Good And Bad Cholesterol : Some Facts To Be Understood
The term ‘Cholesterol’ has grown up to become a buzzword today. And the meaning is interpreted as something to be kept at bay. But the fact is that ‘cholesterol’, one of the most dreaded words in modern life is actually a very important factor in our body.
There is a trend among humans to cliché certain words which we do not even know properly or do not bother to understand. And cholesterol is one such victim. The very fact that you are reading this article stands a proof that you want to understand ‘cholesterol’ in its true sense.
What exactly is Cholesterol?
All plants and animals tissues contain sterol, of which only animal tissue has cholesterol. To be very precise, cholesterol is a chemical compound, about 80% of which is manufactured and secreted naturally by the liver in our body. Only small amounts are produced in our small intestine and cells throughout the body. Other source of cholesterol is the food we take. Cholesterol, a waxy substance, is a combination of lipids and steroids.
Relationship between Cholesterol and Fats
Fats are broadly classified into two- plant fats and animal fats. Human body has animal fat which is sub-divided into cholesterol and triglycerides. To carry out all the bodily functions properly, we need proteins, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates and fats. Out of these factors, fats help to maintain the body temperature, supply adequate energy for bodily functions, protect our internal organs from damage and absorption of vitamins.
Contrary to the common belief, fats are present not only in dairy, meat, poultry etc but also in nuts, all seeds and almost all plants. What we need to have is more of natural fats that are saturated. Avoid those synthetic plastic known as trans-fatty acids or hydrogenated vegetable oils.
Role of Cholesterol
The cell walls and cell structures are formed and maintained by cholesterol. Each cell in our body needs cholesterol to balance the temperature change. Cholesterol plays a vital role in the secretion of so many hormones including the sex hormones estrogen, testosterone and progesterone. It is also used for nerve cells’ insulation.
Apart from these, you must be surprised to note that the importance of cholesterol spreads by helping the liver in the process of making ‘bile’. As we all know, bile is a yellowish fluid secretion produced by the liver and the substance that helps in the digestion of fats. Therefore we understand that cholesterol is directly involved in the digestion of fats in our body.
Another important function of cholesterol is the production of vitamin D. When our body gets sunlight, the cholesterol is directly converted into vitamin D.
Classification of Cholesterol
You might have come across many articles, journals describing cholesterols to be of two types, good and bad or in other words as LDL an HDL. Let us try to get a clearer picture of these.
HDL stands for High Density Lipoprotein and LDL for Low Density Lipoprotein. When it says ‘lipoprotein’, do not get confused. It is better to understand that cholesterol travels through the blood by attaching itself to a protein and this club is known as Lipoprotein. As the names suggest, we should take special care to maintain a high amount of HDL and low amount of LDL.
HDL is the factor that helps prevent coronary heart diseases and atherosclerosis and hence the name ‘Good Cholesterol’. LDL acts to deposit cholesterol in the artery walls, which eventually forms the hard substance known as cholesterol plaque which in turn is the reason for atherosclerosis. So the name ‘Bad Cholesterol’ is given for LDL.
Healthy Cholesterol Level
It is advisable that we maintain a healthy cholesterol ratio. This is obtained by dividing the total cholesterol by the HDL. And total cholesterol is the sum of HDL, LDL, VLDL (very low density lipoprotein) and IDL (Intermediate Density Lipoprotein).
The HDL count should be more than 60 to be really beneficial. LDL count less than100 is considered to be very good. The total cholesterol reading should be below 200 to ensure a risk free heart. Anything above 240 is not at all recommended.
Who is at Risk?
People who smoke, overweight people who are inactive or those with type II diabetes mellitus may be at higher risks of having low levels of HDL. Men may be comparatively at lower HDL rates than women, the reason being estrogen secretion in women. This hormone plays a major part in boosting HDL and this is the reason why women suffer lesser heart problems.
Cholesterol and Vitamin C
You might be surprised to read here that vitamin C has a very deep relationship with cholesterol control- a new approach of understanding cholesterol.
Like any other cell in our body, artery cells are also under the threat of cell damage and free radicals. And the repair system is also more or less the same. Collagen- the magic healer is the only way to remove the cell damage. There needs to be an adequate supply of collagen for our artery cells to overcome the damaging forces.
Vitamin C helps produce collagen. But when the body runs short of vitamin C, it will try to find alternatives to repair the cell damage. Thus cholesterol is used as a cementing agent between the leaks which very well stops the blood loss and its serious effects. This process continues to occur and unfortunately the cholesterol molecules thus used as a band-aid, hardens eventually with passage of time and forms clogged arteries.
And now we understand fully that cholesterol is not the actual problem, but only a sign of the absolute problem – lack of vitamin C in our body. This was discovered by the famous scientist Dr. Linus Pauling and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for the same.
Eating Right
Don’t you think that now you need to know what to consume in order to increase your HDL or the good cholesterol? Gorge upon anything rich in Omega 3 Fatty acids, like fish, nuts, flaxseed, olive oil, canola oil etc. and other monosaturated and poly saturated fats help increase HDL and heart health.
You should drink lots of citrus juices as they are the major sources of vitamin C. Orange juice, lemon juice or grape fruit juice work wonders for you heart. Diets rich in fiber, in the form of whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables are too good for lowering LDL and increasing HDL, say American College of Cardiology.
According to a study conducted in 2008 by American Society of Nutrition, eggs help in lowering of the bad cholesterol, LDL. So do not avoid eggs.
Apart from these, there should be a healthy reform of our lifestyles as well. Quit smoking, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy body weight, be active and happy, drink lots of water and sleep adequately.
Having read all these facts about cholesterol, it seems that you won’t blame cholesterol any more. Now what are you waiting for? Go grab some delicious citrus juice right now!
Photo Credit- Ehow.com
