Cholesterol is a lipid or a fat-like substance that the body
needs for several processes. The absence or excess of it can
cause an imbalance in the body.

The Importance of Cholesterol in the Body

Cholesterol is responsible for several functions in the body.
Here are some of them:

1. It is used to make vitamin D. Vitamin D is synthesized using
sunlight and cholesterol. This process takes place under the
human skin.

2. It absorbs the fat and fatty acids from the human
intestines.

3. The body produces steroid hormones using cholesterol.

There are two kinds of cholesterol that exists in the body.
These are the LDL, and the HDL forms of cholesterol. LDL is used
by the body to perform the above-mentioned functions. HDL, on
the other hand, is used by the body to clean up the excess
cholesterol in the bloodstream and tissues so that it can be
disposed of.

You might wonder now, if cholesterol is actually an important
part of the body, why is it linked to heart complications and
disease? In the Quaker Oats commercial, it is touted to
contribute to a healthy heart by removing the cholesterol in our
bloodstream so it will not clog and cause heart diseases. Why is
there a need to do so when cholesterol is actually needed for
some bodily functions?

Causes of High LDL

In reality, LDL does not directly contribute to heart disease
as we are sometimes led to believe because of misleading
advertisements. The problem can only arise if the LDL levels in
our blood go way beyond the norm. An excess of LDL can cause a
condition known as atherosclerosis, in which cholesterol as well
as other dangerous substances in the body start to build up
inside the arteries. When this happens, you are mostly likely
going to suffer a heart attack or a stroke.

LDL build-up in the blood can be caused by a high saturated fat
diet. This happens when you consume too much butter, cream,
cheese and other full-fat dairy products. Some meats and many
baked, fried and snack foods also high amounts of saturated fat.
It can also be found from palm or coconut oil, so it is
important to note that having vegetable oil as one of the
ingredients in a product does not necessarily mean it is a low
fat product.

High LDL levels can also be hereditary, which means you inherit
it from your family. There is nothing you can do about this,
except to watch your saturated fat diet so the LDL in your body
does not have to rise higher than it already is.

Ways to Lower or Maintain a Low LDL in the Blood

Obviously, we have to lower our saturated fat diet in order to
maintain a low or optimal level of LDL in the body. How can we
do this?

First, it would be helpful to switch to reduced-fat or low-fat
diets rather than full-fat dairy foods. You should also replace
solid cooking fats with unsaturated cooking oils like sunflower,
soybean or olive. When eating snacks, avoid as much as possible
biscuits, cakes, pastries and fried snack foods.

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