Cholesterol and How it Affects our Body

Cholesterol 

We have to admit that the minute we hear the word cholesterol we right think of it as something negative or unhealthy. But with the dynamic research done over time, health experts were able to determine that cholesterol comes in two forms—its either bad or good. Cholesterol, as negative as its reputation is, still has functions that our bodies need. Perhaps cholesterol has given a negative notion to health buffs and to most people because there was not much emphasis given back then that it can either be good cholesterol or bad cholesterol.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol actually comes from Greek words chole which means bile and stereos which means solid and is ended with ol which for an alcohol. Cholesterol is an organic chemical substance and is considered as a waxy steroid fat.

Cholesterol is needed by our bodies for certain purposes and they are as follows:

• For building and maintain membranes. It makes sure that membrane fluidity is modulated according to certain body temperatures.

• It lowers the permeability of plasma membrane.

• It is needed for intracellular transport, cell signaling and nerve conduction.

• When in the liver, cholesterol is converted to bile and is then stored in the gallbladder. Bile actually has bile salts which makes fats soluble in the digestive tract and for absorption in the intestines.

• It is needed by fat-soluble vitamins which are vitamins A, D, E and K.

• It is an essential precursor molecule for synthesizing vitamin D and certain types of hormones.

Good Cholesterol:

As defined, cholesterol is a waxy steroid fat that our body produces but it is also found in most foods. Our bodies need cholesterol for certain functions. Because cholesterol cannot be dissolved in the blood, it needs to be transported through different parts of the body by carriers known as LDL or low-density lipoproteins or “bad cholesterol” and alpha-lipoprotein or HDL or “good cholesterol”. LDL is considered bad because it carries cholesterol to where it is not used but is rather stored in your body which will eventually be excess fat whereas HDL, the good cholesterol, carries cholesterol to your liver so that from there it can removed from your body’s system.

Bad Cholesterol:

LDL or Low-density lipoprotein carries cholesterol to the cells and from there, it produces hormones and builds new cells but when too much LDL is in the blood, it starts sticking to the walls of the arteries causing blockage in the flow of blood causing problems in the organs of the body depending on which artery is affected.

In order to find out if you are suffering from high levels of LDL cholesterol, you will have to undergo a blood test called lipid profile testing to determine if your LDL level is within normal limits. The test should come out with a result somewhere between 100 and 129 mg/dL but if it goes higher than that, your physician will recommend treatment.

Effects of Good and Bad Cholesterol to our Body

Good Cholesterol 

Now that we know the difference between good and bad cholesterol it’s time to find out how it affects our body. With the functions they have, we now understand that keeping high levels of good cholesterol is beneficial to our health because it improves our heart’s condition. But if bad cholesterol levels are high, we should be alarmed as to how it can have a negative impact on our health. We must remember that when HDL is high, LDL is low and vice versa.

• Blocked Arteries:

Because our bodies produce cholesterol, HDL actually composes ¼ of the blood cholesterol that we have but the good thing about it is it does not leave arterial plaques on the walls of the arteries compared to LDL. The explanation for this is because HDL happens to be much smaller and denser compared to LDL and it carries the lipids out of the bloodstream towards the liver until it is excreted. HDL does not just block arteries but it helps in removing arterial plaques by slowing down its growth on the arteries.

• Heart Diseases:

If we have high levels of HDL in our blood, we greatly lower the possibility of developing heart problems. We must have a level more than 40mg/dL in order to lower the risk of having a heart attack. There was even a study done that explained that good cholesterol actually has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties making it a good protector of the heart. It was also found that HDL has the ability to promote repair of epithelial tissue in the arterial walls.

• Lifestyle:

HDL and LDL levels are greatly affected with the lifestyle that we have. Studies show that smoking can actually lower HDL levels but if you quit, you may actually raise its levels by 10 percent. If you want to increase your HDL levels then you must engage in regular physical exercise. Foods that contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids can also help in boosting the levels of HDL.

Foods that Contain Good Cholesterol

• Fruits:

Fruits are not only rich in vitamins and minerals but there are also specific kinds of fruits that have soluble fiber which helps in fighting bad cholesterol. Fruits such as apples, prunes and pears possess good cholesterol.

• Olive Oil:

Another great source of good cholesterol is olive oil. Although it can lower bad cholesterol it does not boost good cholesterol levels. In order to get the maximum effect of olive oil, you must consume 2 tablespoons of it in a day. You may use it by mixing it your salad or for cooking. As much as possible choose extra virgin olive oil because it’s much healthier.

High cholesterol 

• Fish:

There are actually specific kinds of fishes that have been tested and proven to help in lowering the levels of bad cholesterol. It is important to consume fishes that are rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Fishes such as salmon, sardines and tuna possess the essential fatty acids. Other excellent sources of omega-3 other than fishes are flaxseed and canola oil.

Foods that Contain Bad Cholesterol

• Dairy Products and Eggs:

Dairy products contain high quantities of LDL—whole milk, butter, cream and cheese are just a few of them. Because we use dairy products in making other kinds of food such as cream and whole milk, we need to be more cautious of what is being added to our foods and drinks as they can still increase LDL levels. A good way to avoid this is by going for skim milk rather than whole milk. A good substitute for butter would be margarine because butter contains really high amounts of saturated and trans fat but even better than margarine is olive oil and margarine. Egg yolks are the ones that have high levels of LDL, when eating egg it would be best to consume the egg whites only.

• Meat:

When it comes to eating meat we should really be careful as there are certain types of meat that contains concentrated LDL cholesterol particularly organ meats such as kidney and liver and to make it even worse is when they are fried. It would be best to go for lean cuts of meat and for poultry meat, have the skin removed. Eating fish is also a healthier option instead of eating fatty meat.

Salty and Sweet Snack Foods
Most snacks foods actually contain trans fat that comes in the deceiving form of hydrogenated or even partially hydrogenated oil. Be careful even if the food packaging says it does not contain trans fat because it still contains small amounts of it which can still increase LDL levels especially if it is eaten regularly.

Bad cholesterol 

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