Cholesterol – The Basics
There is a lot of jargon to be found in conversations about health, and in talk about cholesterol in particular. Sometimes visiting the GP can feel like listening to another language. But what is cholesterol, and how does it really affect your health?
What is cholesterol doing in the body?
The word cholesterol actually refers to a waxy, fatty substance that occurs naturally in the body and helps individual cells to work, and so is vital for overall bodily health. The substance is carried around on molecules called ‘lipoproteins.’ There are lots of different types of lipoproteins, and two in particular are important to our understanding of impact of cholesterol on our health: LDL and HDL.
The cholesterol that sticks to LDL is ‘bad’ cholesterol, meaning that too much of it in our blood stream can cause issues. HDL cholesterol, on the other hand, is beneficial, as it can remove cholesterol from the arties and take it to the liver to be eliminated. We need to make sure we keep this above 1mmol/litre, while maintaining our overall total cholesterol (both LDL and HDL) within the recommended normal levels.
When health experts discuss cholesterol being too high they are referring to LDL-cholesterol. This type can build up on arterial walls if there is too much of it, and is considered one of the risk factors of heart disease. People are therefore often advised to lower their LDL-cholesterol level, although it’s worth bearing in mind that there is more than one risk factor for heart disease, and it is important to take care of all of them to reduce the overall risk of it.
What is cholesterol caused by?
A whole range of issues, such as your age, family history, and weight, affects cholesterol. Because the dietary factors influencing our cholesterol levels are relatively easy to change, though, doctors tend to focus on this first and foremost. This means replacing the saturated fat in your diet with unsaturated fat and potentially eating special cholesterol lowering foods, like plant sterols or beta-glucan.
If you are trying to lower cholesterol, it’s good to be aware of the recommended levels, so you and your doctor can agree on an appropriate goal. For a healthy adult LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol should usually be less than 3.0mmol per litre, although this may change if you are considered to be at a higher risk of developing heart disease due to other factors.
People who know their cholesterol levels to be higher than the recommended limit can talk to a health practitioner about small steps they can take to try and lower their cholesterol level. It’s actually easier than you might think, and there’s no reason to cut out all the treats along the way. With a little bit of effort your heart can stay healthier for much longer!
