America's number one killers are heart disease and strokes. Both of these can be caused by clogged arteries that carry blood from the heart and to the brain. When an artery to the heart becomes clogged it can cause heart attack, and when an artery to the brain becomes clogged, the result is a stroke.

So, just how do arteries get clogged? Arteries get clogged with plaque. Plaque is created when LDL cholesterol that is circulating in the blood becomes oxidizes and hardens. This hard substance narrows the walls of the arteries and reduces blood flow.

This is why doctors suggest that we monitor our LDL cholesterol levels and keep them under control. The lower the amount of circulating cholesterol in the blood, the less of this substance there is to harden into plaque.

There is also another type of cholesterol, known as HDL cholesterol. This form of cholesterol is known as good cholesterol because it actually carries away LDL cholesterol to the liver, where it can pass out of the body. This is why we should have high levels of HDL cholesterol. However, when our levels of LDL cholesterol are high, our HDL levels are typically low.

Dietary cholesterol comes from animals and animal products. Eating a diet that's low in saturated fat and cholesterol; avoiding things like butter, egg yolks and red meat, can help lower your LDL levels considerably. When you eat fat, make sure it's the kind that raises your HDL levels, by including olive oil, canola oil and nuts in your diet.

Your cholesterol level is also affected by your heredity. Some families just have higher cholesterol than others, regardless of how much they watch their diet. If you fall into this category, you may need medication in addition to a healthy diet to get your cholesterol numbers in line.

But, it seems that there's another way to help fight heart disease. Drinking green tea also seems an effective way to prevent heart disease. Some studies have shown that high levels of the anti-oxidant EGCG, which is found in large quantities in green tea, have the power to prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidizing. When the cholesterol doesn't oxidize, it doesn't harden and stick to arterial walls. So, even if your LDL cholesterol levels are high, green tea may prevent them from doing damage to your arteries.

One study, reported by the UK Tea Council also showed that green tea may have the ability to lower our triglyceride numbers, which also may reduce heart disease.

Triglycerides are a kind of fat that is carried through your bloodstream in packages called lipoproteins. They also make up the majority of the fat that's stored in your fat tissue. Lipoproteins that are rich in triglycerides are also rich in cholesterol, which has been shown to contribute to heart disease. High triglycerides are often a sign of high cholesterol.

When triglyceride levels are lowered, there are fewer of these lipoproteins circulating in your blood, which in turn means that there's less LDL cholesterol circulating, too.

So, how can you get your daily green tea? Well, this is actually the easy part. Green tea is readily available and inexpensive. It's available in loose form and tea bag form and can even be found bottled for convenience. Most doctors recommend beginning by consuming about 3 cups of green tea each day. This should be enough to help you control your cholesterol levels.

There are some other things you should do to help fight heart disease. First, be sure your diet is healthy. Lower your level of saturated fats and increase the number of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Many fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of anti-oxidants, just like green tea. These are very important to your diet because all forms of anti-oxidants fight free radicals.

Free radicals are oxygen containing molecules that are produced as a by product of our digestive process. These molecules can damage our cells and DNA, leading to disease, if left unchecked. So, anti-oxidants play a vital role in our health by neutralizing the free radicals before they can damage our bodies.

You should also be sure to get plenty of exercise. Most doctors recommend 30 minutes of walking most days a week. Exercise will help strengthen your body, lower your cholesterol and help you shed excess weight, which is also critical to managing heart disease.

Smoking is also a significant risk factor for heart disease. So, if you smoke, you should stop. There are many excellent programs and medications available today to help you stop smoking.

Heart disease is a frightening health concern, and is killing more Americans each year. Do your part to ensure that heart disease is not a health concern for you. Eat right, exercise and be sure not to smoke. And, don't forget that cup of green tea. It may be the simplest thing you can do to prevent heart disease.