Arteries are made of a tough exterior and a soft, smooth interior.

Each artery has three specific layers:

• The outer layer.

• The middle, muscular layer.

• The inner layer.

Each layer is made up of epithelial cells. The middle layer is elastic and very strong. It helps to pump the body's blood. The inner layer is smoother and allows the blood to flow more easily.

As the heart beats, the arteries expand and get filled with blood. The heart then relaxes and produces enough force to push the blood through. In a healthy person, this system works effectively and the blood can carry oxygen and other essentials through the body.

Disease fills the arteries with fatty deposits, which becomes a dangerous obstacle to good health. High cholesterol levels fill arteries with thick, fatty substances that prevent your body from working properly. Your heart becomes starved of the required blood. When this happens you may suffer a heart attack or a stroke.

The main cause behind this heart disease is this thickening of the fatty deposits in the arteries, and the main reason behind the blocking of the arteries is precisely high levels of bad cholesterol.

This means that if you want to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, and strokes, you must keep your cholesterol level within a healthy range.

Even having borderline cholesterol levels, or bad cholesterol levels that are high but not considered "too bad", can increase your chances of heart disease or stroke. No matter what your current health is, eating better food and getting exercise can help keep you healthy.

Consider this: Heart disease is one of the leading fatalities in North America. Lowering your cholesterol levels through a heart-healthy diet and exercise routine is one of the best ways to prevent heart disease.

Why wouldn’t you want to take the simple steps which are necessary to lower your cholesterol and enjoy a better and possibly longer life?

Click here for information about Foods for Lowering Cholesterol