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Cholesterol
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Cholesterol is a constituent of cell membranes and is present in all animal tissues. Leaner meats typically are lower in cholesterol.[3] Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is made in your body. Cholesterol is also in some foods that you eat.[4] Cholesterol is minimally soluble in water; it cannot dissolve and travel in the water-based blood stream. Instead, it is transported in the blood stream by lipoproteins; protein 'molecular-suitcases' which are water soluble and carry cholesterol and fats internally.[5]
Cholesterol is one of the primary factors linked to cardiovascular disease (CVD). CVD continues to be the leading cause of death among both men and women of all racial and ethnic groups age 35 and older in the United States.2 Total cholesterol levels above 240 are classified as “high”, and lead to an increased risk for CVD.[6] Cholesterol is a natural substance found in our diet and made by our liver. It is key for many functions throughout our body.[7] Cholesterol is carried in the blood stream in small packages called lipoproteins. These small packages are made up of fat (lipid) on the inside and proteins on the outside. Cholesterol is attached to protein packages called lipoproteins, which are assembled in the liver and circulate in our bloodstream. [9]
Cholesterol is carried by two types of proteins. A high level of low-density lipoproteins (LDL) increases the risk of heart disease because it leaves the fat on the inside walls of the blood vessels and deposits it in body tissues.[10] Cholesterol is a fatty substance in your blood produced naturally by your. Cholesterol is not fat. It is a waxy, fat-like substance produced by all animals, including humans.[12] Cholesterol is essential to the proper function and structure of cell membranes. In fact, cholesterol keeps membranes from falling apart.[13] Cholesterol is carried in the blood by little “packages” called lipoproteins. Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) carry cholesterol to the sites and tissues that require it, but excess LDL can be deposited in arteries.[14] Cholesterol is present in many foods and is also made in your body by the liver. If your body makes too much cholesterol or you take too much cholesterol in your diet, then your level becomes too high.[15] Cholesterol is used by the skin to help prevent water evaporation and to make our skin waterproof. And bile, used for fat digestion, consists mostly of cholesterol.[16] Cholesterol is measured in milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). Knowing your total blood cholesterol level is an important first step in determining your risk for heart disease.[17] Cholesterol is a major ingredient of the plaque that collects in the coronary arteries and causes CHD, so it is important to understand how plaques develop. Excess cholesterol is deposited in the artery walls as it travels through the bloodstream.[18] Cholesterol is only found in food from the animal kingdom. [19] Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that occurs naturally in the body. If too much cholesterol accumulates in the bloodstream the excess is deposited in the arteries. Cholesterol is also found in some of the foods you eat. You use cholesterol to make hormones, Vitamin D, and substances that help you digest foods.[21] Cholesterol is indispensable for the production of various hormones, and indeed, fatty acids are vital nutrients that our bodies can?t do without. The establishment?s narrative, however, generally presents cholesterol in this way: we have two types of cholesterol in our bodies, one good (HDL) and one bad (LDL).[22] Cholesterol is a fat-like substance found only in animal products. The highest sources of cholesterol comes from organ meats (example: liver) and eggs, but other common sources are any type of meat, poultry, cheese, and butterfat.[23] Cholesterol is part of the family of lipids , or fats, which includes certain "fatty acids," or triglycerides . The liver wraps up its cholesterol and triglyercides in proteins to form little transportation molecules and sends them out into the bloodstream. Cholesterol is converted into bile acids in the liver and is transported via the bile to the upper intestine where the bile salts emulsify the dietary fat making it absorbable. The bile salts then return to the blood stream and are taken up by the liver and again secreted into the upper intestine.[25] Cholesterol is the precursor to our sex hormones and Vitamin D. Vitamin D is formed by the action of UV light in sunlight on cholesterol molecules that have ?risen? to near the surface of the skin. Cholesterol is a fatty substance and cannot be dissolved in water. It must combine with a protein molecule called a lipoprotein in order to be transported in the blood. Cholesterol is carried in the bloodstream as lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol because elevated LDL levels are associated with an increased risk of coronary artery (heart) disease.[28] Cholesterol is a waxy substance that plays an important role in building cell membranes and sex hormones. Found in the lipids (fats) of the blood, the substance is also a vital component of bile.[29]
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