If you have found out that you have really high cholesterol levels and are wondering why this is the case. You are probably also asking how you can lower these levels, what the risks are, and just plain, what is this? Many people with high cholesterol levels focus on trying to lower these without actually understanding the nature of cholesterol. While it is not imperative to know, it is a good idea to have some insight into just what is cholesterol. Understanding more about cholesterol will help you to understand why you should keep cholesterol levels low.
So what is cholesterol? Cholesterol is quite simply a class of aerobic chemical compounds that are mostly hydrophobic in nature. So what the heck does that mean? Well, if you never took organic chemistry or biochemistry in college, or never went to college, it doesn't mean a whole lot. Even if you took those classes, it still doesn't tell you very much.
Perhaps a better way to answer the question is to look at what cholesterol does to the body. Cholesterol does serve a purpose in the body, it is not all bad in nature. Cholesterol provides the membranes of cells with a flexible, fluid quality in animals. Unlike the cells of plants which are inflexible, animal cells have to bend and flex without breaking. Cells in animals (of which we humans are), have membranes that consist of a double layer of lipids. Each lipid cell layer has a hydrophilic head and tail. The hydrophilic head aligns with the watery interior and exterior of the cell, and the tail aligns in the centre of the cell which is relatively free of water. Cholesterol likes to be in the centre of the double layer of lipids in the cell membrane, and its molecules are small enough to flow freely here. This flow of cholesterol molecules is what allows the cell membrane to remain elastic and flexible.
The conclusion we get from this is that cholesterol is vital to life. Now this is where the good and the bad comes in. Cholesterol cannot make its own way around the body, it has to be carried by lipoprotein carriers, there are many of these but the most significant are HDL and LDL. It is LDL levels that tell us when we have too much bad cholesterol on the body and we need to lower these levels before they become dangerous. LDL is the artery clogging cholesterol.
When people ask me 'what is cholesterol?' that's usually what I tell them. I also tell them that it is an essential building block of several hormones, and is naturally produced by the liver. While our diets typically have plenty of cholesterol in them, the liver will naturally be able to meet all of our cholesterol needs without getting any from food. Therefore, you can never eat too little cholesterol. So, the next time someone asks you 'what is cholesterol?' you know what to say. - 15255
So what is cholesterol? Cholesterol is quite simply a class of aerobic chemical compounds that are mostly hydrophobic in nature. So what the heck does that mean? Well, if you never took organic chemistry or biochemistry in college, or never went to college, it doesn't mean a whole lot. Even if you took those classes, it still doesn't tell you very much.
Perhaps a better way to answer the question is to look at what cholesterol does to the body. Cholesterol does serve a purpose in the body, it is not all bad in nature. Cholesterol provides the membranes of cells with a flexible, fluid quality in animals. Unlike the cells of plants which are inflexible, animal cells have to bend and flex without breaking. Cells in animals (of which we humans are), have membranes that consist of a double layer of lipids. Each lipid cell layer has a hydrophilic head and tail. The hydrophilic head aligns with the watery interior and exterior of the cell, and the tail aligns in the centre of the cell which is relatively free of water. Cholesterol likes to be in the centre of the double layer of lipids in the cell membrane, and its molecules are small enough to flow freely here. This flow of cholesterol molecules is what allows the cell membrane to remain elastic and flexible.
The conclusion we get from this is that cholesterol is vital to life. Now this is where the good and the bad comes in. Cholesterol cannot make its own way around the body, it has to be carried by lipoprotein carriers, there are many of these but the most significant are HDL and LDL. It is LDL levels that tell us when we have too much bad cholesterol on the body and we need to lower these levels before they become dangerous. LDL is the artery clogging cholesterol.
When people ask me 'what is cholesterol?' that's usually what I tell them. I also tell them that it is an essential building block of several hormones, and is naturally produced by the liver. While our diets typically have plenty of cholesterol in them, the liver will naturally be able to meet all of our cholesterol needs without getting any from food. Therefore, you can never eat too little cholesterol. So, the next time someone asks you 'what is cholesterol?' you know what to say. - 15255
About the Author:
Dane Masters is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about Avoiding Heart Bypass Surgery, please visit Drink for Healthy Joints for current articles and discussions.
