Health Network News

Our bodies create cholesterol in order to keep us healthy. Some cholesterol is created within us while other cholesterol is ingested when you eat. If you think about it, cholesterol isn’t all bad.

Heart disease, heart attacks and strokes are often associated with cholesterol; however, there is good and bad cholesterol. If the levels aren’t within the norms, the above results often happen.

As stated before, cholesterol is completely normal. It is used to produce cells and hormones. Since cholesterol is a somewhat waxy, soft substance found in your bloodstream, if there is too much present, it puts you at higher risk for some illnesses.

Cholesterol can either be consumed or produced by your body. One quarter of cholesterol from the food you eat. Your cells and liver produce the remaining three quarters of it.

The type of cholesterol that we are constantly warned about is LDL, or bad cholesterol. This is the cholesterol that clogs the arteries if too much is present.

The liver and other cells create the bad cholesterol as well as the good. If high cholesterol runs in your family, you run the risk of inheriting the disease. Foods containing Trans fats or saturated fats affect cholesterol levels by making them rise. Considering the role genetics may play, sometimes changing your lifestyle is not enough to bring the levels down.

Blood is not capable of sucking up cholesterol. Because of this, it it the job of lipoproteins to distribute cholesterol to cells. LDL, or low-density lipoproteins, is often referred to as the bad type of cholesterol. HDL, or high-density lipoprotein is the good type of cholesterol. When testing is done for cholesterol levels, lipids, cholesterol and triglycerides affect the outcome.

If there is too much bad cholesterol in your blood it eventually starts to build up in your arteries. When this combines with other substances, plaque forms making the arteries become less flexible.

There are those that believe that HDL actually stops you from experiencing heart attacks. Unlike LDL, if HDL falls to low, your become at high risk for a heart attack.

There are some common misunderstandings about cholesterol.

Exercise and diet alone do not affect bad cholesterol. Your liver and intestines are in charge of creating bad cholesterol so diet and exercise do not help regulate it.

Controlling cholesterol levels cannot be done by simply changing from butter to margarine either. Both are high in fat. Saturated and trans fats contribute to bad cholesterol. Making this small change won’t have an effect.

Regardless of your weight or size, anyone can have high cholesterol.

Ultimately, you are responsible for your health. If you are worried about your cholesterol levels, ask your doctor if they believe it should be tested.

No cholesterol foods doesn’t mean that the food is a healthy choice. Make sure to read the label. Many foods that state they are low cholesterol foods actually contain large quantities of saturated or Trans fats.

Just because you take medication for high cholesterol, doesn’t mean that you don’t need to watch what you eat.

Most food, like eggs, are good for you. Keep track of cholesterol consumed by all foods during the day.

High cholesterol is not just a mans problem. Estrogen that is taken during menopause can actually increase your cholesterol levels. These levels increase naturally with age as well.

It is wise to start having the levels tested starting in your 20’s. Middle age is not the time to all of a sudden start worrying about it.