Cholesterol Imbalance
Without it you could die.

Cholesterol Imbalance

Cholesterol is essential for life. Without it you would die.

Despite many misconceptions about cholesterol these 2 facts are true. Cholesterol has major effects on your level of fitness and your longevity. It is critical for your body to produce hormones, particularly the sex hormones progesterone and testosterone.What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance (a lipid) produced by the liver. It is needed by your body to complete multiple functions such as building and maintaining cell membranes, balancing your hormones and manufacturing vitamin D.

Another lipid, triglyceride is important in building cell structure too. It is also used in making hormones and producing energy.

So, when is cholesterol bad?

Cholesterol Imbalance

Cholesterol levels have to be balanced. Medical experts agree that when your blood cholesterol levels become too high it can cause serious problems for your body. If you have too high a level in your system you at risk of suffering a heart attack or stroke.

Conversely, if you have too low a level in your system your vital hormone and cell functions may be gravely compromised. It is crucial therefore that a balance between these points is reached and maintained to preserve health.

High blood cholesterol means that you have an excess of fatty cholesterol deposits in your system. This is a major risk factor in the development of heart disease. It can contribute to hardening and narrowing of the arteries (atherosclerosis), causing chest pain (angina), cardiovascular disease and, if the vessel is blocked, a heart attack.

High cholesterol also increases the risk of other conditions such as stroke (if the blood supply to part of the brain is reduced) and peripheral vascular disease (narrowed blood vessels in the limbs) leading to pain in the extremities, ulcers and possible infection.

But remember…too little cholesterol is also dangerous…cholesterol imbalance.

We know that too much cholesterol can seriously damage your health, but just as importantly you need to be aware that too little cholesterol is just as damaging.

Cholesterol levels below 190 for men and below 178 for women have been shown to increase the risk of having a stroke.

It has been proven that low cholesterol levels can also result in a reduction of serotonin production – a major factor in mood disorders - with a serious link being found between too little cholesterol and cases of depression and even suicide.

Plus, dangerously low cholesterol has been associated with an increase in mortality rates in cancer patients, senility and impotency.

So you see the emphasis must be placed on cholesterol BALANCE and not cholesterol ELIMINATION.

The difference between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol types,Cholesterol Imbalance

Cholesterol is primarily composed of two forms, LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) and HDL (High Density Lipoprotein).

LDLs (Low Density Lipoproteins)These are known as the ‘bad’ or ‘oxidized’ form of cholesterol. They attach to the walls of your arteries and create 'plaque'. This plaque accumulates over time and creates a blockage in your arteries causing a heart attack, or in your brain capillaries, starving your brain of oxygen and causing a stroke.

To achieve good health your LDL cholesterol needs to be as low as possible.

HDLs (High Density Lipoproteins)Thse are known as the ‘good' form of cholesterol. HDL cholesterol travels in your bloodstream picking up excess LDL cholesterol and transporting it back to your liver for reprocessing and excretion.

To achieve good health and ensure adequate ‘cleaning’ of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol from your system, your HDL level needs to be as high as possible.

Because of this important relationship between your LDL and your HDL cholesterol, the most significant figures to examine when looking at your cholesterol test results is not your total cholesterol, but rather the ratio between your LDL and HDL cholesterol levels, cholesterol imbalance.

You want your LDL level to be as low as possible to prevent cholesterol building up in the arteries, and you want your HDL level to be as high as possible to ensure adequate ‘cleaning’ of LDL cholesterol from your bloodstream.

Cholesterol levels have to be balanced. Medical experts agree that when your blood cholesterol levels become too high it can cause serious problems for your body.

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