People often associate the word “cholesterol” with heart attack, yet cholesterol is an important steroid that makes up the structural basis of steroid hormones, vitamin D, plasma membranes and bile salts, which is needed in the digestion of fat. What is so wrong with high cholesterol level? Lets try to understand it in a simplified fashion.

About 15% of blood cholesterol comes from one’s diet. The other 85% is made by the liver. Fats (lipids) and cholesterol are completely insoluble in water and therefore do not circulate free in the blood stream. They are transported to and from tissue cells in body fluids bound to small lipid-protein complexes called lipoproteins. Lipoproteins vary considerably in their fat-protein compositions. In general, the higher the percentage of lipids in the lipoprotein, the lower its density; and the greater the proportion of protein, the higher its density. On this basis, cholesterol is differentiated into high density lipoprotein (HDL’s) and low density lipoproteins (LDL’s).

The role of LDL’s is to transport cholesterol to the peripheral tissues for hormone synthesis and for storage for later use. The major function of HDL’s is to transport cholesterol from the peripheral tissues to the liver, where it is broken down and becomes part of the bile. It is not enough to simply measure total cholesterol. The manner in which the cholesterol is being transported in the blood is more important. As a rule of thumb, high levels of HDL’s are considered as good because the transported cholesterol is destined for degradation. High LDL levels are considered bad, because when LDL’s are excessive, potentially lethal cholesterol deposits are laid down in the artery walls.

Animal products are usually high both in saturated fats and cholesterol. Based on the observation of the typical American diet, it is clear that the major cause of too much cholesterol in the body is the over consumption of high saturated fat, high cholesterol foods. Other contributing factors to increased LDL levels and coronary artery disease are cigarette smoking, coffee drinking, excessive alcohol intake, sugar, and stress. Regular aerobic exercise lowers LDL levels and increases the levels of HDL’s. Chronically elevated blood cholesterol leads to arteriosclerosis (hardening and thickening of the arteries), high blood pressure and risk of excessive clotting. Heart disease is very rare when the blood cholesterol level is at 150 mg/dl. The majority of heart attacks occur in people with cholesterol levels in the range of 200-250 mg/dl.

The expert panel of National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) has recommended keeping total blood cholesterol level less than 200 mg/dl and LDL level less than 130 mg/dl. However, the CHOLESTEROL-HEART HYPOTHESIS has been under challenge for many years. To read and understand the CHOLESTEROL-HEART HYPOTHESIS challenge, please click this link: Dangers of Statin Drugs or keep reading below.Post author: