WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL?

WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL?

Cholesterol may be a waxy, fat-like substance that's created within the body by the liver.
Cholesterol forms a part of each cell within the body and serves several important functions.

Our bodies need cholesterol to:
• Maintain healthy cell walls 

• build hormones (the body's chemical messengers) 

• build D 

• build digestive fluid acids, that aid in fat digestion

Sometimes, however, our bodies build a lot of steroid alcohol than we actually would like, and this excess steroid alcohol circulates within the blood.
High levels of steroid alcohol within the blood will clog blood vessels and increase the danger for heart condition and stroke.

• Our bodies will build an excessive amount of steroid alcohol after we eat an excessive amount of saturated fat - the type of fat found in animal-based foods like meat and dairy farm merchandise.

• additionally, to creating steroid alcohol, we tend to additionally get a little share of our body's steroid alcohol from the foods we tend to eat.
Only animal-based foods like meat, eggs, and dairy farm merchandise contain steroid alcohol.
Plant foods like fruits, vegetables, and grains don't contain steroid alcohol.

The Different Types Of Cholesterol

There are different kinds of sterol - and not all sterol is harmful.

• LDL (or LDL) sterol could be an unhealthy kind of sterol that's possible to clog blood vessels, increasing your risk for cardiopathy.

• HDL (or HDL) sterol could be a sensible kind of sterol.
HDL cholesterol helps clear the LDL cholesterol out of the blood and reduces your risk for cardiopathy.

Facts About Cholesterol

• More than one-half of American adults have blood cholesterol levels that are too high. 

• Lowering your cholesterol level has a double payback: For every one percent you lower your blood cholesterol level, you reduce your risk for heart disease by two percent. 

• Even if you already have heart disease, lowering your cholesterol levels will significantly reduce your risk for death and disability. 

• As blood cholesterol exceeds 220 ml/dl (milligrams per deciliter, which are the units in which blood cholesterol is measured in the United States), the risk for heart disease increases at a more rapid rate. • All adults should have their blood cholesterol level measured at least once every five years. 

• The liver makes most of the cholesterol in our bodies-only a small percentage comes from food. But the more saturated fat we eat, the more cholesterol our bodies make. 

• Most people can bring down their blood cholesterol levels without medication by changing the way they eat and by becoming more active. 

• Only animal foods contain cholesterol; plant foods do not contain cholesterol. 

• A medium egg contains about 213 milligrams of cholesterol, a three-ounce portion of lean red meat or skinless chicken contains about 90 milligrams of cholesterol, and a three-ounce portion of fish contains about 50 milligrams of cholesterol.