesterol increase or decrease flexibility of the membrane?

Cholesterol deserves a separate paragraph with respect to membrane fluidity, as it has a more complicated relationship with the cell membrane. Cholesterol represents the most abundant substance in the cell membrane, around 25-30% and it has the capacity to either increase or decrease membrane fluidity depending on the temperature.

In animal cells, cholesterol acts by inserting itself into a phospholipid bilayer with its polar hydroxyl group. When the temperature rises cholesterol diminishes membrane fluidity by pulling phospholipids together and increasing intermolecular forces. On the other hand, when the temperature drops, cholesterol increases fluidity by keeping phospholipids from packing together.

In this manner cholesterol has the capacity to act as a buffer for the cell membrane, helping it keep fluidity even when the temperature rises or drops. In other words, cholesterol helps to expand the range of temperature in which the cell membrane is fluid and consequently functional.

How Does Cholesterol Affect Membrane Fluidity Conclusion

After reading this article, it should be clear that cholesterol is a vital substance in any animal’s cells. Firstly, it is essential to complete many body functions, secondly, it also plays a huge role in various metabolic pathways, and thirdly, it is fundamental for the functionality of the cell membrane.

With respect to the cell membrane, cholesterol affects membrane fluidity not only by increasing the temperature range in which the cell membrane can continue to function, but it also serves as a barrier, as due to its chemical structure it can fit in spaces between phospholipids, preventing water soluble substances from diffusing across the membrane.

How Cholesterol is Synthesized – Easily Explained

Synthesizes Cholesterol And Fat – How Cholesterol is Synthesized

Cholesterol is an organic fatty substance that belongs to the steroid family and is present in every cell of the human body. This waxy substance is extremely important for human existence because it serves as a precursor to synthesize many of the body’s compounds, such as steroids hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids.

The body has the capacity to produce cholesterol, this process is conducted in the liver to be more precise.

However, this is not the only source of cholesterol for the body, as it is also found in animal foods, like egg yolks, milk, cheese, and meat. In other words, the cholesterol of the blood can come from two sources, liver production or food.

This article is focused on how the body synthesizes cholesterol in the liver’s cells and provides it to all the body’s parts as needed. Interested to learn? Keep on reading to understand how this process works.

Synthesizes Cholesterol And Fat – Synthesis of Cholesterol

The liver is responsible for the major endogenous production of cholesterol. It is important to mention that the whole process of synthesizing cholesterol is very “expensive” for the organism in terms of energy cost, for this reason the organism has built in methods to avoid waste such as being capable of recycling cholesterol that was used to form bile acid, for example.

Another interesting fact is that cholesterol endogenous production is decreased when blood cholesterol is adequate, in other words, cholesterol production is based on a supply-demand basis.

As for the production itself, cholesterol synthesis is a multistep process that takes place in the cytoplasm and in the reticulum endoplasmatic. The two precursor of cholesterol productions are Acetyl CoA and Acetoacetyl CoA, these two substances come together and are converted into 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA). This substance can be posteriorly used for a couple of different pathways, but here we will focus only in the cholesterol pathway.

In the cytosol, HMG-CoA is reduced to mevalonate (melavonic acid) by an enzyme called HMG-CoA reductase, this enzyme is critical in the cholesterol pathway as this is the rate limiting step in cholesterol production.

Once melavonic acid is produced, it goes through a pathway called the mevalonate pathway where it produces a substance called Isopentenylpyrophosphate, this substance is subsequently converted into Squalene. Afterwards Squalene is processed through a few reaction steps, converting into Lanosterol.

Finally, Lanosterol is processed via many different reactions in order to be converted into Cholesterol. It is important to mention that this is a simplified pathway regarding cholesterol production, however, it should give you an idea about how this complicated process evolves.

Furthermore, it is worth noting that cholesterol synthesis yields a number of molecules that are necessary for other important biological pathways.

How Cholesterol is Transported

As you have read, cholesterol is produced in the endoplasmatic reticulum and posteriorly delivered by the secretory pathway to a variety of intracellular organelles, some of this cholesterol ends up in the cell membrane, in which cholesterol plays an important role, mainly in structure and permeability.

In order to get into the bloodstream, cholesterol needs the help of a spherical particle called lipoprotein. Such particles have two parts, the protein fraction and the lipid fraction, and they are classified according to the content of each fraction.

The two most common lipoproteins are low-density lipoprotein (LDL), which has a higher lipid content, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL), which has a lower lipid content.

Dietary Cholesterol

As for the cholesterol that comes from food consumption, the first step is breaking it down into smaller molecules from all the fat that was consumed in order for it to be absorbed, this process is carried out by the lipase enzymes with the help of bile acids in the small intestine.

Once absorbed, enterocytes (small intestine cells) package cholesterol into chylomicrons, and then release it into the bloodstream. Such chylomicrons possess a great number of triglycerides, which are used by adipocyte tissue and muscle as the chylomicron passes by them.

The remaining chylomicrons travel to the liver and there the liver cells repackage them into a lipoprotein called VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein), this lipoprotein contains a mix of triglycerides and cholesterol. VLDL is posteriorly released into the bloodstream and again adipocyte tissue and muscle remove the triglycerides turning the VLDL into LDL.

Function of Cholesterol

When it comes to functionality, cholesterol plays a huge role in many areas. Here are some key areas where cholesterol is vital:

Chemical precursor: Cholesterol is the precursor of many biological pathways, for instance, it is needed to synthesize vitamin D, sex hormones such as progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen as well as helping in the production of important hormones like cortisol and aldosterone.

Production of bile acids: bile acids are vital for the digestion of dietary fats. This substance acts like a biological detergent facilitating the absorption of fat and fat-soluble vitamins.

The bile acid production takes place in the liver, once ready it is deposited in the gallbladder in order for it to become more concentrated, finally, it is released in the duodenum, a part of the small intestine, whenever fat is consumed.

Cell membrane: cholesterol is present in every cell membrane and it helps with permeability and also regulates membrane fluidity.

Synthesizes Cholesterol And Fat Conclusion

Cholesterol is an essential fat substance present in the body as it is crucial for many biological pathways, the body has the capacity to produce all the cholesterol needed from two precursors, these are Acetyl CoA and Acetoacetyl CoA.

As for the production, cholesterol is synthesized in the liver cells (hepatocytes) by a complex and multistep process, which yields several substances that are later used in other important biological pathways.

The whole cholesterol production process is extremely costly to the organism, it uses a large amount of energy, and for this reason, this process is only requested when cholesterol plasma level is low.

Another source of cholesterol for the body is the dietary intake, cholesterol can also be found in animal food sources. After absorption, dietary cholesterol travels through the bloodstream via lipoproteins, which are classified according to the amount of lipid that it carries. Thank you for reading this Synthesizes Cholesterol And Fat article.

Can Pregnancy Cause High Cholesterol? The Answer Will Surprise You!

Dealing with high cholesterol is a serious matter, even more so when your health is compromised in different circumstances. In some cases, you’re old and taking various medications that are supposed to help you regulate high blood pressure. Or, in this article, you’re pregnant and on a food spree. Let’s get going with our question, “can pregnancy cause high cholesterol?” Let’s find out!

Can Pregnancy Cause High Cholesterol?

Pregnancy can be a magical moment for a woman. It’s one of the most awakening stages of being a woman. If you do not know, developing another human being is not an easy journey. Your body is not the only thing changing – your mind and emotions and hormones are on a wild spree as well.

A normal pregnancy lasts for around 40 weeks, and during this time, a woman can see many changes in her body, the most remarkable one is the belly growing as the baby develops, however, this is not the only thing that changes in a woman’s body during pregnancy.

For the baby to grow and develop, a woman’s body undergoes many changes including hormonal, metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, behavioural, and even psychological. All of these changes are completely normal. Some of these changes, women go through them on a regular basis during menstruation. But during pregnancy, they experience all these changes and symptoms at a more extreme level.

For instance, during pregnancy, the body requires an increase in heart rate, blood sugar, and breathing. For this reason, there is no need to be afraid if your blood test results are completely different than they used to be.

However, what happens with cholesterol during this magical time? Can pregnancy increase cholesterol levels? Keep on reading to discover how pregnancy can affect your cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol and Pregnancy

As the baby grows and develops, there is a natural increase in the flow of nutrients that go to the placenta to support the baby, thus it is normal that levels of lipid plasma blood such as cholesterol and triglycerides increase.

This extra cholesterol is extremely important for the development of the baby as cholesterol is needed for the production of sex hormones such as testosterone, progesterone, and estrogen as well as helping in brain development.

Having that said, it is crucial to continually take measurements of cholesterol levels during pregnancy, as it is one of the many indicators that everything is going normal and expected. While it is a common symptom that your cholesterol levels increase, a continuous increase is not normal for a woman during pregnancy.

In addition, it is worth noting that women with a high level of cholesterol before pregnancy will see a more pronounced increase in such levels as well. For this reason, it is important to check a woman’s overall health state before she gets pregnant to prevent pregnancy risks. These risks pose a threat, not only to the mother but to the developing baby as well.

So, what is the expected cholesterol level during pregnancy? Cholesterol level tends to increase between 25% and 50% during pregnancy according to doctors. Generally, cholesterol level rises during the second trimester of pregnancy, around week 16, with a peak during the third semester because of the growing baby’s weight and health needs.

For you to have an idea, below is a chart of the normal fractions for lipid blood in a non-pregnant adult.

Cholesterol Fraction	Desired Range
LDL	Less than 100 mg/dL
HDL	40 mg/dL and higher (the higher, the better)
VLDL	Between 2 and 30 mg/dL
Total Cholesterol	Less than 200 mg/dL
Triglycerides	Below 150 mg/dL

So, nothing to be afraid of if you are pregnant and your cholesterol goes up to 300 mg/dL, which is completely normal and expected during pregnancy. In addition, most cardiologists agree that HDL (good cholesterol) should be greater than 60 mg/dL and LDL (bad cholesterol) less than 100 mg/dL in a pregnant woman.

Symptoms of High Cholesterol During Pregnancy

As having high levels of blood cholesterol in pregnancy is normal and expected, women will not suffer any different signs. In this matter, they will feel like any other person with normal cholesterol levels, as this excess cholesterol level will be used for the baby to grow.

What Cholesterol Medicine is Safe During Pregnancy

The truth is that generally, doctors don’t treat high cholesterol levels during pregnancy, as having high levels is completely normal. The only exception to this rule is when there is a risk for cardiovascular disease, in this case, high cholesterol levels should be treated.

Having an excessively high cholesterol level during pregnancy can lead to some risks to the woman as well as to the baby.

For example, studies have shown that abnormally high levels of cholesterol can cause hypertension and stroke. Besides, children whose mothers suffered from high cholesterol during pregnancy are 5 times more likely to suffer from high cholesterol than adults.

For women that have a seriously elevated cholesterol level, there are some medications such as bile acid sequestrants that can be prescribed during pregnancy, as they can’t cross the placenta. However, it is important to mention that any medication during pregnancy should only be consumed under a doctor’s approval.

If you are concerned about your cholesterol level during pregnancy, the best tip would be to adhere to a balanced diet, with lots of fruits, and vegetables, avoid saturated fats; maintain an exercise routine according to your pregnancy period and doctor’s prescription.

Can High Cholesterol Cause Miscarriage?

As you have read having high than normal level of cholesterol is completely normal in a healthy pregnancy.

Miscarriages can happen in any pregnancy and having a high level of cholesterol will not affect your chances to have a miscarriage, nor will it increase the chance for the baby to be born with a birth defect.

How Long Does Cholesterol Stay Elevated After Pregnancy?

After giving birth, it is normal to still have an elevated cholesterol level for more than one month, as the body needs some time to get back to its normal levels. For this reason, it is recommended to take a blood test after at least 7 weeks after giving birth, for natural births. If the woman had a cesarean, it is recommended to wait for at least 12 weeks, as the body will need cholesterol and some extra time to repair tissues.

Can Pregnancy Cause High Cholesterol – Conclusion

Pregnancy implies a lot of changes in a woman’s body. Developing and growing a baby will require a lot of extra nutrients and substances that will travel from the bloodstream to the placenta to supply the growing baby.

Now, what about cholesterol, can pregnancy cause high cholesterol? Yes, cholesterol will be needed to synthesize sex hormones for the baby, as well as to develop the neurological system.

Having that said, it is completely normal and expected for a woman to have an elevated cholesterol level during pregnancy, especially after the second trimester. However, too elevated levels of cholesterol, or high levels before pregnancy, can lead to risks for both the woman and the baby.

Talk to your doctor if you are concerned that your cholesterol level is too high to check for available treatments, as during pregnancy extra caution should be exercised when it comes to taking medication.

In addition, try to follow a healthy diet with great amounts of fruits and vegetables and try to exercise regularly if you have your doctor’s okay for that.

When Can I Eat Solid Food After Wisdom Teeth Are Removed?

Wondering what to eat after getting a wisdom tooth removed is one question, but the real question is always, “when can I eat solid food after wisdom teeth are removed?” Well, we’re here to help out. Read on, friend!

When Can I Eat Solid Food After Wisdom Teeth Removal?

Wisdom teeth emerge at the back of your mouth and are often the last to emerge as adults. The jaw isn’t large enough to accommodate them without overcrowding. The dentist often keeps track of these teeth as you transition from teenager to adulthood. And if necessary, schedule to remove them through an outpatient procedure that takes less than an hour but takes more than a week to heal.

To prevent complications after wisdom teeth removal, here are things to avoid, like poking an extraction site with a toothpick, smoking, or intense exercise.

Most importantly, one should avoid solid food until the socket heals. Salads, snacks, chicken, and crunchy granola are among the solid foods you should steer far away from.

It means your eating habit will change until you fully recover. So, when can I eat solid food after wisdom teeth removal? Here is an outline that will guide you throughout the recovery time.

When Can I Normally Eat After Teeth Extraction?

Wisdom teeth are the third set of molars that appear between the age of 17 and 21. These teeth are often overcrowded due to limited space on the jaw leading to a misaligned bite. It is often for this reason that most people get their wisdom teeth extracted.

After the wisdom teeth are removed, a blood clot forms covering the hole and then gets replaced by bone growth from the jaw after some time. It would be best if you were careful not to disrupt the blood clot during recovery.

Are you still wondering when I can eat solid food after wisdom teeth? You should introduce solid foods seven days after the surgery. Extraction of wisdom teeth is a few hours of operation, but healing takes more days. Because my mouth is healing, knowing what I can eat after a tooth extraction is essential. Solid food can cause injury to the recovery site or even dislodge the blood clot leading to a dry socket.

Choosing soft foods can minimize pain while eating and hasten healing and recovery time. Are you still asking yourself when I can normally eat after teeth extraction? Your dentist will provide you with a list of foods you can take to your teeth extraction sites meanwhile heal. It takes up to one month for the extraction site to fully recover. After removal, you may have swellings, feel pain, or be numb for a while after the surgery as the local anaesthesia fade away slowly.

To prepare yourself adequately, stock your pantry beforehand to sustain you until you feel better. Here is a list of foods to stock after removing wisdom teeth:

Yoghurt
Smashed potatoes
Avocados
Mashed pumpkins
Ice-cream
Humus
Smoothies
Oatmeal
Cottage cheese
Non-salty salmon
Warm or hot soup

You are going to skip solid food for more than a week, but your body still needs nutrients; you need to make sure your body gets enough nutrients nonetheless. You can opt for nutritious broths or soup to make sure you have enough nutrient intake after removing the wisdom teeth. Chicken meat, beef, and vegetable broths provide the most nutrients for your body’s needs.

When Can I Eat Chicken After Wisdom Teeth Removal?

I know chicken is irresistible to many of us who are chicken mongers, but skipping for the first week will do less harm. The chicken broth will suffice if you think you can’t do without a chicken for a day. You might feel uncomfortable when you start chewing food, but it will help you heal faster than using a liquid diet.

Chewing helps reduce swellings inside the mouth and keeps your jaws together for the next few days. You can eat chicken any way you like as long as you strictly follow postoperative protocols. I hope your question ‘when can I eat chicken after wisdom teeth removal‘ is well answered.

When Can I Eat Rice After Wisdom Teeth Removal?

Rice is one staple food you won’t go for long without. The good thing about rice is that they are part of the soft foods you can eat until you fully recover. You may find pieces of rice pitching camp in the extraction area, so, while eating ensure, you keep the extraction free of rice particles. After eating, ensure you rinse your mouth properly.

During this time, avoid alcohol and heavily spiced foods because they will cause you discomfort. Keep the extraction area as clean as possible using water at room temperatures to remove trapped food debris. After a week, gradually introduce your everyday foods into the diet while maintaining high hygiene.

List of Food and Drinks to Avoid After Wisdom Teeth Removal

Extremely hot or cold foods or drinks should not enter your mouth after the extraction of wisdom teeth. From experience, hot food causes mouth injuries while icy foods and drinks inflict sensitivity in the neighbouring teeth and the extraction area. Moreover, hot drinks can cause a dry socket by dislodging the clot covering.

A dislodged clot exposes your gums and the extraction site to air, causing a lot of pain. Other foods to keep off while healing includes; spicy foods, chewy foods like nuts and the rest, hard candies and crunchy foods, and sticky foods.

When Can I Eat Solid Food After Wisdom Teeth? Here’s a Conclusion;

Wisdom teeth with misaligned bites need to be extracted to prevent further damage to your mouth. After the surgery, give your teeth proper care and attention to fast-track healing. So, when can I eat solid food after wisdom teeth removal?

After one or two days but try to chew food on the other side to prevent causing injury or dislodging the blood clot covering. Keep food debris off the extraction site as much as possible. Do brush and floss your teeth regularly to keep off bacteria and harmful germs in your mouth.

Healing the extraction site will depend on the attention and care you accord. If chewing hard food can cause injury, try alternatives like chicken broth or vegetable broth or a mixture of both because proteins fast-track healing. There is a list of food to avoid ensuring smooth healing and preventing complications after wisdom teeth removal. If you want, you can also take a look at this article, can I eat after getting a filling?

How Long After a Filling Can I Eat?

There are many questions when it comes to getting a filling – most of the time, it has something to do with the aftermath. What food can be eaten after getting a filling? What can be done to look after the filling? What food can be eaten as soon as you can after getting a filling?

Well, the most common question in that lineup is, “how long after a filling can I eat?” Let’s find out together, shall we?

How Long After a Filling Can I Eat

Your dentist will provide you with specific instructions on how long to wait after filling. There are a few things you will need to make sure about before eating, after all. However, you may have heard people saying you should avoid chewing for 24 hours after having a dental filling. Nothing could be further from the truth. But you should strictly adhere to specific instructions from the dentist to be safe.

So, “how long after a filling can I eat?” Don’t get mixed up; follow the dentist’s instructions on how long you can wait after having a cavity repair. The filling received may have an impact on how long you should wait. Amalgam filling, for example, takes about 24 hours to harden.

The dentist will recommend waiting for at least 24 hours before chewing on the filled area. While composite filling hardens immediately, the dentist exposes the teeth to blue UV light. And you can chew as soon as you leave your dentist’s office. But you can wait until two hours before chewing. Keep reading for what to do after getting a filling.

How Long After a Filling Can I Eat – Variables to Consider

Before eating, certain variables need to be considered, like local anaesthesia is customarily administered to reduce the pain during the filling operations. If you eat before anaesthesia fades away, it may cause you to bite your tongue or lips accidentally. This numbing agent requires you to wait for 2-3 hours to wear off. Postoperative discomfort after filling impacts your appetite.

The dentist may recommend over the counter painkillers to make you comfortable. Another variable to consider is the gum tissue near the area filled. It might take a few more days before irritation and soreness go away. So, you might not want to chew food near that area for a few more days. However, you can help your gums feel much better by rinsing with one cup of warm salt water.

Is the question, “how long after filling can I eat?” phrase still lingering in your mind? I hope the tips above helped you understand what to do after getting a filling to help you feel better as soon as possible. It’s always best to have a light meal before you even proceed with the procedure. For some, it would help to hydrate and mentally prepare for the procedure through a proper diet so you do not get hungry after getting a tooth filling or the procedure might go to waste.

“Can I eat after tooth fillings?”

Of course, you can eat after a tooth filling, it’s just a matter of how long after the tooth filling we are talking about. The difference in how long you should wait after a tooth filling depends on the filling the dentist uses, and some might take longer than 12 hours of no hard or chewable solid food. Most people would recommend soft food, nothing you need to chew.

In most cases, your dentist will be the one to recommend how long to wait to eat and what foods to eat in general. There’s no specific food you would be recommended to eat, but there will be the food you need to avoid in order to make sure it wouldn’t ruin the new tooth filling. The type of filling plays a role in determining what foods you can eat immediately and which ones you should wait to eat for a few more days.

Your dentist shall recommend the type of food you should eat and beverages to drink. So, can I eat after tooth filling? Yes, you can, but with precautions.

Caring For Your Tooth After a Filling

Whenever you get any filling, tooth sensitivity can become a huge problem. The pain and sensitivity may last for a few hours to a couple of days. However, taking precautions can help minimize discomfort. Here are a few precautions to take after having your teeth filled.

Chew gently/slowly: While chewing food, you can add an enormous amount of pressure between the teeth. But chewing slowly and gently can prevent pain and sensitivity.

Often close your mouth while chewing: When repaired teeth are exposed to air, there is a sharp pain you can experience, but it goes away as days go.

Avoid sticky foods: You must not risk dislodging the filling by eating sticky foods. It takes a while before silver fillings fully settle down.

Avoid too hot or too cold beverages: Teeth with new fillings are sensitive to too cold or too hot beverages.

Avoid sweets and hard foods like nuts or candy: Sweets can are loaded with fermentable carbohydrates that can easily combine with bacteria to cause decay around the filled area. Hard nuts or candy can damage the fillings or mechanically dislodge the fillings.

Best Food to Eat After a Filling

Scrambled eggs: Scrambled eggs for breakfast is a great option when they are not too hot. They are soft to chew and high in proteins.

Soup: The second best food to eat after filling are soup. They are easy to make and rich in nutrients your body dire need. Suppose you can add soft vegetables, the better. Make sure the soup is as smooth as possible to avoid discomfort and eat it not too hot.

Sweet and Smashed potatoes: Sweet potatoes or mashed potatoes are easy to chew and provide many nutrients for your body’s needs. Sweet potatoes have anti-inflammatory effects that prevent oral issues.

Ice cream: The next type of food you should prefer to eat after a filling is the ice cream treat. Who doesn’t like ice cream? It will make you forget about your oral discomfort for a moment as you enjoy the treat. Besides, it can help reduce natural swellings bound to occur after treatment.

Smoothies: Smoothies from fresh ripe fruits like blueberry provides antioxidants the immune system requires to prevent gum diseases. And they require no effort to digest at all.

Pasta or noodles: The two options are ideal for eating after dental treatment. Only cook them soft, so you don’t have issues while eating them.

Pancakes: If you are facing teeth sensitivity after dental operations, pancakes are always the best choice. They are comfortable and soft to eat.

Oatmeal: This is another healthy option for dinner or breakfast. To avoid problems eating oatmeal, don’t add nuts or granola and eat them when they are cooled down a bit to prevent irritation.

Salmon fish and avocado as an ingredient: Salmon fish is easy to chew, making it an ideal option after a filling. And its omega-3 fats fast track healing and reduce inflammation. Avocadoes, on the other hand, are very nutritious and delicious. While they are usually easy to eat, smashed ones are even easier to consume during recovery.

How Long After a Filling Can I Eat Conclusion

Now that you have the right answers to the question ‘how long after a filling can I eat?’ you should strictly adhere to what your dentist has directed you.

You would have to wait longer if you had amalgam filling compared to a composite filling. After the procedure, your dentist will recommend how long you should wait before eating. He or she will also recommend how long you should wait before chewing with filled teeth and the type of food you should eat.

Can I Eat Tofu Raw?

Can I Eat Tofu Raw Or Is It Unsafe?

Another name for raw tofu is bean curd. Tofu is made by coagulating soy milk, and the resulting curd is pressed to form white blocks. It has a bland taste, high in iron and calcium, making it an ideal option for marinating and seasoning a variety of dishes. The level of magnesium or protein in tofu may as well be high, depending on the type of coagulants used to manufacture. So, can I eat tofu raw? Yes, you may eat tofu raw, but first, drain water to improve the taste.

For a better elaboration of what to do; press tofu between paper towels to absorb excess water. You can do this for about 20 minutes for the best results. Or use a quick-drip bamboo tofu press designed for draining tofu if you want fast results. Tofu’s main ingredient is cooked soybeans. Therefore, you can safely eat tofu raw or as salad dressing, blend it with smoothies, or as puddings.

How To Eat Tofu Raw

Tofu can be the most incredible alternative to add protein to your dishes. Surprisingly, you can eat tofu, both cooked and uncooked. It provides vegetarian protein condensed from soybeans.

You will get about 8 grams in a hundred grams of tofu. Additional ingredients you can get from tofu include about 2g of carbohydrates, 4g of fat, and a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Now that you know what tofu can provide to your diet, you may want to learn more about eating tofu raw in eating fresh recipes because most recipes only include preparing tofu cooked – boiled, steamed or even deep-fried.

Find uncooked tofu in groceries refrigerated or not, and you can buy them in bulk, in packages or cans. You can also buy dehydrated options or hydrate them and freeze them for up to 5 months.

If you want to cook tofu, do it for less than 30 seconds. Or use them uncooked on smoothies. Tofu has less flavour on its own; it takes flavour from other ingredients to make tofu taste good, especially smoothies are a sure way to add proteins to the sweet stuff.

Raw Tofu Risks

Soybeans used to manufacture tofu are already cooked; therefore, they are safe to eat raw. However, there are risks associated with eating uncooked tofu you ought to know just in case. Rarely does eating raw tofu bring foodborne illnesses. But tofu may get contaminated while in the hands of the manufacturer through unclean equipment during production.

Pathogens may, however, get in the way of tofu if you are using the same chopping board with other foods leading to cross-contamination. It is also a risk to leave tofu in stagnant water for a long time; it may develop mould and bacteria. Can I eat tofu raw knowing that there are risks associated with eating tofu raw? You can still eat tofu raw only take the necessary precautions to avoid cross contaminations.

Signs and symptoms to look out for after eating raw tofu. They rarely occur, though, but are not worth assuming: stomach pain, headache, diarrhoea, fever, bloating, vomiting, and nausea. When you see any of these signs after consuming raw tofu, seek medical attention before it is too late.

To ensure your tofu remains safe for consumption, store them properly to prevent contamination. When you buy from the grocery, immediately refrigerate to prevent moulds and bacteria.

Leaving tofu out of refrigeration attracts pathogen-causing germs, especially when they are leftovers. Significant raw tofu risks involve leaving them unrefrigerated for a while. When preparing your tofu, use clean utensils to prevent cross-contamination. To keep raw tofu risks at bay, it calls for high hygiene when handling, and you can cook them to get rid of germs before eating.

The Taste of Raw Tofu

Are you still wondering what raw tofu tastes like? Tofu has a bland taste due to the production process that causes it to have an earthy flavour. Super sensitive people will single out the taste of soybeans while others may single out a nutty flavour. The good thing about tofu is its versatility it has. You can season and flavour tofu in many ways as you like by blending it with other ingredients as you please.

Types of Tofu

There are different types of tofu that work with different dishes and ingredients. Tofu originates from Eastern Asia prepared by coagulating soymilk and then pressed to form tofu. It has a subtle flavour making it a perfect addition to savouring and sweet dishes. Tofu is seasoned in different ways to suit specific flavours.

Tofu is nutritional health, taking into account that it is a good protein source and has a low amount of calories. Depending on the coagulants used during the manufacturing process, they can be a good source of iron, magnesium, and calcium.

We have tofu varieties ranging from extra-firm, firm, soft or silken hence picking the right tofu can become a daunting task. Nonetheless, the variety you pick depends on the type of dish you are preparing. Another important aspect worth mentioning about tofu is that the lesser the moisture content and the more protein-rich it is, the firmer it is.

Can I Eat Tofu Raw? Here’s the Conclusion;

We can conclude that it is safe to eat tofu raw or cooked except for a few reservations about uncooked tofu. So, can I eat tofu raw? Yes, there are risks associated with uncooked tofu, but they rarely happen since soybeans, the primary ingredient for making tofu, is already cooked. Cross-contamination from other foods such as raw meat is often the chief suspect that leads to tofu contamination.

To be on the safe side, make sure you refrigerate your tofu immediately when they arrive from the grocery and note that some require immediate refrigeration and those that require refrigeration after opening.

For example, packaged tofu is pasteurized to about 82 degrees Celsius to ensure they last for more than a month on the shelves. At the same time, they require to be stored at less than 8 degrees Celsius before they are distributed to make sure tofu is safe to eat when raw.

Why Is My Blood Sugar High In The Morning?

Whether you are diagnosed with diabetes or you’re a borderline diabetic, you face days when your blood sugar is high – you just know. One of the most alarming symptoms of having high blood sugar is the tiresome urge to go back to bed. This leads you to try and figure out why you are going through such symptoms, “why is blood sugar high in the morning?”

Why Is Blood Sugar High In The Morning? List Of All Factors Affecting Sugar Levels

Blood sugar control is the name of the game when it comes to managing diabetes, but what happens when you get unexpectedly high blood sugar levels in the morning? What is it that causes your blood sugar levels to rise in the morning? What can you do to control these spikes? How often you see high blood sugar in the morning depends on what you do with it. Would you like to know the answer? Then let’s explore these factors we have summed up for you.

‘Why my blood sugar is high in the morning?’ This is one of the most frequently asked questions in the medical forums on the internet. This further implies that people want to get informed about the issue. Analysis and investigations on diabetes proclaim various determinants.

The complete list of factors includes the dawn phenomenon, weather, hormones, diet and lifestyle. This article describes it straightforwardly and clearly to understand and follow.

Complete List Of Factors For High Blood Sugar In The Morning

There are many factors to consider why you have high blood sugar in the morning. Some factors help you understand your blood sugar levels better, and one of these factors is the Dawn Phenomenon. So, what is the Dawn Phenomenon?

The Dawn Phenomenon

The dawn phenomenon is the most accepted theory to answer the query,’ Why my blood sugar is high in the morning? Our body undergoes some natural hormone changes that occur during our sleep cycle.

Irrespective of being a diabetic or not, a significant shoot in the blood sugar of everyone during morning hours. Our body produces extra hormones like the growth hormone cortisol and the other one glycogen and less insulin than daytime. Conventionally, everything gets balanced by further production of insulin, thus remains unnoticed.

While in a diabetic patient, low insulin could not balance the other hormones and cause a spike in the sugar level.

However, this increase in blood sugar varies from person to person.

Eventually, no two people react to the phenomenon in the same way. Moreover, people with type1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes respond differently which is another key point about the Dawn Phenomenon.

What Are The Symptoms Of High Blood Sugar In The Morning?

Here, we must note that when the Dawn Phenomenon triggers, the following symptoms of high blood sugar in the morning may occur.

dizziness
nausea
vomiting
blurry vision
disorientation
feeling tired
intense thirst

What Is The Best Time To Check Blood Sugar In The Morning?

The most recommended and the best time to check blood sugar in the morning is before taking any meals or even anything. Accordingly, it reflects the correct diagnosis of the insulin level to control blood sugar levels that tend to increase at the night.

Ways Of Lowering Morning Blood Sugar (Without Medication)

Here are listed below a few things to be added cautiously to your daily routine to lower morning blood sugar without medication.

Having a persistent exercise routine helps you in losing weight and increasing insulin sensitivity.
Minimize carbohydrate intake.
Include more fibrous food in your meals.
Stay hydrated irrespective of the weather
Choose your plate size
Keep stress at bay
Monitor your blood sugar levels regularly
Get enough sleep at least 6-8 hours the night

What is the Reason for High Morning Blood Sugar in Non-Diabetics?

High blood sugar is not only the condition found in diabetics but also high morning blood sugar in non-diabetics is also conventional.

There can be various reasons including the dawn effect, over-snacking at the night, more carbohydrate consumption during dinner, bizarre sleep patterns, etc.

Weather

Do the weather conditions manipulate our blood sugar? Surprisingly, it is true. Extreme weather conditions, from hot to cold, can affect people with diabetes in many ways.

Extreme heat and cold can affect testing equipment and medications and negatively affect the body’s ability to produce and consume insulin.

In summer, insulin can lose strength after exposure to heat so measures can go wrong in extreme heat. It is mandatory to keep diabetes supplies away from direct sun and heat. If your blood sugar level is consistently higher than expected in the morning, it is worth considering whether your insulin may get damaged during sunlight.

In extreme winters also some people complain, ‘Why my blood sugar is high in the morning? You are at a higher risk of night sweats if your blood sugar levels cannot be monitored at night. Monitor your blood sugar as closely as possible to get away in extreme temperatures, especially in the early hours of the morning.

Other Causes For High Blood Sugar In The Morning Include

Hypertension or blood pressure
Inadequate diet and food with a high glycaemic index
Inactive Lifestyle
Inappropriate sleeping patterns

The Conclusion

We hope to deliver you the perfect answer, ‘Why my blood sugar is high in the morning?’ Important to realize to follow a treatment plan with the consultation of your doctor. For people with type 2 diabetes with the increase in insulin resistance, the disease progress rapidly.

Lifestyle adjustments like a little exercise, switching to healthy food, proper sleep, taking plenty of water, following proper medication and a close watch on your sugar and hypertension level may help to some extent in the case of type 2 diabetes. Always keep in mind that just a single portion of the junk or sweet beverages can trigger your blood sugar levels.

In addition to the above one should avoid skipping meals. Taking small healthy foods at regular intervals will do wonders for your body. Diabetes is not just a disease it is a mother of other complications. Nonetheless, essential most are to enjoy your life by taking care of yourself.

Prolonged Hyperglycemia or diabetes can take you on more risks such as heart problems, kidney failure, nerve and gum damage, etc. To possess a healthy body and mind include reading health blogs, and joining diabetes-related forums as that will connect you with other patients. Share experiences and get more valuable tips. Prepare a health log to record your daily intake of everything.

Notwithstanding, if you find a rise in the blood sugar level repeatedly. It is highly recommended to get an expert practitioner to advise. However, keep a record of your switched blood sugar levels for their reference and advice.

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