Feb 24 2010
What is Cholesterol?
In biological terms cholesterol is a waxy steroid metabolite found in cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. It is an essential structural component of mammalian cell membranes where it is required to establish proper membrane permeability and fluidity. Cholesterol is also an important component which is responsible for the manufacture of bile acids, steroid hormones and several fat soluble vitamins. Since cholesterol forms an essential part for all animal life, cholesterol is primarily synthesized from simpler substances within the body. For a person of about 150 pounds (68 kg), total body cholesterol synthesis is about 1000 mg (1 gram) per day, and the net body content is about 35 gram.
Cholesterol is recycled since it is excreted by the liver through the bile into the digestive tract. Basically cholesterol is required by our body to build and maintain membranes and also to regulate membrane fluidity over the range of physiological temperatures. Cholesterol is also responsible for the synthesis of vitamin D and steroid hormones, including adrenal gland hormones and sex hormones.
Now since cholesterol cannot travel through the blood stream on its own, it has to combine with certain proteins. When this process takes place, the cholesterol and protein together forms a lipoprotein. These lipoproteins are of two types: high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). Most cholesterol is LDL whose presence in the body is harmful as it clogs the blood vessels and disables the proper blood flow through the body. HDL is good for the body since its function is to remove cholesterol from the blood vessels and send it back to the liver where it is secreted out of the body.
Cholesterol is generally present in food products derived from animal source. This includes eggs, meat and dairy products like milk, cheese, butter, ice cream etc. whereas vegetables, fruits and grains contain no cholesterol in it.
Genetic make up can be a reason for high cholesterol in the body. Intake of too much cholesterol in the body leads to a number of diseases and in most of the cases high quantity of cholesterol in the body causes heart diseases. You can lower the blood cholesterol level without medication by changing the way you eat and by becoming more active. These changes include a diet that comprises of 30% of calories from fat and less than 300 milligrams of cholesterol. Your diet should be of more starches and dietary fiber so that you can maintain a perfect and healthy body weight. You should exercise on a daily basis to tone up your body. If healthy diet and exercises do not bring down the cholesterol level down your physician can even prescribe a cholesterol-lowering medication for you.
Follow proper and balanced eating habits and a healthy living style to keep the doctor away. So eat healthy, stay healthy and live healthy.