Why is Cholesterol Required by The Body?

What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a substance produced in the liver that is essential to human life. You can also get cholesterol from food. Since it can not be created by plants, you can find it in animal products such as meat and dairy products.

In our body, cholesterol has three primary objectives:

• It helps in the production of sex hormones.
• It is a building block for human tissue.
• It helps in the production of bile in the liver.
• These are important functions, depending on the presence of cholesterol. But too much of a good thing is not good at all.

LDL And HDL 
When people talk of cholesterol, they often use the terms LDL and HDL. Both are lipoproteins, which are compounds in fat and proteins that are responsible for transporting cholesterol in the body in the blood.

LDL is low-density lipoprotein, often called "bad" cholesterol. HDL is high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or "good."

Why bad LDL?
LDL is known as the "bad" cholesterol because too much of it can lead to hardening of the arteries.

According to the American Heart Association, led LDL plaque buildup on the walls of your arteries. When plaque forms, it can cause two distinct problems, and just as bad ,.

First, it can narrow the blood vessels, forcing the flow of oxygen-rich blood throughout the body. Second, it can lead to the formation of blood clots, which can break off and block blood flow, causing a heart attack or stroke.

Regarding your cholesterol, your LDL is the one you want to keep low - ideally less than 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg / dl).

Why is HDL good?
HDL helps keep your cardiovascular system healthy. It actually helps in the removal of LDL arteries.

It carries the bad cholesterol back to the liver, where it is decomposed and removed from the body.

High levels of HDL have also been shown to protect against stroke and heart attacks, while low HDL has been shown to increase the risks.

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), are considered HDL levels of 60 mg / dl and more protection, while those under 40 mg / dL are a risk factor for heart disease.

Total cholesterol goals
When you have your cholesterol levels, you will receive measures both your HDL and LDL, but also for your total cholesterol and triglycerides.

A total cholesterol level of the ideal is less than 200 mg / dL. Anything between 200 and 239 mg / dL is borderline, and anything above 240 mg / dL is high.

Triglyceride is another type of fat in the blood. Like cholesterol, too much is a bad thing. But experts are still unclear on the details of these fats.

high triglycerides usually accompany high cholesterol and are associated with an increased risk of heart disease. But we do not know whether high triglycerides are a risk factor.

Doctors generally weigh the importance of your triglyceride number compared with other measures such as obesity, cholesterol levels, and more.

Given these numbers in check
There are many things that influence your cholesterol levels - which some of you have control over. Although heredity may play a role, it is also the diet, weight and exercise.

Eating foods that are low in cholesterol and saturated fats, regular exercise and managing your weight are all associated with lower cholesterol levels and lower risk of cardiovascular disease.