Diet To Lower Cholesterol: Discover The Meaning Of Cholesterol

Many people often hear from their doctor about their cholesterol level either being bad or good, but many do not actually understand just exactly what cholesterol is and what its function is in the body. Many often develop a misconception as to what it really does. Cholesterol is simply a waxy substance produced by your liver that is designed to perform a number of tasks for our health.

As we consume foods in our daily diet, our liver takes portions of it and turns it into cholesterol which has an important job which is to building cell walls, producing vitamin D, and to create bile salts which help digest that fat we consume. So why would we worry about consuming too much cholesterol? Essentially because anything we produce in large quantities is bad for us. If we can be aware of just what is cholesterol, then we can learn to watch what we eat on a daily basis.

The Bad Cholesterol Verses The Good Cholesterol.

One easy way to watch our cholesterol level is to understand what foods that we eat in our daily diet which produce the good cholesterol bad cholesterol. Foods that carry animal fat such as dairy and meats carry bad cholesterol, Foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains carry no cholesterol at all.

When we eat foods that have too much bad cholesterol it can cause some major damage such as the hardening of our arteries. This occurs when too much bad cholesterol is in our system because it builds up plaque which blocks the arteries and prevents blood flow.

Good cholesterol on the other hand has a very good job that keeps our body healthy. Its main job is to carry the excess cholesterol back to the liver so bile salts can be created to carry it out of our system.

High Cholesterol Is Caused By What?

When people ask their doctor about their cholesterol level, it usually pertains to a high cholesterol level. There are a number of reasons that we can develop high cholesterol and one most important factor is age. The older we get the more likely we are to develop a high cholesterol level.

There are many explanations as to why we get high cholesterol. One explanation is that we inherit high cholesterol from our parents. If this is the case, then you should be tested to determine if you have inherited this from your parents. Another explanation is physical activity. When we exert ourselves with physical activity, this raises the amount of good cholesterol within our body and thus promotes better health.

When we are determining what is cholesterol, and examining the causes and treatments, we often find that there is a direct link to our cholesterol levels and the food we eat on a daily basis. By eating foods rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables, fish and beans we can help keep the cholesterol in our body low and thus have a healthier life. By trying to avoid eating foods like meat and dairy that make our cholesterol levels high, we can also have a healthier life.

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About The Author, Delyndalardone
Delynda Lardone provides free information how to lower your cholesterol, including tips on foods that lower cholesterol, detailed reviews of diets to lower cholesterol, and low cholesterol recipes . To discover more information on developing a diet to lower your cholesterol, please visit our website on diabetic diets.