Cholesterol
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a sterol that is either naturally produced by the body or derived from animal-based products. Cholesterol is used produce sex hormones, creates vitamin D in the skin (with the help of the sun), and it is an ingredient in bile, which helps with digestion. Since it cannot move throughout our bloodstream itself, it has to enlist the help of lipoproteins. Lipoproteins are molecules that contain lipids on the inside, and proteins on the surface.
Cholesterol is classified as either “bad” (LDL) cholesterol or “good” (HDL) cholesterol:
- LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) – carries cholesterol to the cell. However, it also has the tendency of building up on our artery walls (plaque), which narrows the artery and slows blood flow. This is also known has the “hardening of the arteries” or “atherosclerosis” (heart disease).
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- HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein) – removes waste from our cells and returns it to the liver for recycling/disposal; prevents LDL from forming plaque on our artery walls by removing it from our bloodstream; cleans our artery walls by removing the LDL plaque build up.
High Risk:
- LDL – greater than 140 mg/dl
- HDL – less than 40 mg/dl
Normal:
- LDL – between 100-140 mg/dl
- HDL – greater than 40 mg/dl
Optimal:
- LDL – less than 100 mg/dl
- HDL – greater than 60 mg/dl
It is extremely rare to be deficient in cholesterol due to the fact that “your liver and other cells in your body make about 75 percent of blood cholesterol.2
As mentioned above, too much LDL cholesterol can lead to plaque buildup on our artery walls. Plaque buildup narrows the artery which raises the risk of heart diease, and can form a blood clot, which may cause a heart attack or a stroke.
References:
- Boyle, Marie A., and Sara Long. Personal Nutrition, Seventh Edition California, Wadsworth College Learning, 2010.
- “Cholesterol.” U.S. National Library of Medicine. March 19, 2011. Retrieved June 13, 2011 <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus>
- “Fats & Cholesterol: Out with the Bad, In with the Good.” Harvard School of Public Health. 2011. Retreived June 13, 2011 <http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/index.html>
- “About Cholesterol.” American Heart Association. June 13, 2011. Retreived June 14, 2011. <http://www.heart.org>
Disclaimer
General Safety Advisory
This information is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice. It is important to seek the advice of a physician about any medical condition or symptom. It is also important to seek the advice of a physician, registered dietitian, pharmacist, or other qualified health professional about the appropriateness of taking dietary supplements and their potential interactions with medications.