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TWO SOURCES OF CHOLESTEROL
There are two sources of the cholesterol found in the human body:
- Dietary: Derived from the animal foods that we eat. Plant foods do not contain cholesterol (one reason that a vegetarian diet may be healthy). Foods that are free of cholesterol may be quite high in other fats (eg triglycerides). This is an important fact, because eating foods that contain too much of these fats may cause your levels of cholesterol to increase, as the body can synthesize cholesterol using them.
- Synthesis: Most of the cells of the body can make cholesterol from simple compounds. The liver is particularly active in this process. It secretes cholesterol into the blood, mainly attached to LDL. The LDL finds its way to various tissues, and delivers its cholesterol to their cells. When cholesterol eventually leaves these tissues, it is attached to HDL, which directs cholesterol to the liver, partly for excretion from the body via the bile and intestines.
LDL carries the "bad" cholesterol, that can accumulate in the walls of arteries, and perhaps lead to heart attacks or strokes. High levels of LDL cholesterol (LDL-C) in the blood are a bad sign, as they predispose to heart attacks and strokes.
HDL is said to carry the "good" cholesterol (HDL-C), because its cholesterol is carried away from the plaques present in the walls of arteries, to the liver. A high level of blood HDL-C is a good sign that your body is able to get rid of the "bad" cholesterol.
Note that both LDL and HDL carry chemically identical molecules of cholesterol; it is the fate of the cholesterol that differs between these two types of molecules.
FACTORS AFFECTING LEVELS OF BLOOD CHOLESTEROL:
- Family History Of High Blood Cholesterol
- Increasing Age
- Males Are More Prone To Having High Cholesterol Levels
- Cholesterol Levels Rise In Women After The Menopause
- Diet High In Total Fat And Saturated Fat
- Sedentary Lifestyle And Lack Of Exercise
- Excess Body Weight
- High Levels Of Stress
- Pregnancy
- Certain Prescription Drugs
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