Cholesterol. How big is the problem?

Cholesterol has long been regarded as a potential threat to our vitality. It is often linked to heart related problems and is known to afflict people with atherosclerosis (stiff blood vessels) resulting in obstruction of blood flow. Not everyone knows that despite having earned a bad name , the bad cholesterol also has a good counterpart called good cholesterol. Let us unearth some facts and try to gain an insight on how big the problem is actually.

Cholesterol is a type of waxy fat which is found in each and every cell of the human body. It is self-produced inside our body and a majority of cholesterol production is taken care of by the liver. Just like other fats, cholesterol also has multiple roles to play in our survival. 

Following are a few reasons why an optimal level of cholesterol is required for our survival:

• It is an important component of cell membranes or cellular walls

• It is used as a precursor for production of hormones in our body

• It acts as an antecedent for Vitamin-D production. Without cholesterol no matter how long you stand out in the sun, you won't be making enough Vitamin-D for yourself.

• It also helps our body in the making of bile acids( responsible for fat breakdown and digestion)

Now, a very obvious question to ask would be, if cholesterol has such important applications in the human body, what exactly makes it bad? and to answer this you would need to quickly understand a few interesting things. Notice that cholesterol can be both self produced by our liver and other organs and at the same time obtained from various food items. Our body won't produce more than what is needed but there are high chances we could end up eating more of them.

You must also know that cholesterol being a fatty substance does not dissolve in water or blood but it takes the help of specialized blood soluble proteins to travel around the bloodstream. These proteins which act as fat transporters are commonly called Lipoproteins. 

Two lipoproteins carry cholesterol around the body, they are:

• LDL : Low Density Lipoprotein (carries cholesterol thoughout the body)- Bad

• HDL : High Density Lipoprotein (carries cholesterol back to the liver)- Good

Visibly here, LDL is high in fats as compared to HDL. LDL on its way round the body, drops fat molecules along the capillary (blood vessels) walls. This forms a plague build up over time and poses obstruction in blood flow. On the other hand HDL with comparatively lower fat content has a tendency to  pickup the LDL waste and get it back to the liver where the cholesterol part is used up or is sent out of the system. Hence, the name good cholesterol.

The picture displayed above shows plaque buildup in blood vessels which reduces blood flow more and more over time as more fat gets deposited on the capillary walls and the blood vessels keep getting narrower. If there is a rupture in the plague, it can cause blood to clot over that area blocking the blood flow entirely. This can ultimately lead to heart attack or a stroke in the brain. High cholesterol is a problem that has become very common in almost every other household today. There are no visible symptoms for high cholesterol as such. If you get diagnosed as having High cholesterol, it simply means your LDL levels have been detected to have risen more. Your doctor would eventually prescribe the traditional cornerstones - a low fat diet and exercise for your treatment. Your doctor may also prescribe medications for raising HDL level in your bloodstream to prevent your blood vessels from any further damage.

How Do We Get Cholesterol?

I bet you know at least one person who after being diagnosed with high cholesterol had to give up on fatty foodstuffs. This is where maximum of the cholesterol in your body comes from. Cholesterol is also present in animal products like meat, poultry and full-fat dairy items. Your liver produces more cholesterol when you eat a diet high in saturated and trans fats. 

Also make a note of the following factors that worsen LDL levels in the human body :

• Sedentary lifestyle or low physical activity
• Less fiber in diet
• Overweight 
• Smoking

Optimal Cholesterol Levels

Since there is no particular symptom for rise in cholesterol, the American Heart Association recommends all adults age 20 or older have their cholesterol, and other traditional risk factors, checked every four to six years. When you get a report on your cholesterol level checkup, you can find your score in mg/deciliter of blood.  

The formula used to calculate your cholesterol level is HDL + LDL + 20 percent of your triglyceride level. Triglyceride is the most common fat found in the human body.

• Ideal LDL level : 100-130 mg/dL (not any higher than 130)
• Ideal HDL level : 40-60 mg/dL (not any lower than 40)
• Ideal total cholesterol level : 200 mg/dL approximately.

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

A healthy body demands a healthy lifestyle. People often tend to give up on certain food items only when they are threatened by some health issue. If you think you are healthy and have no issue of high cholesterol, why not maintain this for a lifetime?  It is always better to remain fit and free of health issues and as a reward enjoy your favorite foodstuffs occasionally for life. 

To keep your heart and circulatory system healthy, you must ensure a check on your cholesterol intake. For this you should know that the recommended dietary allowance of cholesterol for a healthy person is not more than 300 mg per day and that for a heart patient should not exceed 200 mg in a day.

Keeping a check on your diet and appending some physical activities and exercises in your daily regime is all you need to do to maintain a physically fit heart. These simple measures can easily drive out the risk of any unwanted rise in cholesterol levels.