Cholesterol - An Invisible Danger
CCholesterol is nothing more than an association of steroid,
lipid and alcohol that is found in the cell membranes of all
body tissues. It is transported to the blood and it can be found
in all animals. The Chemical formula of cholesterol is C27H45OH.
Many things have been said about cholesterol. Some doctors
simply prescribe a diet free of foods that contain cholesterol
and some others allow food with cholesterol. It is true that
high levels of cholesterol in the blood may cause heart attack
and some other distresses, such as stroke.
On the other hand, cholesterol is a very important compound to
the well functioning of the body because it provides stability
to the cells. In addition to that, cholesterol is a precursor of
the synthesis of vitamin D and several hormones.
Cholesterol: Mr. Bad Guy or Mr. Nice Guy?
People say many things about cholesterol and the modern Western
civilization seems to have increased this discussion. Nothing is
for sure when it comes of cholesterol:
Why do some people who have a healthy diet and practice physical
exercises regularly develop high cholesterol?
Why do some people who eat a lot of junk food and never practice
physical exercises never develop high cholesterol?
This discussion is endless. And due to that, some people simply
don't believe in the risks involved in case of high cholesterol.
Actually, what some people state is that they don't have time to
think about what they are eating: how can they think about
cholesterol?
The discussion remains: is the cholesterol a bad guy or a nice
guy? Well, there isn't an answer for that. If we say that
cholesterol is a bad guy, we are simply discarding the benefits
that cholesterol develops in the body, such as providing
stability to the cells. On the other hand, high levels of
cholesterol in the body block the arteries and veins, which may
lead to heart diseases.
LDL and HDL: what is the difference?
LDL (low density lipoprotein) and HDL (high density lipoprotein)
are types of cholesterol. Each one with different roles, but
they are all the same.
The LDL cholesterol is the one usually called "bad cholesterol"
since high levels of it may lead to coronary diseases. The LDL
is the one responsible for depositing in he walls of arteries
the cholesterol, which causes the formation of a hard and thick
substance called cholesterol plaque. Within time, this plaque
makes the arteries walls thick and narrow, starting a process
called arteriosclerosis.
The HDL is the one considered the "good cholesterol". This type
of cholesterol is the one responsible for removing the plaques
of bad cholesterol from the artery walls, which prevents the
arteriosclerosis.
This is the main difference regarding LDL and HDL cholesterols.
Remember that keeping high levels of LDL and low levels of HDL
may cause arteriosclerosis, while keeping low levels of LDL and
high levels of HDL helps preventing it.
When do you start checkups?
Pretty much is said about cholesterol. Doctors used to advise
people to check their cholesterol levels at the age of 35 if you
are a man - and 45 if you are a woman. But this has been
changing and it couldn't be kept that way.
Nowadays, it's common to find obese children. Although obesity
is not a determining factor, it puts people in the risk group.
Children have been eating a lot of junk food and this has been
contributing to the increase of obese children and children with
high cholesterol.
So, when should people start worrying about cholesterol levels?
Well, everybody should worry about cholesterol if they are in
the risk group and it doesn't matter how old they are. And who
is the risk group? People considered to be in the risk group are
those who:
- have cases of heart diseases in family - had suffered a heart
attack already - are women going through menopause - are obese -
suffer from high blood pressure - suffer from diabetes - are
sedentary - smoke
What are the recommended levels?
People are always worried about the recommended levels of
cholesterol. Here is a simple guideline for that:
- Total cholesterol: should be kept under 200 - LDL cholesterol:
should be kept under 130 - HDL cholesterol: should be kept 60 or
higher
The most important thing regarding cholesterol, ignoring all
these numbers, has to do with simply keeping it under 200.
Preventing high cholesterol
People can do some things in order to prevent high cholesterol
from occuring and to reduce the levels of cholesterol if they
are already high:
- Exercise frequently - Stop smoking - Avoid junk foods - Eat
plenty of vegetables and fresh fruits - Drink juices and teas
instead of sodas - Avoid an excess of alcoholic drinks - Lose
weight if you are overweight or obese.
The most important thing to do is to keep cholesterol under
control. You see: it is always better to prevent than to treat.