Cholesterol is waxy and fatty compound present inside the body, in the brain, and on the walls of muscles, skin and cells. It is utilized in the body for building and repairing cells, insulation of nerves and also for the creation of hormones like estrogens and test. Humans externally get vitamin D from the sun, and internally they get it from cholesterol. In most cases people only know about the bad part that it plays in our body, but actually there are both good and bad types of it. It is an essential part of cells present inside our body, so drastic decrease in cholesterol numbers can also lead to serious problems. If it is present in excess amounts in blood stream it can cause blockage in the arteries and leads to serious coronary problems.
Blood cholesterol numbers vary due to the type of food that we eat and its level created inside the liver. The animal food items contain it and that’s the only way of adding it into your diet. One must understand that cholesterol numbers present inside the body is highly increased by the quantity of trans-fats that are consumed. High levels of it are dangerous for human health and may lead to its accumulation on artery walls. After lots of research scientists have found that there are 3 different types of it in the blood, and they are LDL or low density lipoproteins, HDL or high density lipoproteins and VLDL very low density lipoproteins.
LDL – The bad cholesterol
It is responsible for transporting 2 fatty substances that are cholesterol and a number of triglycerides. LDL is the most common type of cholesterol carrier in the blood streams. The basic constituents of LDL are cholesterol and small amount of protein. It is considered bad because it can clog arteries if present in large quantities, which leads to coronary artery disease. There exists a direct relation between LDL and heart problems, so it should be minimized. Liver is the organ that removes LDL from blood stream. The liver contains high concentrations of LDL receptors which remove LDL from blood in circulation.
HDL – The good cholesterol
Twenty to thirty percent of the blood’s cholesterol is carried by HDL; it has a higher concentration of proteins and considered good, as it doesn’t clog the bloodstreams. It transports cholesterol and supplies it to other kinds of lipoproteins for being sent to the liver. High density lipoproteins act to minimize the effects of bad cholesterol as it extracts it from arterial walls and sends it to the liver for being finished. High density lipoproteins are very helpful in protecting the heart from strokes, which is why they are considered good.
VLDL – Bad Cholesterol
VLDL are responsible for the transportation for triglycerides and small amounts of cholesterol, and they soon convert into LDL’s. It is also bad, as excess amounts of triglycerides in the blood lead to atherosclerosis.
Cholesterol is not dangerous for humans, rather it is an essential compound, but if it is present in excess amount it is very dangerous. A person needs to keep on checking his blood cholesterol level in order to avoid several dangerous diseases that can cause serious health problems. Such blood tests can easily be conducted at common laboratories and at a very small price. Foods that contain excess amount of cholesterol should be taken in small amounts; especially the intake of animal products should be monitored to avoid problems. A diet containing smaller quantity of animal products is highly helpful in reducing LDL levels, and adding ginger into the diet makes the process even faster than simply avoiding fatty food.
