Cholesterol – An Essential Menace

27 October, 2009 No Comment

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is present in every single cell of the body and is essential for facilitating a number of body functions and processes. It plays an important role in the digestion of fat and helps the skin manufacture Vitamin D.

Adults manufacture adequate amount of cholesterol required by the body in the liver whereas infants and children do not produce enough cholesterol and need to derive it from food sources.

Some amount of cholesterol also circulates in the bloodstream in the form of lipoproteins that are of two types- LDL and HDL.

LDL: Also known as low density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol, its function is to take cholesterol from the liver to sites in the body where it is needed. However, excess LDL cholesterol tends to build up in the walls of the arteries and may result in heart disease or stroke.

HDL: Also known as high density lipoprotein or good cholesterol, its function is to pick up excess cholesterol and take it back to the liver and prevent the body from any harm.

High cholesterol and heart disease:
The risk of heart disease increases with an increase in the levels of cholesterol in the bloodstream. All animal foods such as meat, poultry and fish have high levels of cholesterol. Egg yolks, liver, organ meats and some shellfish have very high cholesterol levels in the body.

Thus, it is recommended to consume less of these foods in order to reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood. The amount and types of fats consumed also impact the cholesterol levels of an individual.

For instance, fats found in butter, chicken fat and corn oil are comprised of different combinations of fatty acids that impact the cholesterol levels differently.

Saturated fats and cholesterol levels: Saturated fats are known to raise the level of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream. Foods high in saturated fats include meat, poultry skin, whole milk dairy products and oils such as coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.

Polysaturated fats: These help lower the level of LDL cholesterol and are fund in corn oil, soybean oil and safflower oil.

Monosaturated fats: These tend to lower the level of LDL cholesterol and help raise the level of HDL cholesterol. Olives, olive oil, avocados, peanuts, peanut oil and canola oil are good sources of monosaturated fats.

Trans fats: These are also known as hydrogenated fats and are the worst of all. They raise the level of LDL cholesterol and are known to trigger heart disease.