Vital Facts About High Cholesterol
Not long ago, our family doctor discovered that I had extremely high cholesterol levels. Until then, I didn’t realize just how little I knew about the condition, but, when he explained just how dangerous this was, I decided that I had best learn all I could. After a lot of reading and asking questions, I’m now quite familiar with the reasons that your cholesterol level is so important. If you’ll bear with me, I’ll try to show you why controlling cholesterol is so important to your overall well being. Perhaps you will also understand why limiting, or eliminating, high cholesterol foods is vital.
Cholesterol is a vital building block for your body. It acts like a kind of mortar for your cells, holding them to together to make tissue. It’s also made into a bile acid and used for digestion.
Your body makes most of the cholesterol it needs in your liver. An enzyme known as low density lipoproteins, or LDL, delivers the cholesterol to your cells. When the LDL encounters a cell that already has enough cholesterol, it sends a “No, Thanks” signal and the LDL moves on.
The problem is, LDL won’t carry left over cholesterol back to your liver. The LDL will leave the extra cholesterol on the inner wall of an artery. Eventually, these deposits will begin to choke off the blood flow and “starve” organs that are down the line. This is a major cause of strokes and heart attacks.
Of course, this is a very elementry view of problems with high cholesterol. I only wish to get you thinking about your own cholesterol levels.
IMPORTANT NOTE: This information is based on information readily available in the medical press and medical journals concerning high cholesterol levels. Nothing herein is intended to be or looked on as any kind of medical advice. For medical advice the reader have to visit with his or her personal doctor or other medical specialist.