So what is Cholesterol? It’s a soft, waxy substance found among the fats in your body. Your body needs it because it’s used to form cell membranes, some hormones, as well as having other functions. But a high level of cholesterol in the blood is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease.

Cholesterol and other fats can’t dissolve in the blood. They have to be transported to and from the cells by special carriers called lipoproteins. There are several kinds, but the ones to focus on are low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL).

The low density lipoprotein (LDL) is the main carrier of cholesterol in the blood. If there is too much LDL cholesterol it can accumulate and can block the walls of the atreries which provide oxygen to the heart and brain. Cholesterol with other substances form a plaque which hardens blocking the flow of blood.

A condition described as artherosclerosis. What happens is a blood clot forms where the flow is constricted and can lead to heart attack. If the clot happens restricting blood flow to the brain this can cause a stroke.

Between one-third to one-fourth of blood cholesterol is carried by HDL.Medical experts think HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it’s passed from the body.

Scientific studies have demonstrated that HDL removes excess build up of cholesterol from these plaques. We are told that because of this HDL cholesterol is ‘good’ cholesterol as it appears to reduce the risk of heart attacks.

There are 2 ways in which cholesterol is created. Most significant is the liver (amongst other organs) produces around 1,000 mg on a daily basis.

You’ll find cholesterol in many different food products. Foods from animals and animal products contain cholesterol in differing amounts where as foods from plants do not contain cholesterol.

We do not need to consume cholesterol as our body produces all it needs to function normally. The highest levels of cholesterol are found in Saturated fats and the other fat often associated with fast food trans fats or trans fatty acids. Excess consumption of these unwanted fats can often lead to serious heart problems and even heart attacks.

But dietary cholesterol also plays a part. The average American man consumes about 337 milligrams of cholesterol a day; the average woman, 217 milligrams.

A proportion of the additional cholesterol in the diet is broken down by the liver. But the experts at the American Heart Association suggest that a safer level is around 300 millgrams or less daily and if suffering from heart disease this should be even lower at 200 mg or less.

Still, everyone should remember that by keeping their dietary intake of saturated fats low, they can significantly lower their dietary cholesterol intake. Foods high in saturated fat generally contain substantial amounts of dietary cholesterol.

People with severe high blood cholesterol levels may need an even greater reduction. Since cholesterol is in all foods from animal sources, care must be taken to eat no more than six ounces of lean meat, fish and poultry per day and to use fat-free and low-fat dairy products. It’s also a good idea to substitute animal sources of protein with high-quality proteins from vegetable sources such as beans.

WARNING: If you are unsure of your cholesterol level have it checked by your medical practitioner or you can buy a home test kit.

 

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