Understanding Cholesterol - Some Basic Facts

For quite a long time, cholesterol has been associated with the development of heart diseases and is therefore cast in a very bad light. Since its connection with heart diseases has been established, some people start avoiding it like the plague! As a result, lowering a person's cholesterol levels became a favorite topic among just about every newspaper and magazine in the country. The topic has been wildly popular as the American public devours the bits and pieces of these stories hungrily. But is cholesterol really that bad? Let us take a closer look to learn more about this allegedly deadly substance.

What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is produced primarily in the liver. Despite all the bad reputation surrounding cholesterol, this substance has a definite use in your body. Cholesterol facilitates the building and maintenance of cell membranes, aids in the digestive process and in the proper functioning of the sex hormones, among others. High concentrations of this substance can be found in different major organs of the body such as the brains, nerves, liver, blood and bile.

There are two types of cholesterol that can be found in the body- the low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) and the high-density lipoproteins (HDLs).

LDLs gained the reputation of being the "bad cholesterol". This type of cholesterol comes mostly from the foods we eat - specifically from foods of animal origin. The body has no use for LDLs so they just end up clogging our arteries, thereby leading to the development of various heart diseases.

HDLs, on the other hand, are the nemesis of LDLS and are aptly called the "good cholesterol". HDLs facilitate the removal of the harmful LDLs by "shuttling" it out of the body. So, the higher the HDL levels and the lower the LDL levels in a person's body, the lesser the risk of developing these deadly heart diseases! However, after traveling through the bloodstream, HDLs return to the liver and are converted into the harmful LDLs. Why and how often HDLs undergo this transition is still unknown even up to this time.

Now that you know how LDLs lead to the development of heart diseases, you must also recognize the importance of keeping a healthy balance between these two types of cholesterol. Since the majority of harmful LDLs come from our diet, it is important that you start to realize the role of your diet in controlling the disease.

Factors That Raise Your Body's Cholesterol Levels - There are 4 factors that can play a significant role in raising your body's cholesterol levels - eating animal-based food products, sugar, alcohol and stress. By now, you must already be aware how eating animal-based food products can raise your body's cholesterol levels. Researchers have also established the connection between an excessive intake of sugar and alcohol as well as undue stress with your body's cholesterol levels. It was observed that each of these three factors could prompt the body to produce more natural cholesterol thereby increasing your body's overall cholesterol levels.

We all need cholesterol to keep our body functioning optimally on a daily basis. But we should keep in mind that we must always try to maintain it at a safe level to minimize the risks of developing these deadly heart diseases.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Cholesterol [cholesterol-guided.com]