subject: What cholesterol does within the body [print this page] What cholesterol does within the body What cholesterol does within the body
Quite a lot has been written about cholesterol and the way it can affect out health, but a lot of us remain confused regarding what cholesterol actually does. Just about everybody understands that high cholesterol is bad for you because of the links to heart disease we are always reading about.
But in reality cholesterol is an important element of general health. Cholesterol is a waxy steroid that is synthesized by animals and humans, and it is transported around the body by the bloodstream. Fruit and vegetables don't contain cholesterol; it is only found in animal foods.
Cholesterol is acquired in two differnt ways; your body produces some cholesterol in the liver and the rest comes from animal products you eat including meat, poultry, fish, eggs, butter, cheese, and whole milk. It often surprises people when they learn how the body's own cholesterol production is often 3 times that provided by the food in our diet.
What is the function of cholesterol?
Cholesterol exists in the outer layer of each cell in the human body and has many functions. However, there are actually two kinds of cholesterol, just one of which is bad for you.
The "bad guys" - low-density lipoprotein, or LDL-Cholesterol, is often referred to as 'bad cholesterol' and is the substance that carries "building materials" to wherever they are needed within the body. Unfortunately, we sometimes make too much LDL cholesterol but it still gets carried around via the bloodstream.
The "good guys" - high-density lipoprotein or HDL-cholesterol is the "healthy" kind since it acts like a scavenger collecting any excess LDL cholesterol in the blood and removing it safely.
Excess LDL cholesterol can line the arteriel walls with deposits that form plaque and restrict the bloodflow. Plaque deposits within the artery walls can, if left untreated, break off and cause blockages which sometimes result in a heart attack or stroke when they interfere with blood flow to the heart or brain.
Properly balanced levels of cholesterol are a necessary part of a healthy body as cholesterol is needed to produce cell membranes and certain hormones, and cholesterol plays an important role in other bodily functions as well. This is why learning what cholesterol does and how it may be controlled is so crucial for general health.
How can cholesterol levels be managed effectively?
High cholesteroo is not a disease but a condition that can have some very serious consequences for health. There are very rarely any clear symptoms of high cholesterol; the ones that may be indicators are usually signs of another condition.
Because it is so hard to spot you should make sure to get your cholesterol levels checked regularly. A 5 year checkup for people over 25 and an annual check up for those over 40 or in a higher risk category is what the American Heart Association recommends. So schedule a physician's appointment and give yourself the most effective defence against the risks of high cholesterol.
