Is There Anything Good About Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is largely misunderstood in society today, often seen only as a negative aspect of human health. Many people believe they need to stay away from foods like hamburgers and egg yolks because they contain high levels of ‘bad’ cholesterol, but this isn’t exactly true. Cholesterol is a naturally occurring substance made in the liver and lining of cells—and is vital for human survival. Not only does this fat steroid regulate and maintain the health and function of cellular structures, it is also the building block of reproductive hormones testosterone, estrogen and progesterone, of bile salts, and it converts sunlight into vitamin D when the skin comes in contact with sunlight. 

So How Did Cholesterol Receive Its Bad Reputation? 

While cholesterol is necessary for human health, too much of the waxy substance can have disastrous effects. Although most of your cholesterol is produced by your body, the foods you eat (usually meat and dairy products) and the lifestyle you keep can increase the levels of cholesterol in your body. When you are consuming too much cholesterol in your diet, plaques can build up in the bloodstream, narrowing blood vessels, clogging arteries, and eventually blocking organs like the heart (resulting in heart attack) or the brain (resulting in a stroke). While the bad effects of cholesterol may be fatal, it is important to remember that cholesterol in its purest form is benevolent; it is through excess and overconsumption when problems occur. 

What is the Difference Between Good and Bad Cholesterol? 

Cholesterol is transported between the bloodstream and the liver, and what people call good and bad cholesterols are actually the protein carriers that are facilitating this movement. Therefore, bad cholesterol is in actuality the presence of too much cholesterol in the blood, where, over time, it will slowly clog the arteries and inhibit the body’s functions. Good cholesterol, on the other hand, is actually the transporting of cholesterol out of the bloodstream, and back into the liver where it can be metabolized. 

In conclusion, the first step to a healthy cholesterol level is in understanding that cholesterol is not a bad thing on its own, but becomes an issue when it is allows to get out of control. Talk to your doctor about cholesterol, and you may even want to consider getting your levels tested. That way, you can find out if you’re at risk for high cholesterol and can get proactive about fighting it, before you are forced to due to health problems. 

An estimated 30 million of American currency taking statin medications such as such as generic Crestor for lowering their level of the bad stuff and raise the good with a dramatic effect.