Cholesterol is Essential. Cholesterol is a wax like substance that is like fat, insoluble and is essential for a good deal of your body's metabolic processes and also to help your body utilize vitamin D. Cholesterol travels through the bloodstream and is stay in body cells. It plays an important role in building the cell walls in heart, liver, brain, nerves, skin and muscles.

The body naturally makes in the area of 75% of all cholesterol, with consumed food responsible for the remaining 25%. Your body actually needs cholesterol, but can make enough of it's own, without any help from the foodstuff you consume.

Cholesterol is designated in 3 ways:

1. LDL- Means Low Density Lipoproteins - This is the so called 'bad' cholesterol and is responsible for clogging our arteries when there is high levels in our bloodstream.

2. HDL-Meaning High Density Lipoproteins - This is 'good' cholesterol. Good because it assists to eliminate excess cholesterol from our cells including the arteries.

3. VLDL-Meaning Very Low Density Lipoproteins

Arteries and veins are the conduits for blood circulation and this process could be done efficiently only if they are flexible and unobstructed. LDL can cause atherosclerosis (also known as arteriosclerotic vascular disease or ASVD) which is condition that hardens and narrows the arteries due to the creation of plaque. This condition is possibly one of the key factors for heart attack and stroke. On the other hand, the HDL helps in preventing the built up of plaque on the walls of the arteries.

Cholesterol Tests

As with everything else, there is an acceptable range even for the bad cholesterol.
Each person over 20 years of age, should check cholesterol levels in minimum every five years.

The way in which this is done is by a cholesterol blood test known as a lipid panel or lipid profile.

Prior to the test you cannot eat for at least 9 hours, preferably 12 hours. The test will then find out the levels of Total,LDL and HDL Cholesterol along with the amounts of triglycerides in your blood. The measurement is taken in mg per deciliter of blood (mg/dl).

Total cholesterol is a mixture of LDL, HDL AND VLDL. It is better if your Total cholesterol is under 200

LDL levels should be below 100

In men a HDL level less than 40 is deemed to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease as is a level under 50 for women

Triglycerides are the most common sorts of fat found in your body. Levels in excess of 150 can mean increased danger of heart disease and stroke. Over 200 level and your doctor will be dealing with you very severely.

Cholesterol Management

You most definitely do not need to consume food that has cholesterol. Along with the cholesterol in food comes saturated fats. Once again a main reason of heart disease. Cholesterol comes from eggs and animal products, specially meat and dairy products, not from fruit and vegetables.

Saturated fats can be eliminated by avoiding :

* Full Fat Dairy Produce

* Fatty Meats

* Deep fried food

* Cakes etc.

* Meat that has been processed

There is no need to cut out dairy foods, actually it's not at all good for you if you do, but you certainly need to go for low or 0% fat.

This article is meant only for information, if you suspect you have high cholesterol levels, then please call your doctor for testing. As I talked about earlier, you should actually schedule regular cholesterol tests anyway.

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