Cholesterol facts
 Cholesterol is a waxy substance that comes from your body and from
food. It is essential to the human body for proper functioning. If your
diet is high in cholesterol, your body will respond by producing less
cholesterol and increasing the amount of cholesterol it excretes. However,
some people genetically produce too much cholesterol regardless of the
cholesterol content of their diet.
The Good the Bad & the Ugly
The terms "good cholesterol" and "bad cholesterol"
refer to the way cholesterol is carried in your body. Cholesterol is
carried mainly by low density lipoproteins (LDL). It is currently thought
that LDL carries cholesterol to the cells and allows it to build up on the
arteries. HDL, high density lipoproteins, pick up cholesterol from the
cells and carries it to the liver to be broken down. For optimal health,
HDL levels should be up, while LDL levels should be down.
How to Control It
Dietary cholesterol is found only in foods of animal origin including
meat, dairy products and eggs. The American Heart Association recommends
that no more than 300mg of cholesterol be consumed per day. Because the
body regulates cholesterol, the amount of saturated fat in your diet is
more detrimental to your blood cholesterol level than dietary cholesterol
alone.
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