Diabetes And High Cholesterol Levels Diabetes is a chronic disease which can have many side effects. The illness (usually) comes about as a result of the pancreas not creating sufficient insulin, which you need to deal with the sugar level in your blood. Having diabetes, or too much glucose in your blood can have dire consequences such as cataracts (treatable blindness), bad teeth and an increased danger of common infections. However what many people do not comprehend is that there is a connection between high cholesterol levels and diabetes. This link is called macular edema and it affects eyesight. If you have diabetes and elevated cholesterol levels, you ought to be paying particular attention to your eating habits in order to avert macular edema Macular edema is frequently a painful, non-reversible form of blindness. If you are uncertain 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 important. HDL cholesterol is often called 'good cholesterol' and LDL cholesterol is known as bad cholesterol. It is vital to have LDL because it helps in the generation of bile and vitamin D and it helps regulate hormones, but too much of it can furr up arteries and cause heart issues. HDL is 'good' because it mops up LDL and takes it back to the liver where it is disposed of. Those are the two main levels. You would be forgiven for thinking that it is best to have as much HDL as you can, and this is a fact, to a large extent, because you do need LDL as well, but the combined of both of these levels is also important. You must not have a high level of both combined either. The other reason why these levels are more relevant to diabetics is because diabetics with a high level of LDL run roughly three times more risk of getting macular edema than non-diabetics. Therefore the danger of high cholesterol for diabetics is imperative. This is such a serious problem that diabetics are advised to check their cholesterol levels very frequently. The good news is that diabetics will already be watching their food and the low cholesterol diet is pretty similar and is simple to integrate into your current regime. The foods that you should avoid to reduce your LDL cholesterol level include saturated fats like those that are found in red meat and dairy products like full-fat milk, butter, cream and cheese. It is also to be found in trans and hydrogenated fats, which are present in junk foodstuffs and cheap margarine.
The foods to eat in order to raise your level of HDL are in essence mono- and polyunsaturated fats, vegetarian foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, soya products, fish, nuts and grains, particularly whole grains. Roughage and fibre are what you ought to be searching for. Fish and olive oil are also good in the battle against LDL cholesterol. Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on a number of topics, and is now involved with 500 Delicious Diabetic Recipes. If you would like to know more, please visit our website at Easy Diabetic Meals