What Is Cholesterol

Monday 30th November 2009

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a lipid found in the cell membranes of all tissues, and it is transported in the blood plasma of all animals.

Because cholesterol is synthesized by all eukaryotes, trace amounts of cholesterol are also found in membranes of plants and fungi.

The name originates from the Greek chole- (bile) and stereos (solid), and the chemical suffix -ol for an alcohol, as researchers first identified cholesterol in solid form in gallstones by François Poulletier de la Salle in 1769. However, it is only in 1815 that chemist Eugène Chevreul named the compound "cholesterine".

Most of the cholesterol is synthesized by the body and some has dietary origin. Cholesterol is more abundant in tissues which either synthesize more or have more abundant densely-packed membranes, for example, the liver, spinal cord and brain.

It plays a central role in many biochemical processes, such as the composition of cell membranes and the synthesis of steroid hormones. Cholesterol is insoluble in blood, but is transported in the circulatory system bound to one of the varieties of lipoprotein, spherical particles which have an exterior composed mainly of water-soluble proteins.

The main types, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) carry cholesterol from and to the liver.According to the lipid hypothesis, abnormally high cholesterol levels (hypercholesterolemia) and abnormal proportions of LDL and HDL are associated with cardiovascular disease by promoting atheroma development in arteries (atherosclerosis).

This disease process leads to myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke and peripheral vascular disease. As high LDL contributes to this process, it is termed "bad cholesterol", while high levels of HDL ("good cholesterol") offer a degree of protection.

The balance can be redressed with exercise, a healthy diet, and sometimes medication.

For more information visit: http://www.hypercet.com

See you tomorrow!

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6 Ways To Lower Your Cholesterol

Wednesday 14th October 2009

Your doctor has told you that you have hypercholesterolemia (that's high cholesterol to you and me) and your doctor has probably told you that you need a complete change of lifesytle in order to control your condition.

Having a high cholesterol level puts you at risk of developing cardiovascular disease and even if you have been prescribed cholesterol medication to bring you levels down, you still need to help yourself by making sensible food and general healthy lifestyle choices.

Here we look at six things you can do today to help lower your cholesterol.

- Portion control. One food portion is usually what would fit into your hand. One serving of fresh fruit is about the size of your fist and cooked vegetables, rice and pasta should fit into your cupped hand. The next time you are preparing your meals or serving your food, be aware of how much you are actually allowing yourself to eat.

- Load your plate with fruits and vegetables. This will have two benefits, it will take away more of the fat element on your plate as you replace meats and potatoes with vegetables, and also fill your plate with antioxidants.>br>

- Eat From The Sea. A heart healthy diet has to include at least two portions of fish per week on the menu. Low in saturated fats and high in essential Omega-3 fatty acids opt for fish such as tuna, trout, sardines and salmon. Whatever you do, don't be tempted to put your fish in the deep fryer, this will only counter act the health benefits.

- Go nuts! Replace your regular snacks with a small portion of nuts. Nuts help lower cholesterol and studies have shown those who eat a small amount of nuts every day significantly reduced their risk of heart disease. Do remember to eat only a small amount as nuts are high in calories.

-Move more. Thirty minutes of exercise every day, five days per week can help to lower your cholesterol levels, but don't let this be your limit. The more exercise you do the better. If thirty minutes is too much, you can break it down into smaller ten minute sessions.

- Be a loser. Losing weight is the best thing you can do to control your situation. Being overweight affects the lining of your arteries making them prone to collecting cholesterol plaque. Aim to keep you BMI (body mass index) to under 25. If you are not sure how to calculate your BMI, you can find a great little calculator by visiting a previous post here.

I hope you found this useful. See you again tomorrow with a great weight loss post!

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