WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL?

BY OBIAOZU FAVOUR SOPURUCHI

Cholesterol is a fatty wax-like Yellow substance found in all the cells of the human body. It is one of the nutrients needed by the body to function well. Cholesterol is a substance that helps your body in many ways. It helps in building cell membranes. It also helps your body create healthy bile, hormones and vitamin D. There are two sources of cholesterol, from the food you eat and from your liver. The liver produces about 80 percent cholesterol in your body. The rest which your body doesn’t need is then recycled by the liver.

However, this cholesterol becomes catastrophic to your body system and wellbeing when it isn’t well digested or when you feed on it inappropriately . Too much of it in your blood can increase your risk of heart disease, this happens when the liver fails to recycle it. There are different types of cholesterol, based on what the lipoprotein carries. They are:

High-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL, the “good” cholesterol. It picks up excess cholesterol and takes it back to your body.

Low-density lipoprotein (LDL). LDL, the “bad” cholesterol. It transports cholesterol particles throughout your body. LDL cholesterol builds up in the walls of your arteries, making them hard and narrow and difficult for blood to pass through it.

There are risk factors that can lead one in having unhealthy cholesterol. They are:

Poor Diet: Eating food that is high in saturated fat(saturated fat can be seen in animals produce like meat, milk, cheese and butter etc) and trans fat which is found in many processed foods and fast foods(Be mindful of how constant you feed on them).
Smoking.
Alcohol consumption
Obesity
Lack of exercise
Age.

Some of the effects Cholesterol can have in the body are:
Chest pain
Increase in heart rate
High blood pressure
Coronary heart disease
Heart attack etc.

It’s said that prevention is better than cure;Therefore, eat appropriately(feed on low cholesterol food, fruits and vegetables), exercise regularly and see your Doctor when due.