Revisiting Cholesterol

ROLES, RESPONSIBILITIES, RECENT RESEARCH

After all the new information you read, hear, and watch about cholesterol, do you have a throbbing headache right now?

We’ll try and help you better understand the confusion about cholesterol. Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in the foods we eat and in the cells that make up our bodies. Your liver can produce all the cholesterol your body needs, so you don’t need to worry about consuming enough cholesterol.

The Essential Roles of Cholesterol in Your Body

Maintenance and formation of cell membranes and structures. Cholesterol enables the cell membrane to be more fluid by inserting itself between fat molecules that make up the cell. The cell’s thickness, fluidity, water penetration, compressibility, and intrinsic curvature are optimised. Cholesterol also helps cells adapt to alterations in temperature.

Cholesterol is required in the production of critical hormones, the most important of which is the stress hormone (cortisol). It’s also used to produce the sex hormones oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.

Your liver utilises cholesterol to produce bile. Bile is a fluid necessary for the digestion and processing of fats.

Cholesterol provides insulation for nerve cells. It’s also one of the factors that allows nerve cells to exchange electrical signals and communicate with each other.

Cholesterol is required to produce vitamin D. In the presence of adequate sunlight, cholesterol transforms to vitamin D.

WHAT THE LATEST RESEARCH IS SAYING ABOUT CHOLESTEROL

1. Researchers are now aware that prebiotics (compounds that feed good bacteria) and probiotics (good bacteria) can lower triglycerides and LDL (bad cholesterol). A bonus is that they may also increase HDL levels (good cholesterol).


2. Dietary cholesterol doesn’t directly affect your blood cholesterol levels. So, it seems logical and straightforward that eating cholesterol will increase blood cholesterol levels, right? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Your body has strict controls and tightly regulates the level of cholesterol in the blood by managing its own production of cholesterol.



If you lower your intake of cholesterol, your liver will respond by making more. If you increase your intake, it follows that your liver makes less. Because of this, the amount of cholesterol in your diet has minimal effect on your blood cholesterol levels.




But, some people who eat a lot of cholesterol-rich foods increase their blood cholesterol levels. They make up approximately 40% of the general population and are often called hyper responders (to dietary cholesterol). The tendency of this 40% is predominantly based on genetics. As a consequence, you can’t do much about that tendency. No one can alter their genes. Hyper responders counteract these effects by naturally increasing HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) to lower their risk for heart disease.




Even the American Heart Association isn’t worried about your dietary cholesterol and its relationship with blood cholesterol levels. What they do emphasise is recommending healthy eating patterns that don’t just concentrate on low levels of cholesterol.




Unfortunately, there are always exceptions to the rule. Some people increase their blood cholesterol levels when they eat cholesterol-rich foods and then elevate their chances of developing cardiovascular diseases.




3. Don’t get too excited yet with this latest news on cholesterol, as it’s still in the testing phase. Scientists from Stanford University and Michigan State University have created a nanoparticle that gobbles up parts of plaques that cause heart attacks. This nanoparticle is a small object unseen by the naked eye that eats away those nasty and waxy buildups. In the future, this nanoparticle may be loaded on a drug and included in the treatment of atherosclerosis.


4. Dietary cholesterol isn’t the only cause of developing heart disease. Numerous research and experiments have already validated that a combination of inflammation, high blood pressure, oxidative stress, and smoking are all involved in developing cardiovascular disease.



A study published in the Journal of Science of Food and Agriculture has found that the cooking of cholesterol-rich foods can lead to the formation of oxysterols. High blood levels of these oxysterols may increase your chances of developing heart disease. More scientists are finding evidence to support this hypothesis. (18,19)



5. Are you one of those people who love eating eggs? Sunny side up, or scrambled? Recent evidence from several research studies has documented that eating as many as three eggs a day with the yolk isn’t connected with an elevated risk of acquiring cardiovascular disease among the general population.




A word of caution, though, for people who like eggs and also have diabetes mellitus. An article published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed an increased risk of developing heart disease among people with diabetes who eat a lot of eggs. The most significant influence was the consumption of eggs coupled with the intake of high amounts of carbohydrates.



6. Most cholesterol-rich foods are also nutritious. Several of these foods are also high in saturated fat, another controversial factor in the development of heart disease. Some research studies have demonstrated that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat slightly reduces your risk of acquiring heart disease.

RESPONSIBILITIES – WHAT YOU SHOULD DO ABOUT YOUR BLOOD CHOLESTEROL LEVELS

Make sure you get tested every five years. Your doctor may increase the frequency of testing depending on your risk factors. Risk factors for high cholesterol include your age, weight, heredity, and race. Also, take the medicines you were prescribed to manage your cholesterol levels.

Get acquainted with your family history. Insert image: 44467434 Immediate family members like your parents who have high cholesterol levels should signal you to check your blood cholesterol levels. You may have a medical condition called familial hypercholesterolemia.

High cholesterol levels do not usually manifest with symptoms. When they do, it may be too late for you. It could be a heart attack or stroke. Don’t wait for those symptoms to appear.

Make better food choices. Remember, cholesterol alone is not bad, but it can wreak havoc on your arteries when combined with a heavy carbohydrate load and saturated fats. Pick foods that are naturally high in unsaturated fats and fibre.

Exercise regularly. Exercise keeps your blood pressure in check, circulation going smoothly, and weight within the normal range.

Don’t smoke or use any tobacco products, including e-cigarettes and vapes. Smoking hastens the hardening of your arteries, tremendously increases your chances of developing cardiovascular disease, and directly damages your blood vessels.

Cholesterol, in general, is NOT bad for you. There are a lot of factors to consider in the development of cardiovascular disease, not just cholesterol. Whenever you feel that cholesterol is bad, just think of its essential roles in your body, the latest research, and your responsibilities. That’s one way you can make peace with it. Click here for additional information on cholesterol.