Cholesterol
 

Cholesterol is a fatty substance that’s found in the animal tissues. Human body produces cholesterol and it enters body through consumption of food. Egg yolks, meats and milk products like cheese and butter contain cholesterol. Body organs like liver and brain contain the most amount of cholesterol.

Functions of Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a kind of lipid—a class of chemical compound important for human health. It makes up the membrane part of every cell in body. Moreover, the liver makes use of cholesterol for making bile acids that help in the process of digestion. The body also makes use of cholesterol for producing certain hormones and vitamin D.

The cells for producing energy use triglyceride, another fatty substance in blood. Doctors measure triglycerides and cholesterol amount in blood just to determine the overall health of the patient.

However, high cholesterol levels if accompanied by high triglycerides levels, add on to the risk of heart disease.

Types of Cholesterol

Both triglycerides and cholesterol are carried through bloodstream in huge molecules known as lipoproteins. Mainly there are two kinds of cholesterol that carries lipoproteins:

• LDL (low density lipoprotein) and
• HDL (high density lipoprotein)

Factors Causing High Cholesterol Levels

High cholesterol usually does not have any symptom. If someone in your family has cholesterol you may inherit it from that person. However, lifestyle factors do play a great role in its occurrence. Here are some factors that cause high cholesterol level in human body.

• Cholesterol in human body is actually controlled by the cellular molecules known as LDL-receptors. The molecules enable LDL cholesterol to get attached to and be used by cell. LDL cholesterol piles up in blood in great amounts when LDL cholesterol exceeds LDL-receptors. This condition occurs in individuals who have diets that include saturated fats or high cholesterol. Saturated fats are primarily found in some vegetables fats and animal fats.

• People having abnormal gene can have their cholesterol level high. It actually prevents the LDL-receptors to be formed fully. This disorder that is inherited genetically is known as familial hypercholesterolemia.

• Excess weight increases LDL (bad cholesterol level). Weight loss helps lowering triglycerides and raise good cholesterol (HDL) levels.

• Regular exercise can lower triglycerides and raise the level of HDL cholesterol.

• Moderate alcohol intake actually increases good cholesterol but doesn’t lower bad cholesterol. Doctors are quite not much sure of the after effects of drinking alcohol with regards to heart disease. Excessive drinking actually damages heart and liver muscle leading to high blood pressure and raising triglyceride levels. It is because of such risks that alcohol shouldn’t be used as way to put off heart disease.

• Mental stress is one of the main factors that contribute in raising the cholesterol level.

Prevention of High Cholesterol

Adoption of healthy lifestyle including low fat diet and aerobic exercise reduces prevalence of high cholesterol, obesity and risk of heart disease.

• It is essential to consult the doctor first. A blood test is a must. Knowing the cholesterol level isn’t just sufficient. A lipid profile test will let you know your total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides and HDL.

• Set your dietary goals to keep a check on cholesterol level.

• Fitness tips can also help you to prevent cholesterol.

Risk factors of cholesterol are the conditions, which increase the risk of heart disease. Although you can change some risk factors but there are many that cannot be controlled. More are the risk factors; more are the chances of developing heart disease.

Risk factors that can be controlled:

• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Low HDL cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Smoking
• Excess weight/obesity and
• Physical inactivity

Risk factors that cannot be controlled

• Gene (family history of heart disease at an early age) and
• Age

High Blood Cholesterol Treatment

• You first need to reduce the amount of cholesterol and fat in your diet. Fish and poultry have low cholesterol level. Fresh fruit, cereals and vegetables do not have any cholesterol. So, always keep the diet in mind to keep your cholesterol level in check.

• Regular exercising like running, bicycling and swimming can also lower the level of cholesterol.

• People suffering from heart disease and the ones unable to keep their cholesterol level in check with diet need to follow medications such as cholesterol, cholestyramine, lovastatin, gemfibrozil and niacin.
 

Examples of High Cholesterol Foods to Avoid

Cholesterol comes from animals. If a food does not come from an animal (such as fruits or vegetables), then it does not have cholesterol. Foods with the highest amounts of cholesterol are eggs and liver. For example, an egg yolk has 213 mg of cholesterol.
 
Other high cholesterol foods to avoid include:
 
  • Whole-milk dairy products
  • Butter
  • Cream
  • Ice cream
  • Cream cheese
  • Certain shellfish (such as shrimp)
  • Organ meats (such as kidney and brain)
  • Duck and goose (which have more cholesterol than chicken or turkey; the skin on these animals is high in cholesterol).