CHOLESTEROL
Cholesterol, a waxy substance produced by the liver and found in certain foods, is needed to make vitamin D and some hormones, build cell walls, and create bile salts that help you digest fat. Actually, your liver produces about 1,000 milligrams of cholesterol a day.
Too much cholesterol in the body can lead to serious problems like heart disease. Many factors can contribute to high cholesterol, but the good news is there are things you can do to control them.
Lipids are fats that are found throughout the body. Cholesterol, a type of lipid, is found in foods from animal sources. This means that eggs, meats, and whole-fat dairy products (including milk, cheese, and ice cream) are loaded with cholesterol — and vegetables, fruits, and grains contain none.
The liver produces about 1,000 milligrams of cholesterol a day, and you probably consume about 150 to 250 milligrams in the foods you eat.
Because cholesterol can't travel alone through the bloodstream, it has to combine with certain proteins. These proteins, pick up the cholesterol and transport it to different parts of the body. When this happens, the cholesterol and protein form a lipoprotein together.
The two most important types of lipoproteins are high-density lipoproteins (or HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (or LDL). You've probably heard people call LDL cholesterol "bad cholesterol" and HDL cholesterol "good cholesterol" because of their very different effects on the body. Most cholesterol is LDL cholesterol, and this is the kind that's most likely to clog the blood vessels, keeping blood from flowing through the body the way it should.
On the other hand, HDL cholesterol removes cholesterol from the blood vessels and carries it back to the liver, where it can be processed and sent out of the body.
When you have too much cholesterol, it can be dangerous to your health. When LDL cholesterol levels are high, cholesterol is deposited on the walls of arteries and forms a hard substance called plaque. Over time, plaque causes the arteries to become narrower, decreasing blood flow and causing a condition called atherosclerosis (pronounced: ah-thuh-ro-skluh-ro-sis), or hardening of the arteries.
When atherosclerosis affects the coronary arteries (the blood vessels that supply the muscles of the heart), the condition is called coronary artery disease, which puts a person at risk for having a heart attack. When atherosclerosis affects the blood vessels that supply the brain, the condition is called cerebral vascular disease, which puts a person at risk of having a stroke.
Atherosclerosis may also block blood flow to other vital organs, including the kidneys and intestines. This is why it's so important to start paying attention to cholesterol levels as a teen — you can delay or prevent serious health problems in the future.
What Causes High LDL Cholesterol Levels?Some of the factors that can lead to high cholesterol are:
Too much cholesterol in the body can lead to serious problems like heart disease. Many factors can contribute to high cholesterol, but the good news is there are things you can do to control them.
Lipids are fats that are found throughout the body. Cholesterol, a type of lipid, is found in foods from animal sources. This means that eggs, meats, and whole-fat dairy products (including milk, cheese, and ice cream) are loaded with cholesterol — and vegetables, fruits, and grains contain none.
The liver produces about 1,000 milligrams of cholesterol a day, and you probably consume about 150 to 250 milligrams in the foods you eat.
Because cholesterol can't travel alone through the bloodstream, it has to combine with certain proteins. These proteins, pick up the cholesterol and transport it to different parts of the body. When this happens, the cholesterol and protein form a lipoprotein together.
The two most important types of lipoproteins are high-density lipoproteins (or HDL) and low-density lipoproteins (or LDL). You've probably heard people call LDL cholesterol "bad cholesterol" and HDL cholesterol "good cholesterol" because of their very different effects on the body. Most cholesterol is LDL cholesterol, and this is the kind that's most likely to clog the blood vessels, keeping blood from flowing through the body the way it should.
On the other hand, HDL cholesterol removes cholesterol from the blood vessels and carries it back to the liver, where it can be processed and sent out of the body.
When you have too much cholesterol, it can be dangerous to your health. When LDL cholesterol levels are high, cholesterol is deposited on the walls of arteries and forms a hard substance called plaque. Over time, plaque causes the arteries to become narrower, decreasing blood flow and causing a condition called atherosclerosis (pronounced: ah-thuh-ro-skluh-ro-sis), or hardening of the arteries.
When atherosclerosis affects the coronary arteries (the blood vessels that supply the muscles of the heart), the condition is called coronary artery disease, which puts a person at risk for having a heart attack. When atherosclerosis affects the blood vessels that supply the brain, the condition is called cerebral vascular disease, which puts a person at risk of having a stroke.
Atherosclerosis may also block blood flow to other vital organs, including the kidneys and intestines. This is why it's so important to start paying attention to cholesterol levels as a teen — you can delay or prevent serious health problems in the future.
What Causes High LDL Cholesterol Levels?Some of the factors that can lead to high cholesterol are:
- Overweight — Excess weight has been linked with high cholesterol levels.
- Heredity — If cholesterol problems or heart disease run in your family, you are at a higher risk for having problems.
- Diet — Remember the saying "you are what you eat"? Avoid foods that are high in cholesterol, saturated fat, and trans fat, all of which increase cholesterol levels and your risk of developing heart disease.
- Age — The risk of high cholesterol increases as you get older.
Some people who have high cholesterol levels need to be on medication as part of their treatment to lower it. To see if you have high cholesterol, talk to your doctor, who can test your cholesterol levels by drawing a sample of your blood.
You can't change your genes but there are things you can do now to decrease your risk for heart disease later.
The American Heart Association recommends that cholesterol intake should be less than 300 milligrams a day, total fat intake should be 30% or less of your total calories, saturated fat should be 10% or less of the total daily calories, and trans fats should be less than 1% of the total calories you consume.
Also, maintain a healthy weight and get moving. Regular aerobic exercise — stuff like biking, walking, and swimming — strengthens your heart, lowers cholesterol, and helps you to lose excess weight. For people who smoke, quitting can help decrease the risk of heart disease.
You can't change your genes but there are things you can do now to decrease your risk for heart disease later.
The American Heart Association recommends that cholesterol intake should be less than 300 milligrams a day, total fat intake should be 30% or less of your total calories, saturated fat should be 10% or less of the total daily calories, and trans fats should be less than 1% of the total calories you consume.
Also, maintain a healthy weight and get moving. Regular aerobic exercise — stuff like biking, walking, and swimming — strengthens your heart, lowers cholesterol, and helps you to lose excess weight. For people who smoke, quitting can help decrease the risk of heart disease.
