Cholesterol - What is it?

Everybody knows about cholesterol-it's bad, it builds up in you arteries and clogs them, it causes heart attacks and can be found in cheap, horrible food. But is that the truth? Is all cholesterol bad? Just as you can have too much in your system, can you have too little? Is there any benefit to your body in producing cholesterol, and what does your body use it for? Learn about cholesterol in this article, and perhaps change the way you look at both it-and your health-today.

First, what is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a soft, fat-like, waxy substance found in your bloodstream and in all your body's cells. It's natural to have cholesterol, and in fact it's an essential part of your body's functioning because it's used to produce cell membranes and some key hormones. Thus having some cholesterol in your body is crucial to survival, but the trick is to have the right amount. Too much cholesterol is called hypercholesterolemia and can lead to increased chances of having a stroke.

Where does cholesterol come from? Two main places: your body, and your food. You liver and other cells in your body produce about 75% of the cholesterol in your system, with the other 25% coming from your diet.
Are there good and bad kinds of cholesterol? Yes. Since cholesterol cannot dissolve in your blood, it has to be transported to and from your cells by carriers called lipoproteins. Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL) is considered to be 'bad' cholesterol, while High-density Lipoprotein (HDL) is considered 'good'. LDL is the kind of cholesterol that, when too much is in your bloodstream, attaches to your arteries and clogs them. Combined with other substances it can create plaque, a hard substance that narrows your arteries and makes them less flexible. This is especially dangerous if a clot forms and tries to pass through a narrowed artery and blocks it, since that will result in a heart attack.

HDL cholesterol composes about 1/3 of all your blood cholesterol, and actually seems to protect against heart attack. Having too little HDL can also raise your chances of a heart attack, so it's crucial to maintain a healthy amount in your blood stream. Medical experts think that HDL carry cholesterol away from your arteries and back to your liver, where it's passed from the body. Think of HDL as the cholesterol cleaners of your system.

The key is to watch how much trans-fat and saturated fat you eat. A healthy diet will have no trans-fat and a moderate amount of saturated fat, and the key is both moderation and knowledge. Look at the food labels of what you're eating, and check the fat levels. Monitor your total daily intake, and be sure to never eat any trans-fat at all. Educate yourself, exercise, and eat healthy, and you will be sure to maintain healthy cholesterol levels and over optimum health.

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Phil Tucker is a product review specialist for Extreme Fitness Results, LLC.