What You Must Understand Regarding High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is technically known as lipids or fats. It resembles a waxy powder which looks like candle wax shavings. It is light yellow in color. All animals require cholesterol to survive. Lipids provide chemical energy as fuel for the cells that make up our body. And it is responsible for the protective shell or membrane for cells. It is even essential for digestion and absorption of nutrients from food.
Cholesterol is vital for our sex hormones, testosterone and estrogen, and for vitamin D. Cholesterol is so vital that our body regulates it so closely that if you did not consume enough dietary cholesterol, your body would make all it needs by itself. Your liver has the ability to change fats, sugars and proteins into cholesterol for its needs.
Various types of Lipoproteins.
Your bloodstream is the vehicle which delivers cholesterol and other lipids to every cell in the body. Because lipids and blood don't easily mix well, the body knows to wrap protein around cholesterol particles making it easy to flow through the bloodstream. This is where the term lipoprotein gets its name. Your bloodstream carries many different sizes of lipoproteins which are categorized depending on the density or fat composition. More fat equals lower density. Less fat and more protein indicates higher density. There are actually 4 different fat containing particles in the blood. HDL or high density lipoproteins have the least amount of fat (and triglycerides) and high protein. The largest and least dense is something called chylomicrons that contain the most fat; specifically triglycerides. The other 2 are LDL or low density lipoproteins and VLDL or very low density lipoproteins. Most of the fat from our diet and the non-cholesterol fat in our bloodstream is triglycerides. Triglycerides are build of three fatty acids and glycerol, an alcohol. Triglycerides are crucial for our health and provide a large amount of the energy our tissues need, but too much of a good thing, like cholesterol, can be dangerous to your circulatory health.
How LDL is created
As triglycerides are removed from VLDL and chylomicrons, they become smaller and thicker. Ultimately all that remains is the protein and cholesterol and a minute amount of triglyceride. The liver cleans out the chylomicron and recycles any remnants unlike VLDL which even after it has lost its triglyceride components, continues to circulate. VLDL continues to change and ultimately results as LDL particles. LDL carries the majority of our cholesterol. Practically all cells in the body can utilize LDL for their energy requirements. However there is typically more LDL in the bloodstream than is needed and the liver must clear the excess from the blood. It might use it for more bile acids for digestion or as new lipoproteins. If the liver cannot keep up with the surplus LDL, it ends up being deposited in places it does not belong.
HDL, the Savior
High density lipoproteins are known as the "good" cholesterol and for valid reasons. HDL is also made in the liver and intestines but it is quite different than LDL. There is a high concentration of protein and not much fat in HDL. The two main roles of HDL are to provide chylomicrons and VLD the protein component that allows the liver to recognize they should have their fat extracted. HDLs also works as scavengers and collect excess cholesterol from blood vessel linings and other areas to be transported to the liver to be disposed of.
What Are The Causes Of Elevated Cholesterol? For most people, the cause of high cholesterol is poor lifestyle choices such as diet and our level of exercise, which can be modified. Both men and women can strive to attain and maintain a normal level of cholesterol, get their levels checked and take prompt action if needed.
Finding Out About Cholesterol The waxy substance in the human body known as cholesterol comes primarily in two basic forms, HDL and LDL. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is often referred to as the good cholesterol, while LDL, or low density lipoprotein, is the undesirable form of cholesterol.