subject: Causes Of Lowering Cholesterol [print this page] Cholesterol is a chemical compound that is physically produced by the body and is a mixture of lipid (fat) and steroid. And also it is a structuring block for cell membranes and for hormones like estrogen and testosterone. About 80% of the body's cholesterol is formed by the liver, while the rest comes from our diet. Dietary cholesterol comes mostly from meat, poultry, fish, and dairy products. Organ meats, such as liver, are particularly high in cholesterol content, while foods of plant origin include no cholesterol. After a meal, dietary cholesterol is captivated from the intestine and stored in the liver. The liver is able to normalize cholesterol levels in the blood stream and can secrete.
LDL cholesterol is considered bad" cholesterol, for it is connected with an amplified risk of coronary heart disease. The formation of a hard, thick substance called cholesterol plaque is the effect of depositing cholesterol on the artery walls made by LDL lipoprotein. Atherosclerosis is the process wherein the cholesterol plaque causes thickening of the artery walls and narrowing of the arteries.
On the other hand, HDL cholesterol is known to be the good cholesterol because HDL cholesterol particles avoid atherosclerosis by extracting them from the artery walls and disposing them through the liver. Hence, high levels of LDL cholesterol and low levels of HDL cholesterol (high LDL/HDL ratios) are hazard factors for atherosclerosis, while low levels of LDL cholesterol and high level of HDL cholesterol (low LDL/HDL ratios) are enviable.
The total cholesterol is actually the sum of LDL (low density) cholesterol, HDL (high density) cholesterol, VLDL (very low density) cholesterol, and IDL (intermediate density) cholesterol.
It is the liver which produces and squirts LDL cholesterol into the blood. It also eliminates LDL cholesterol from the blood by dynamic LDL receptors on the surface of its cells. A lessen number of liver cell LDL receptors are coupled with high LDL cholesterol blood levels. In cooperation with heredity and diet have major influence on ones LDL, HDL and total cholesterol levels. Just like for instance, familial hypercholesterolemia is a common inherited disorder whose victims have a weakened number or nonexistent LDL receptors on the surface of liver cells. Citizens with this disorder also are apt to build up atherosclerosis and heart attacks during early adulthood.
Those diets that are high in saturated fats and cholesterol hoist the levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood of individuals. Saturated and unsaturated are the two classifications of fats. Saturated fats are mostly taken from meat and dairy products that can cause to increase blood cholesterol levels. Other vegetable oils made from coconut, palm, and cocoa are also high in saturated fats.
