What Should We Know About Cholesterol?

Times fly by, more and more people care about their health and the role cholesterol can play.

However, do we truly understand what cholesterol is and what it does? Read this passage, possibly we can learn more about it.

Cholesterol is a waxy substance. It's not inherently “bad.” Your body needs it to build cells and make vitamins and other hormones. But too much cholesterol can pose a problem.

Cholesterol comes from two sources. Your liver makes all the cholesterol you need. The remainder of the cholesterol in your body comes from foods from animals. For example, meat, poultry and dairy products all contain dietary cholesterol.

Those same foods are rich in saturated and trans fats. These fats cause your liver to make more cholesterol than it otherwise would. For some people, this added production means they go from a normal cholesterol level to one that's unhealthy.

Some tropical oils – such as palm oil, palm kernel oil and coconut oil – contain saturated fatty that can increase bad cholesterol. These oils are commonly found in baked goods.

Cholesterol also helps to regulate membrane fluidity over the range of physiological temperatures. It has a hydroxyl group that interacts with the polar head groups of the membrane phospholipids and sphingolipids. These exist along with the nonpolar fatty acid chain of the additional lipids. Cholesterol also prevents the passage of protons (positive hydrogen ions) and sodium ions across the plasma membranes.

The nerve cells are covered with a protective layer or myelin sheath. The myelin sheath is rich in cholesterol. This is because it is derived from compacted layers of Schwann cell membrane. It helps in providing protection, insulation and allows more efficient conduction of nerve impulses.

All in all, cholesterol helps with various bodily functions, including cell building and repair, bile production, and hormone production.

Therefore, we should have our doctor test our cholesterol levels every few years to determine if we are within the typical healthy range.