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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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