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Show Fitness Tips than about the appropriate threshold for action. Two major points gleaned from the data seem to be important at this time. First, the major determinant of cholesterol levels in otherwise normal people is the ' "'i1 .iMoimi ot fat eaten. Therefore the most poweihu i u. reduce cholesterol levels is to reduce the amount of fat in the diet. Fats, incidentally, are far more important than the amount of cholesterol eaten, By Dr. Dale Nelson Utah State University Vitamin C, oftentimes controversial, comes into focus again in a study reported in the February, 1981 Journal of Human Nutrition. Over half of a group of elderly heart-disease heart-disease sufferers proved to be deficient in vitamin C. Their HDL cholesterol (considered protective against disease) was also found to be low. aware that the American diet includes too much salt, which, over the long haul, is bad for many over-consumers. over-consumers. A 1980 Mineral and Electrolyte Metabolism report indicates that excess salt apparently removes calcium from the blood via the urine which, in turn, forces the body to replace this calcium by borrowing it from the bones - a situation that could lead to osteoporosis (softening of strange as it may seem. Second in importance is the type of fat eaten. Most animal fats are "saturated" fats and that is the V'r you should reduce ii your diet. Since meat is both i. in total fat and in saturated fat, the answer becomes obvious. Cut way back on meat consumption and cat more leaner meats, such as fish and fowl. Also, reduce the amount of dairy fat by switching from whole mile to skim milk, limit the use of cream, and substitute margarine for butter. None of this is new, but it is reassuring as all of the evidence accumulates and we look at the data. Daily doses of one gram of vitamin C subsequently improved the HDL cholesterol condition, for whatever this is worth. The author concluded that "latent ascorbic acid" (vitamin C) deficiency may be one of several preventable heart disease risk factors. Incidentally, aerobic, exercise and even small amounts of alcohol also improve the HDL cholesterol ratio. At any rate, the improvement of HDL cholesterol amounts seems to be a significant consideration. Too Much Salt Most people should be the bones) in people whose . calcium intakes are low. Parenthetically, if your milk and cheese intake is low, you are very much in danger of calcium deficiency. The chain of circumstantial evidence linking cholesterol in the blood with heart disease is strong and consistent. So, why the confusion? Dr. Donald Bcrwich, a pediatrician and health practice analyst for the Harvard School of Public Health, has addressed the question and says that the underlying debate about cholesterol is really less about the evidence available |