Know your Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that occurs naturally in all parts of the body and that your body needs to function normally. It is present in cell walls or membranes everywhere in the body, including the brain, nerves, muscle, skin, liver, intestines, and heart. Your body uses cholesterol to produce many hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat. It takes only a small amount of cholesterol in the blood to meet these needs. If you have too much cholesterol in your bloodstream, the excess is deposited in arteries, including the coronary arteries, where it contributes to the narrowing and blockages that cause the signs and symptoms of heart disease.
Results of the recent Framingham Heart Study established that the higher the blood cholesterol level, the greater the CHD risk. Further clinical trials showed that lowering total and LDL or "bad" cholesterol levels significantly reduces CHD, the chance of having a heart attack, needing bypass surgery or angioplasty and dying of CHD-related causes.
The combination of a low-saturated fat and low-cholesterol diet, physical activity and weight control has many positive effects on your health. In addition to lowering your LDL cholesterol, it can help raise your HDL "good" cholesterol, lower triglycerides, lower your blood pressure, reduce your chance of developing diabetes, improve your fitness level, reduce the tendency to develop blood clots and decrease stress.
