Protect Your Body By Learning What Cholesterol Is
Cholesterol is one of the most common health terms that people hear about in commercials, but their knowledge generally extends no further than too much or too little of it is bad. Many people might not even know the crucial role it plays in keeping the body functioning or where it can be found. To give you a more thorough knowledge of this vital bodily material, you'll learn in this article what cholesterol is, where it can be found, and what it does for you.
Location and Purpose
To learn what cholesterol is, you should first understand where it can be found in the body. Every single tissue cell contains cholesterol in its membrane. Cholesterol is transported in blood plasma, so it's essentially located in every single inch of your body. However, there is generally a very small amount to be found within a body (only around 30-40 grams of the stuff), so it's really spread out.
So now you know where cholesterol can be found, but exactly what is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a lipid, or rather a type of "fat-soluble," or ability to dissolve in fats and oils, material found naturally in the body. Cholesterol is also synthesized in the body, especially in the liver, intestines, adrenal glands, and reproductive organs. But to fully understand what cholesterol is, you have to know the purpose it serves.
Cholesterol serves several very important functions, chiefly among them the regulation of cell membranes. Without cholesterol, cell membranes would be much weaker and less fluid. Think of it this way: without cholesterol, a cell membrane would be like a shirt made out of paper. With cholesterol, that shirt becomes a cotton blend, gaining both strength and fluidity. However, cholesterol is also vital to the metabolism of many important vitamins and minerals, which help boost our immune systems, bones, and even eyesight. Recent reports even indicate that cholesterol may serve as an antioxidant, which can help prevent cancer and other diseases. Unfortunately, that is not the entire answer to the question of what cholesterol is.
High levels of certain types of cholesterol, what is commonly referred to as "bad cholesterol" or LDL (low density lipoprotein), have a very strong relationship to all forms of cardiovascular diseases. That's what most people hear about on television when they listen to commercials about lowering cholesterol, either through different diets or medications which help lower a person's LDL levels. Now you have a basic understanding of what cholesterol is, but there is even more information to read up on if you want to maximize the benefits of HDL (high density lipoprotein or "good cholesterol") while protecting yourself against high LDL levels.
