Cholesterol

Nowadays, many people including middle-aged ones are complaining about heart problems. They are suffering from different cardiovascular diseases. When they go to the physician, he asks them to bring their lipid profile along with few other blood tests. Here we’ll talk about the most important molecule that belongs to lipid class, it’s cholesterol.

What is cholesterol?

It is basically an organic molecule that is a type of lipid and belongs to steroid family. It is a waxy substance.

Site of synthesis 

Liver is the main site where most of the cholesterol is synthesized that caters its requirements for different bodily functions.

Dietary sources 

We can also obtain cholesterol from different food sources that are usually animal based, like eggs, meat and different dairy products like cheese and yogurt. 

Types of cholesterol 

There are two main types of cholesterol.

• Low density lipoprotein (LDL)
• High density lipoprotein (HDL)

LDL is considered as bad type of cholesterol because it gets stuck on the inside walls of arteries thereby causing hindrance in the blood flow through them. It deposits the cholesterol as a layer that is termed as plaque. If it is deposited layer by layer it may cause stroke which in turn, could prove fatal if not diagnosed or treated properly. In a healthy person, its level should be less than 100 mg/dL.

HDL, on the other hand is considered as good cholesterol because it takes the cholesterol away from the arteries and when it reaches liver, it removes bad cholesterol from our bodies thereby HDL keeps the blood flow smooth through our arteries. Normal level of HDL is 40 mg/dL or above.

Functions of cholesterol:

• Most importantly, it prepares different hormones in our body like oestrogen, testosterone etc.
• It also plays key role in Vitamin D synthesis.
• It is an important component of cell membrane.
• Beside this, cholesterol is used by liver itself to make bile which is a key secretion of the liver that plays major role in the digestion of fats.

What could be the consequences of disturbed cholesterol levels?

If LDL level is higher than normal, it may lead to serious conditions in our body, such as;

• Atherosclerosis 
• Hypertension 
• Diabetes
• Stroke
• Angina 
• Obesity

Treatment

Following medicines and supplements may be prescribed to lower LDL level and raise HDL.

• Statins
• Fibrates
• Vitamin B3

How to control the blood cholesterol level?

Most important thing is to change our life style. We should look on the types of food we are consuming. 

So what should we include in our diet to avoid high LDL level?

• We should take omega-3 rich foods
• We should include more fibre in our diet
• Take less fat yogurt 
• Minimize the consumption of cheesy stuff

Beside this, we should consider our physical activities, do exercise. We must control our body weight in order to reduce LDL. 

A little shift by modifying our physical activities and little dietary control can improve our overall health if we are suffering from any heart disease, hypertension or diabetes related to bad cholesterol levels. Our heart health is in our hand.