Lots of people have heard about the dangers of cholesterol but far fewer understand what those dangers are. Cholesterol serves an important purpose in keeping you healthy and is needed for the health of the cells in all parts of the body.
Cholesterol gets into the body in two ways. It can be produced by the liver or it can come from foods that we eat, mainly food from animals like eggs, meat and dairy. Since the liver makes all the cholesterol we need, a diet that’s heavy in these types of food can lead to an excess of cholesterol.
Some complicated processes are involved in transporting cholesterol from the liver to where it’s needed in the body. Because cholesterol doesn’t dissolve in the blood, it needs a special kind of protein called a lipoprotein to carry it in the bloodstream and get it to all parts of the body. One kind of lipoprotein, called LDL, carries the cholesterol from the liver to the body and another, called HDL, carries the unused cholesterol back to the liver to get flushed from the body.
Ordinarily, your HDL is balanced by your LDL. The problem comes when there isn’t enough HDL to handle all the extra cholesterol that got delivered by the LDL but wasn’t needed. Too much LDL can sometimes be traced back to those fatty animal based foods in our diet.
When that excess cholesterol doesn’t have a way to get back to the liver it just attaches itself to the inside of the arterial walls. This is where the problems start. The white blood cells are always on guard for invaders and the cholesterol looks a lot like a hostile intruder. The white blood cells then go on the attack.
The arteries meanwhile are taking a beating. The attack by the white blood cells causes inflammation and the cholesterol starts to form a hard outer shell called plaque. This causes the diameter of the artery to get smaller, restricting blood flow. As the arteries get narrower, the white blood cells attack even harder causing more inflammation and more plaque.
Since the arteries are now weaker and narrower because of the plaque buildup the heart has to work harder to get the blood through. The arteries are weak and if they get any weaker they can spring a leak and cause blood clots. Now the body is at risk for two grave dangers. The first risk is that the heart isn’t getting as much blood as it did before and that can lead to a heart attack. The second risk is that a blood clot could block the blood flow to the brain causing a stroke.
So, how can you prevent this from happening? There are several things we know about that can keep your cholesterol levels balanced. One is physical activity. Exercise is known to increase the production of HDL. Even a moderate amount of activity can be a big help in increasing the amount of HDL your body produces. On the other hand, smoking tobacco and drinking excessive amounts of alcohol are two habits that are known to cause your body to decrease your HDL production.
If you’re concerned about diet, heart health and cholesterol talk to your doctor to schedule a simple blood test. With diet and healthy habits, high cholesterol can be brought under control.
Learn more about diet, nutrition and health. Visit HealthyLiving411.com where you can find reviews and articles to choose the best diet for you.
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