Our Guide To - What is Cholesterol?
The first question that has been lately popping up in everybody's internet search boxes is what exactly is cholesterol? Well, this article comes to answer all your questions about cholesterol.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance (or a lipid) that is an important part of the outer lining of cells in the body of animals.
In the blood circulation of humans, there is also cholesterol.
There are two major sources for the cholesterol in a person's blood - dietary intake and liver production.
The liver production is a natural one, so it does not present any kind of threat to the human body.
Dietary cholesterol on the other hand, is the one that can be harmful.
Dietary cholesterol mainly comes from fish, poultry, meat and dairy products.
The liver is capable of manufacturing cholesterol and secreting cholesterol into the blood circulation as well as removing cholesterol from the blood circulation.
The liver removes chylomicrons from the blood circulation after a meal.
In between meals, the liver manufactures and secretes cholesterol back into the blood circulation.
HDL and LDL cholesterol HDL cholesterol is known to be the "good" cholesterol because HDL cholesterol contains certain particles that help preventing atherosclerosis by extracting the cholesterol from the build-ups formed on the artery walls and disposing of them through the liver.
Low levels of LDL cholesterol and high levels of HDL cholesterol are desirable, remember that low levels of HDL cholesterol and high levels of LDL cholesterol are a great risk factor for atherosclerosis, heart attack or stroke.
LDL cholesterol is known to be the "bad" cholesterol because the risk of coronary heart disease increases as the levels of LDL cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol - low-density lipoprotein - has the tendency to deposit itself on the artery walls this way forming a hard thick substance called a plaque.
Atherosclerosis is a process during which the artery walls are getting thicker and thicker because of the plaque.
Total cholesterol is the sum of all four kinds of cholesterol - LDL (low-density lipoprotein), HDL (high density lipoprotein), VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein) and IDL (intermediate density lipoprotein) cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol in the blood The liver has multiple functions - among others, it not only manufactures and secretes LDL cholesterol into the blood but it also removes it from the blood.
The rapid removal of LDL cholesterol from the blood and low blood LDL cholesterol levels are often associated with a high number of active LDL receptors on the liver surfaces.
High LDL cholesterol blood levels are often associated with a deficiency of LDL receptors.
Cholesterol is a fatty substance (or a lipid) that is an important part of the outer lining of cells in the body of animals.
In the blood circulation of humans, there is also cholesterol.
There are two major sources for the cholesterol in a person's blood - dietary intake and liver production.
The liver production is a natural one, so it does not present any kind of threat to the human body.
Dietary cholesterol on the other hand, is the one that can be harmful.
Dietary cholesterol mainly comes from fish, poultry, meat and dairy products.
The liver is capable of manufacturing cholesterol and secreting cholesterol into the blood circulation as well as removing cholesterol from the blood circulation.
The liver removes chylomicrons from the blood circulation after a meal.
In between meals, the liver manufactures and secretes cholesterol back into the blood circulation.
HDL and LDL cholesterol HDL cholesterol is known to be the "good" cholesterol because HDL cholesterol contains certain particles that help preventing atherosclerosis by extracting the cholesterol from the build-ups formed on the artery walls and disposing of them through the liver.
Low levels of LDL cholesterol and high levels of HDL cholesterol are desirable, remember that low levels of HDL cholesterol and high levels of LDL cholesterol are a great risk factor for atherosclerosis, heart attack or stroke.
LDL cholesterol is known to be the "bad" cholesterol because the risk of coronary heart disease increases as the levels of LDL cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol - low-density lipoprotein - has the tendency to deposit itself on the artery walls this way forming a hard thick substance called a plaque.
Atherosclerosis is a process during which the artery walls are getting thicker and thicker because of the plaque.
Total cholesterol is the sum of all four kinds of cholesterol - LDL (low-density lipoprotein), HDL (high density lipoprotein), VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein) and IDL (intermediate density lipoprotein) cholesterol.
LDL cholesterol in the blood The liver has multiple functions - among others, it not only manufactures and secretes LDL cholesterol into the blood but it also removes it from the blood.
The rapid removal of LDL cholesterol from the blood and low blood LDL cholesterol levels are often associated with a high number of active LDL receptors on the liver surfaces.
High LDL cholesterol blood levels are often associated with a deficiency of LDL receptors.
