Cholesterol is really a confusing subject. We are all told to watch our cholesterol. But do you realize that cholesterol is an essential element needed as a building block of cell walls, sex hormones, the brain, and even the juices that digest fat?
The cells in our body actually extract cholesterol from the blood as it is needed and if there is any left the liver helps the body excrete it.
So why the concern about cholesterol? Our body makes all the cholesterol we need to be healthy. The problem comes when our diets are overloaded with saturated and trans fats that is found in meat, dairy and some processed foods. The liver turns that excess fat into excess cholesterol. We also take in cholesterol from some foods (like eggs) but high blood levels of cholesterol is mostly a result of eating an excess of the wrong kinds of fats, not dietary cholesterol.
OK – now comes in LDL (low-density lipoprotein). When cholesterol is sent into the bloodstream it needs to hook up with a fat-transporting protein – LDL. So the more harmful the fats, the more cholesterol produced and the more LDL needed to transport it. So when you have a high LDL, it is because you are taking in too much of the wrong kinds of fats. And too much of this (LDL) can result in the formation of plaques.
So what is HDL? This helps shuttle cholesterol out of the body. These lipoproteins carry cholesterol from other parts of the body back to the liver and out of the body. HDL helps keep cholesterol from building up in the walls of the arteries and acts as an anti-inflammatory that reduces the likelihood of clots and dilates the blood vessels.
Then there are triglycerides. When you take in more calories than you need, the excess is turned into triglycerides and stored in the fat cells for later use. So if you consistently eat more than you need – you may have high triglycerides.
There are many things you can do ‘naturally’ to have healthy cholesterol numbers. My next post will give you some steps to take to work on getting good cholesterol numbers.
