What is Cholesterol Used For and Why Do You Need It?

Cholesterol. It is often treated as a dirty word, something to avoid, an ugly monster that hurts your body. We hear everyday about one medication or another that can help get fight high cholesterol or how cholesterol can cause heart attach, stroke and even death. We are taught to be afraid of cholesterol and evil ways. But what is cholesterol used for?

If all of this is true, why do our bodies have cholesterol at all? Cholesterol is used in the body for several purposes. It helps to break down and digest fatty substances, it helps to regulate hormone production, and it aids in regulation glucose levels in the blood. Cholesterol is not bad for the body unless the amount of cholesterol is too high, too low, or out of balance in another way.

There are two different types of cholesterol, Low Density Lipoproteins and High Density Lipoproteins. LDL is typically called bad cholesterol but does help the body all areas that cholesterol works. It attaches itself to fatty deposits and breaks them down to allow for easy digestion and flushing of the intestines. It helps to break down sugar in the blood so the body can absorb it. It also helps the body produce serotonin, estrogen and progesterone, and testosterone.

The problem lies in having an excess amount of LDL, which can itself to the walls of arteries and cause blockages in the bloodstream or produce clots that can be carried through the body and cause oxygen deprivation to vital organs. HDL cholesterol helps to regulate the amount of LDL. HDL molecules can attach to LDL molecules, break them down and carry them to the intestines to be either absorbed in a healthy manner to flushed from your body entirely. However, if LDL levels become too high in relation to HDL levels, the body cannot fully regulate and cholesterol is considered out of balance. When this happens, treatments related to diet, exercise, medications and natural supplements are used to help the body process and regulate cholesterol levels.

Optimum counts for cholesterol levels are 180-220 total, with LDL under 100 and HDL over 50. These numbers create the best balance for the body to keep itself regulated and arteries clear. While numbers will vary from person to person based on genetics and diet, there are target numbers and should be kept in mind the next time you talk to your doctor about your cholesterol.

Cholesterol is not bad in and of itself, and the next time you hear someone ask, What it actually is used for, you will be ready with an answer.

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