 In
layman terms, cholesterol is a much used and abused term, which simply refers
to a chemical in our system that is now-a-days being recognized as an important
health and lifestyle factor. Soft, waxy, and ever-present in our bloodstream,
it is a cause for concern and source of ambiguity and myths.
In scientific medical terms, it is a combination of alcohol and steroids, and
a lipid made of combinations of long chains of hydrogen and carbon atoms. The
addition and subtraction of these two elements give rise to different types
of sterols.
Cholesterol deposits in the inner layer of the blood vessels causing gradual
occlusion of the vessels called atherosclerosis. When it occurs in the coronary
arteries that supply the cardiac muscles, it precipitates cardiac ischemia,
which if acute, is called heart attack. Similarly with the extremities, it causes
ischemic pain in the limbs during work, walking, writing etc. High blood pressure
results from atherosclerosis due to lack of passage for the volume of blood.
Cholesterol is produced by our body as well as synthesized from what we consume.
It is affected by heredity. Hence even persons careful of their diets often
exhibit high levels of cholesterol. It is frequently associated with such terms
as high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (LDL). As a
result, it often adds to the confusion. Contrary to their names, HDL is the
good cholesterol while LDL is the bad cholesterol.
All fats and oils and such products are broken down in the liver and filtered
for excretion. HDL transports cholesterol to the liver and hence more of it
means healthier body. One of these HDLs is the chylomicron which transports
cholesterols and triglycerides from the intestinal mucosa to the liver and then
itself gets converted to LDL, which in turn transports those same substances
to other body cells, an action in complete opposition to its prior one. Ideally
LDL particles should be large in size/nature but small in numbers. Trouble arises
when it is small in size and larger in numbers. And hence its frequent association
with cardiovascular diseases, patchy cholesterol deposits etc.
What are the main factors?
1. Unhealthy eating habits consisting mostly of unsaturated fats and cholesterol
rich food items and consequently the weight gain.
2. Heredity, since the body itself produces cholesterol and the levels are affected
to a great extent by family history.
3. It has become an occupational hazard due to unearthly hours and inhuman stress
levels.
4. The human biosystem as pertaining to the two sexes and their age.
So, how do we handle this delicate yet troublesome balance??
1. Through food.
2. Through exercise and weight reduction.
3. Through alternate medicinal practices.
4. And last but not the least, through constant self education.
1. If one were to think of food, one would immediately stop having fatty and
spicy stuff. But research shows that reducing such intake often does not give
satisfactory results. It is because we tend to stop the intake of all or most
of the fats and oils without realizing that some of them are absolutely essential
for our body and have to be provided from outside for the normal functioning
of the body. Our dietary intake consists mainly of saturated, unsaturated, and
Trans fats. The last one is a result of deliberately converting unsaturated
fats when making processed foods and so is all the more harmful.
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