Cholesterol, Benefits and dangers for Our Bodies

A Cholesterol is a fatty substance that circulates in the blood (and a yellowish waxy), produced by the liver and is needed by the body.

Our body uses cholesterol to produce:
1. Sex hormone, which is essential for the development and function of the sexual organs
2. Adrenal cortex hormone, which is important for metabolism and salt balance in the body
3. Vitamin D, which serves to help the absorption of calcium in the body
4. Bile salts, which helps the intestine absorb fat.

Which then CHOLESTEROL come from?
Everyone has cholesterol in the blood, of which 80% is produced by the body itself and 20% comes from food. Types of foods that contain lots of cholesterol among other animal source foods such as: meat, fish, eggs, liver (offal), the brain, squid, crab, chicken etc..

Types of Cholesterol you need to know is:
1. HDL (High Density Lipoprotein)
So-called good cholesterol. HDL cholesterol is what brings the advantages of organs to be removed through the bile duct as fat.
2. LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein)
Called bad cholesterol. LDL cholesterol is what causes sticking to the walls of blood vessels that cause diseases such as stroke, aterosclerosis, heart attack, kidney failure.

What is the normal blood CHOLESTEROL levels?
- Total cholesterol <200 mg / dl
- HDL 35-65 mg / dl
- LDL <175 mg / dl
- Triglycerides <200 mg / dl

What are the causes of high blood cholesterol are:

1. Eating foods that contain too much saturated fat, such as: Fast food, butter, cake.
2. Overweight.
3. Lack of exercise / physical activity.
4. Smoking.

sources: