Interesting Facts About Cholesterol You Didn’t Know

Most of us have the stereotyped notion that cholesterols are bad for health and it is nothing but a fatty substance that results in many diseases. But the truth is that, cholesterols are actually essential for the smooth functioning of our internal systems. Cholesterol is waxy and fat like substance that is present in each and every cell of our body. There are various types of cholesterols in our body that have different functions. Your body requires cholesterol to make hormones, vitamin D along with such substances that aid in digestion process.

While most of the cholesterol is made within our body, there are dietary cholesterols which are present in the food you consume. Though cholesterol is a body requirement and the blood stream contains cholesterol, we need to have controlled consumption of dietary cholesterol so that the levels of cholesterol in the body is balanced. Heart diseases are a direct result of the high level of cholesterol in the body. To avoid being victimised to heart diseases, we must lower the cholesterol level by consuming less fatty foods and incorporating more fruits and vegetables in our diet.

Your changing lifestyle has brought about a change in your food patterns too and you are now forwarding to an age that is making you dependent on outside junk food and packaged food stuffs. This has caused an imbalance in the cholesterol levels in the body. You need to keep yourselves update about how cholesterols is affecting your health by reading these interesting facts about cholesterol you didn’t know:

1. Cholesterol Levels May Be Linked With Your Genes

How your body manages the cholesterol levels also depends upon your genes. The genetic factors is said to be one of the most uncontrolled factor that leads to high LDL or bad cholesterol along with triglycerides in the body. In fact, there is a rare condition called hypercholesterolemia that causes high cholesterol production in the body and it has a very complex treatment.

2. You Don’t Need Much Of Dietary Cholesterol

You need to consume low cholesterol food stuffs as your liver produces enough cholesterol to meet the body’s requirements. When you have additional cholesterol, there are high chances that your blood cholesterol level will rise and in the long term, it may cause thick deposits that clog the arteries. You need to limit your cholesterol consumption to 300 mg per day and if you are a heart patient, then you need to limit it to 200 mg.

3. Even Children Can Suffer From High Cholesterol Issues

Cholesterol deposits don’t instantly rise in the body. It has a long history and since childhood, the cholesterol accumulates in the body. Children nowadays, are more inclined towards outside food that is oily and unhealthy and indulge in sweet delights that are high in fats and sugar. Therefore, there are evidences of high plaque deposits in the arteries of children as per a medical study. It is therefore, recommended to monitor the child’s health periodically, so that the doctor can accordingly make suggestions for improving the child’s well being.

4. Weight Loss Can Reduce High Cholesterol Levels

People who are overweight can simply attain best health condition by reducing the extra weight. Even slightest of the weight loss can protect you from many endangering lifestyle diseases. Your high cholesterol levels also can be lowered if you properly exercise and have more healthy food stuffs. If you plan to shed down even 10 percent of your body weight, then there will a vast improvement in your cholesterol as well as blood sugar levels.

Recommended: 10 Tips For Lowering LDL Cholesterol Naturally

5. Saturated & Trans Fats Effect Cholesterol Levels

As you know by now that consumption of dietary cholesterol increases the level of cholesterol in the blood while the body itself does majority of the cholesterol production. But when you intake more of saturated fats and trans fats in the form of oily junk foods, meat products, poultry and dairy products, then such fats come in combination with dietary cholesterol that not only increases the cholesterol level in the body but also affects your weight adversely.

6. Menopause Causes Rise In Cholesterol Levels

As females reach menopause, they have many changes in their body that include hormonal changes too. Before menopause, it is said that females have comparatively lesser level of cholesterol than males. But after menopause, the changes in the hormones causes a rise in the bad cholesterol called LDL and a decline in the good cholesterol like HDL.

7. High Cholesterol Can Cause Small Bumps On Skin

Sometimes, older people tend to develop small bumps on their skin in the elbows, knees and hands or any other part of the body. This small bumps can be a sign of high cholesterol in their bodies. This kind of disorder is called xanthomas and it is common in people with medical conditions causing high blood lipids.

8. Very Low Cholesterol Level May Adversely Affect Health

Since cholesterol is very essential and is a lubricating agent in the body, many studies are being carried on to see the impact of very low cholesterol on the well being of a person. It has been said by medical experts that if the level of cholesterol in the body falls below minimum cholesterol requirement of 160 mg/dL, then a person is in risk of being gripped from diseases such as cancer and depression. In case of a pregnant woman, if the level of cholesterol is too low, then there is risk of high complexity such as early delivery and even low weight of the baby during birth.

Read more: Why Low Cholesterol is NOT Good For You

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