1. Our body needs cholesterol. Cholesterol in the body is an important substance, which is needed for cell membranes and the production of hormones. But we need to control levels of cholesterol in our body, as with the intake of unhealthy and fat foods we collect too much cholesterol, which our body finds hard to regulate.
2. Where do we get cholesterol? The body makes the cholesterol it needs. The more we “bring” it along with the food the less the body makes it. So, cholesterol levels are controlled automatically. But body stops regulating the process as soon as it is overloaded with fat and carbs.
3. There are 2 main types of cholesterol. As I mentioned previously, cholesterol is needed for our body. It is being transported by lipoproteins. There are low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL (or “bad” lipoprotein) transports cholesterol from liver to other parts of the body, HDL (or “good” lipoprotein) takes excess cholesterol away and carries it back to the liver to be excreted. These two types of lipids, along with triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol, make up your total cholesterol count, which can be determined through a blood test.
4. Bad cholesterol increases risk of heart diseases. LDL is called a “bad” lipoprotein as carries mostly fat and only a small amount of protein from the liver to other parts of the body. Too much of LDL makes cholesterol level high and is considered as a “bad cholesterol” situation. If there’s too much of LDL it can form clots on the artery walls. A high LDL cholesterol level is considered a risk factor for coronary artery disease (CAD) because such clots can narrow the arteries lumen and may eventually block blood flow to brain, heart and other parts of the body.
5. Increasing “good” cholesterol can be more helpful than reducing “bad cholesterol”. That is because high levels of HDL (or the “good” lipoprotein) appear to help protect against heart disease. It can remove some of the cholesterol that is already attached to the artery walls by LDL. If you are at risk of heart disease you might be advised to increase levels of “good” cholesterol
In the next post, dedicated to cholesterol, I will write different methods on how to raise HDL level and how do reduce LDL levels.
In the next post, dedicated to cholesterol, I will write different methods on how to raise HDL level and how do reduce LDL levels.
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