The average lifespan of a Nigerian is currently about 55 years, as compared to 67 years for Kenyans and 78 years for Americans. In fact, the life expectancy for Nigerians is the lowest in West Africa. This appallingly low figure can be partly attributed to sudden death from heart attacks and stroke, which is usually caused by high cholesterol. High cholesterol usually has no obvious symptoms; however it can be detected in blood tests. Many times, the only way to find out is when it is too late.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is found in your blood. Your body needs some cholesterol to build cells, make hormones, make vitamin D and protect the nerves from damage. Cholesterol is made by your liver, and your body also gets cholesterol directly through certain foods. When the level of cholesterol in your blood becomes higher than normal, it can cause fatty deposits to develop in the blood, making it difficult for the blood to move freely through your arteries. Sometimes, these fatty deposits can break off suddenly, form a clot and cause a heart attack or stroke.
Cholesterol is made up of High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) or “good’ cholesterol, and Low Density Lipoprotein or “bad” cholesterol. The good cholesterol helps to protect you from developing heart disease while the bad cholesterol is what contributes to the cause of heart disease. Ideally you want to have a high amount of HDL cholesterol and a low amount of LDL cholesterol.
In the early 1980’s high cholesterol was very rare in Nigeria. It was prevalent in only 5 percent of the population. Currently, the global prevalence is 39 percent while the prevalence in healthy Nigerian adults is about 60 percent. That is more than half of the adult population, and the prevalence is much higher in diabetic and hypertensive patients.
High cholesterol can run in the family. If your parents or your close relatives had high cholesterol, chances are you also may be at risk for developing high cholesterol.
However, the main cause of cholesterol is the result of living an unhealthy lifestyle and eating a poor diet. In Nigeria, we have moved from a highly active agrarian based lifestyle to a sedentary one. Additionally, the rapid urbanization and the introduction of western foods such as bread, milk, sugar, processed foods, sweets, pastries, spaghetti, soft drinks and more, have also contributed to the development of high cholesterol especially in the urban population.
Finally, the average Nigerian has easier access to high cholesterol containing animal protein such as red meat, dairy and high carbohydrate foods. The other factors that increase your risk of high cholesterol are obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, drinking of alcohol, having diabetes and being of an older age.
The complications of high cholesterol may be quite severe. Having high cholesterol over time can cause your arteries to from plaques and harden in a condition called atherosclerosis. This can lead to chest pain, coronary artery disease, heart attack and stroke.
High cholesterol can be prevented, treated and even reversed as it is a lifestyle disease. Our healthcare system in Nigeria is still quite underdeveloped and so we as citizens need to take control of our health and try as much as possible to prevent disease in general.
Early detection and treatment is crucial because heart surgery to fix blocked arteries is still in its infancy in Nigeria. Nigerian adults above the age of 17 are encouraged to do a fasting lipid profile test once a year or more if you already have any of the risk factors. If high cholesterol is detected, there are certain medications and dietary changes that can help.
In addition, we are encouraged to going back to eating a diet that is similar to that of our ancestors which consisted of a lot of fruits, vegetables, ancient indigenous grains and less of animal protein. Engage in moderate exercise at least 30 minutes a day, lose weight, quit smoking and avoid or greatly minimize alcohol. Start on a supplement that contains high levels of Omega 3’s and Omega 7’s to help improve HDL levels in the blood.
Additionally, by doing a 3 week detox of drinking green vegetable smoothies throughout the day, you can make your bad cholesterol to drop quickly to safe levels. Blend together ugwu leaves spinach, broccoli, kale, cucumbers, fruits and avocadoes, coconuts and drink it several times a day as your main source of nutrition for three weeks. Here is to good health!
Contributor
Tobi Ayodele Keeney
Managing Director Quincy Herbals
Email address: [email protected]
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