The Facts About Cholesterol

By Author: Carl Juneau
Total Articles: 3698
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Cholesterol is:

- A fat-like substance found only in animal food.
- A tasteless, odorless, and transparent liquid that feels oily when you touch it.

Any non-animal food (plants, fruits, vegetable, beans, or nuts) will not contain cholesterol: only animals can produce it.
Although we've been told that high blood cholesterol is risky for our heart and that we should watch out for cholesterol in our diet, the majority (2/3) of the cholesterol found in our blood is made by the liver.
The rest (1/3) does come from the diet. Still, we discovered recently that if you eat less, your liver might adjust and make more.
So, how do you lower your blood cholesterol level? First and foremost by eating less saturated and trans fat.
In short:
The cholesterol found in your blood comes from 2 sources:
First Source: liver - two-thirds of the cholesterol available to the body.
Second Source: one-third of the cholesterol comes from foods, like:

- Meat
- Egg yolk
- Dairy product

Cholesterol:

- Is found in every cell of your body (in cell membranes, ...
... your brain, and nerves).
- Is needed to produce estrogen, testosterone, and vitamin D.
- Cannot be used for energy (so it provides no calories).
Cholesterol is not as bad as we often assume it is. There are actually two types of cholesterol:

LDL (Bad) Cholesterol
When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other substances, it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result.
HDL (Good) Cholesterol
About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as "good" cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Low levels of HDL also increase the risk of heart disease. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it's passed from the body.
Eating cholesterol is very much like choosing how to eat fats: there is a good and a bad. Keep bad cholesterol at a minimum and you will reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease significantly.