Cholesterol is naturally produced by the body and is a combination of lipid (fat) and steroid. It is necessary for the production of cell membranes and for hormones like estrogen and testosterone. Most cholesterol is produced in the liver, about 80%, the rest comes from our diet. The main sources of dietary cholesterol are meat, dairy products, and poultry. Organ meats contain very high levels of cholesterol. Dietary cholesterol is absorbed in the intestines and stored in the liver. The liver regulates cholesterol levels in the blood stream and will secrete cholesterol if it is needed by the body.
The different types of cholesterol:
LDL, often referred to as "bad" cholesterol, is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. Because elevate levels of LDL lipoprotein deposits cholesterol on the artery walls, causing the formation of a hard, thick substance called plaque. Over time, plaque causes atherosclerosis, a thickening of the artery walls and narrowing of the arteries which often leads to heart attacks or strokes.
HDL, often referred to as "good cholesterol" because HDL lipoproteins helps prevent atherosclerosis by removing plaque from the artery walls and eliminating them through the liver.
Therefore, high levels of HDL and low levels of LDL lowers your risk of atherosclerosis while high levels of LDL and low levels of HDL increase your risk of atherosclerosis.
There are numerous health risks associated with high LDL cholesterol levels. These health risks include: high blood pressure, heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, angina, stroke and diabetes. Lowering your LDL levels and increasing your HDL levels can play a major role in lowering your risk of developing these diseases.
Total cholesterol is the sum of LDL (low density lipoproteins) cholesterol, HDL (high density lipoproteins) cholesterol, VLDL (very low density lipoproteins) cholesterol and IDL (intermediate density lipoproteins) cholesterol. The only way to find out your cholesterol levels is through a blood cholesterol test.
Risk Factors
Heredity can have a significant influence on a person's LDL, HDL and total cholesterol levels. Familial hypercholesterolemia is a common inherited disorder whose victims have a diminished number of LDL receptors on the surface of liver cells. Often, people with this disorder will develop atherosclerosis and experience heart attacks during early adulthood.
Diets plays a major role in determining a person's risk of developing high cholesterol. Diets rich in saturated fats and high cholesterol foods increase LDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Saturated fats are derived mainly from meat, dairy products and some vegetable oils.
Gender and age also play major roles in determining our risk of having high cholesterol levels. Cholesterol levels rise as we age. Women tend to have lower cholesterol levels than men of the same age until the age of 50. After the age of 50, women often have higher total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.
High cholesterol is a risk that is simply not worth taking. It is important to take control of your diet, eliminate tobacco products, be active and do what you can to relieve stress to help keep cholesterol levels in a healthy range.
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