Blog

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol circulates in the blood and is a waxy substance.

Cholesterol comes from two sources. The cholesterol you need is made by your liver. And the rest comes from animal food like meat ( processed meat and fatty meat), poultry, dairy products  (these all contain dietary cholesterol), etc.

There are two types of cholesterol, the first one is HDL, that is the good cholesterol and the second one is LDL,  which is the bad one.

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol circulates in the blood and is a waxy substance.

Cholesterol comes from two sources. The cholesterol you need is made by your liver. And the rest comes from animal food like meat ( processed meat and fatty meat), poultry, dairy products  (these all contain dietary cholesterol), etc.

There are two types of cholesterol, the first one is HDL, that is the good cholesterol and the second one is LDL,  which is the bad one.

Is Cholesterol bad for me?

No! Cholesterol is an important substance that builds the cells ( i.e cell membrane) and several steroid-based hormones. Cholesterol also enables the body to form bile acids, which are must to help the breakdown of fats in the digestive tract so that they can be absorbed into the body.

Oxidized cholesterol or Rancid is the problem. Oxidation is a process when oxygen interacts with substances to create a chain reaction to cause damage. And this rancid/oxidized cholesterol results from oxidative stress and free radicals, which trigger a ferocious cycle of inflammation and deposition of fat or plaque under the walls of the arteries.

The statins that are used to keep cholesterol levels low can introduce a whole bunch of issues including memory issues, brain damage, muscle damage, muscle aches, and pains. Therefore, lowering your cholesterol level can be very dangerous for your health.

The myth about Cholesterol being the only reason for causing cardiac diseases and stroke is debunked i.e cholesterol is only one factor and is not even the important one of many contributing to your risk of getting a heart disease.

The biggest culprit of abnormal cholesterol is not the fat, but sugar, because sugar converts to fat in your body.

So, what causes Heart Diseases?

INFLAMMATION is the reason ! that arises from poor diet (too much sugar and trans and saturated fats), a sedentary lifestyle, autoimmune disease, stress, food allergies, or hidden infections and toxins such as mercury.

When it comes to cholesterol, get the right tests done for cholesterol.

Remember assess, add and achieve. That is:

ASSESS your risks and know your ratio of triglycerides to HDL and the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL.

ADD a good amount of antioxidants to your diet, loads of omega-3 fatty acids, and required supplements.

ACHIEVE optimum level of well-being.

And YES! too much bad cholesterol is bad, these deposits in the wall of the arteries make it narrower and may also block the arteries, therefore,  increasing your risk for heart disease(coronary artery disease) and stroke.

When it comes to cholesterol, usually there are no signs and symptoms, therefore, keeping an early check on these levels is important.

REMEMBER!  Assess, Alter and Achieve. That is:

ASSESS your risk and know your numbers ( cholesterol levels).

ALTER your dietary patterns and lifestyle to help improve your levels.

ACHIEVE optimum level of health and live disease-free.