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Cholesterol
Cholesterol,
named from the Greek words meaning solid bile, is a soft, waxy,
substance that is found in everyone's body, to varying degrees. We
need cholesterol to survive, as it's used to form cell membranes and
brain and nerve tissues. Cholesterol also helps the body produce hormones
needed for body regulation, including processing food, and bile acids
needed for digestion. Your liver actually produces all the cholesterol
your body needs for these functions, so you don't need to consume
any extra through your diet.
It used to be thought that eating dietary cholesterol was a major
factor in raising potentially harmful LDL cholesterol levels in the
blood, but in recent years, studies have found that consuming dietary
cholesterol only has a small effect. Consuming large amounts of bad
fats (saturated and trans fats) has been identified as the main culprit.
Good
and bad cholesterol
You may have heard about "bad" vs. "good" cholesterol.
Here's a simple explanation. Having high levels of LDL (low-density
lipoprotein) cholesterol in your blood is considered bad because
it can lead to a build up of plaque inside your arteries which can
block the flow of blood to vital organs. HDL (high-density lipoprotein)
cholesterol is considered good because it helps carry LDL cholesterol
from the blood to the liver where it can be naturally eliminated.
An easy way to remember the difference: think "H" for
healthy vs. "L" for life-threatening.
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