cholesterol
Cholesterol
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy fat that is present in all human beings. The liver manufactures about 80 percent of the cholesterol in the body. Cholesterol is necessary for your body. It is used to create cell membranes, vitamin D from sunlight exposure of the skin and to make your body’s hormones. Higher levels of blood cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease. A cholesterol intake of 300 mg per day is recommended.
Cholesterol is a fat-like substance present in all animal foods—meat, poultry, fish, milk and milk products, and egg yolks. Plant foods such as vegetables, grains, cereals, nuts, and seeds do not contain cholesterol. A few foods are high in cholesterol but relatively low in fat such as egg yolks and liver.
To reduce your blood cholesterol level, it is important to eat less saturated fat and cholesterol. Saturated fat and cholesterol are often found together in foods.
There are two types of cholesterol: High-density lipoproteins (HDL) are good cholesterol. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) are bad cholesterol
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HDL and LDL are lipoproteins, substances found in the bloodstream that transports cholesterol and triglycerides in the body.
One of the jobs of (HDL) is to grab your bad cholesterol (LDL), and escort it to the liver where it is broken down and excreted.
LDL is ought to deposit cholesterol in artery walls, increasing your risk of heart disease
Ask your doctor to check your cholesterol level. This is done with a blood test. The test will show the amount of cholesterol in your blood with a number. Below 200 is good.
The test will also show the amount of HDL and LDL. HDL levels should be 40 or above for men and 50 or above for women. LDL levels should optimally be less than 100.