Your body needs some cholesterol because it's used to form cell membranes, hormones, and helps with multiple needed functions. However, having too much cholesterol in your blood is very bad for you. It can be described as a waxy, soft substance. It can't break down in the bloodstream, so when there is too much it can cause congestion and blockage in a the arteries. It it the cause of major health risks that factor into coronary heart disease, which can lead to a heart attack.
Cholesterol is found among the fats in the bloodstream, which are also called lipids, and in all of the cells in your body. Neither Lipids or cholesterol can dissolve in the blood, so the body has special carriers called lipoprotiens to move them to and from individual cells. There are several different kinds of lipoprotiens, but the most important to know about are HDL and LDL, which stand for high-density lipoprotien and low density lipoprotien.
LDL cholesterol is the primary cholesterol carrier in the body. When too much circulated through the blood, it slowly causes a buildup on the walls of the arteries. Along with other substances found in the bloodstream, this buildup can become a dense, thick plaque which can interfere with blood pumping smoothly to feed the heart and brain. A clot that forms near the buildup of plaque can create enough of a blockage to cause a heart attack. Similarly, if a clot forms that blocks the blood flow to the brain, a stroke can be the result. That's why LDL cholesterol is looked at as the "bad" kind of cholesterol. A person with a high amount of LDL cholesterol in the body ( 160 mg/dL or higher ) has a much greater chance of having a stroke or heart attack than a person with a lower level of LDL cholesterol.
Conversely, HDL cholesterol is known as the "good" kind of cholesterol. A high level of HDL cholesterol seems to protect against heart attacks and strokes. The effects of different kinds of cholesterol are a subject of much scientific research, but experts tend to concur that HDL carries cholesterol back to the liver, where it's processed and passed out of the body. Some scientists think that it's function may be to remove excess cholesterol from plaques in the arteries, thus slowing and managing their development. Having a low level of HDL cholesterol ( less than 50mg/dL in women, or less than 40mg/dL in men ) can mean a much greater potential to develop the conditions that create heart attacks, strokes, and other serious medical problems.
The body produces some cholesterol naturally, mostly in the liver. We also get cholesterol from the foods we eat, particularly foods that come from animals. Vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains don't contain cholesterol. Foods like dairy products, fish, meat, poultry and eggs contain various levels of cholesterol. The body generally makes all the cholesterol it needs, so we don't really need to consume it in our diets. At the same time, other nutrients come from those foods that we do need, so a proper balance should be maintained. Saturated fatty acids and trans fats are the primary culprits in raising LDL cholesterol levels. Developing eating habits that get you the proper nutrients while lowering the intake of trans and saturated fats is a good idea for better health.
Learning more about healthy nutrition is one way to manage the effect of cholesterol on your body. Regular exercise is another way to improve your health and reduce the associated problems caused by too much cholesterol. Regular physical activity tends to increase HDL cholesterol in some people, and can also help the body in many other ways such as helping to control weight and have a higher level of energy. There are also some dietary supplements that are shown to help promote healthy cholesterol levels that are worth looking into. Talking to your health care professionals about your concerns is a good idea, as well as continuing to learn more on your own.
For more information about HDL and LDL cholesterol, please visit vasacor.com vasacor.com.
Article by Victoria Fox, freelance writer, musician and composer.
Further resources at: cholesterol-reduction.org cholesterol-reduction.org/
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