Understanding the Importance of Controlling Cholesterol

Not long ago, our family doctor discovered that I had extremely high cholesterol levels. After he took the time to explain just how dangerous this was, I decided that I needed a lot more information about my condition. After a lot of reading and asking questions, I’m now quite familiar with the reasons that your cholesterol level is so important. Hopefully, I can now explain to you why controlling cholesterol is vital. Hopefully, you’ll also see why limiting foods high in cholesterol from your diet can be of tremendous benefit to you.

Cholesterol is so vital to your body that, without it, you could not exist. You cells use it like mortar to bind them 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. From there, it is carried by an enzyme called low density lipoproteins, or LDL, 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.

Extra cholesterol can’t be carried back by the LDL, and that’s when the problems start. The extra cholesterol is deposited on the inner wall of an artery by the LDL. Sooner or later, the deposits will choke off the artery, starving the tissue that is further down. This is a major cause of strokes and heart attacks.

Of course, this is a very elementry view of problems with high cholesterol. It is meant only to get you to thinking about the problem, and, perhaps, look into your cholesterol level.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This information is based on information commonly available in the popular press and medical journals that deal with high cholesterol levels. Nothing herein should be or construed to be any type of medical advice. For medical advice people should talk with his or her physician or other medical specialist.