Causes of high cholesterol

If you often find yourself wondering if you are at high risk for cardiovascular disease, if you're good cholesterol is very low, and what could be causing high cholesterol inspite of you not smoking or drinking? If you are plagued by similar questions, read on to find out more about the causes of high cholesterol.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance made from fats, also referred as "sterols". To understand cholesterol, let's first understand the production of cholesterol. It is made from fat, but fat being insoluble in blood; the body packs this cholesterol in protein covered particles called lipoproteins. Fat and protein mixed together can easily mix in blood. Your liver is where cholesterol is produced in abundance. It is also packed here and distributed to all the cells of the body. While mostly all cells of our body can produce cholesterol, the cholesterol from the liver packed as lipoproteins are used especially in critical areas like the testes in men and the ovaries in women. So, one need to know that cholesterol does not spike only due to fat intake, but your body itself makes cholesterol too. Cholesterols building block is carbon and all our macronutrients, carbohydrates, proteins and fat contain carbon.

Yes, cholesterol has recently become the bad guy just like carbohydrates. But it is definitely needed in the body for some very vital functions, like the making of sex hormones - testosterone in men and estrogen in women. Too much of it can be harmful but right amount is absolutely essential to your body. It helps in the outer lining of cells by giving it a protective sheath. It makes up for bile acids, essential acid required to digest fats in the intestine. It helps the body in producing the important fat-soluble vitamin D with the right exposure of the body to sunlight.

How is cholesterol harmful?

The right amount of your total cholesterol in your bloodstream should not be more than 200mg/dl. Cholesterol in the blood is the sum of the amount of cholesterol your body makes and the cholesterol from dietary intake. What is crucial is how much and how does the body excrete the excess cholesterol. Cholesterol can be of three different types, LDL, HDL and VLDL.

HDL also called the good cholesterol, hi density lipoproteins, are packed with more protein, protein being denser and less fat as the density of fat is very low. These lipoproteins actually take the excess cholesterol from the different tissues and cells of the body and carry it to the liver, where this cholesterol is used to make bile and excess can be easily thrown out. In simple words, HDL can be referred to as the cleansing agent of the body. This particular cholesterol should be above 40mg/dl in men and above 60mg/dl in women. Lower than this value can prove harmful to the individual.

LDL also called the bad cholesterol, low density lipo-proteins carry less proteins, hence less density and more fat. This lipoprotein being less dense tends to be ferrying around the cells of the body and hence gets easily deposited in the arteries of the heart and may cause cardiovascular disease. The desired level should not be more than 100mg/dl for men and women.

VLDL, very low density lipoprotein, carries very less protein, suggesting much lower density and more fat can get deposited around the arteries much easily and hence is known to cause more damage.

As discussed above, not only fat intake but all foods that contain carbon can increase the levels of total cholesterol in the bloodstream and create havoc. Lifestyle can affect an individual's cholesterol but at the same time, it is also desirable to rule out the genetic factors that cause it. Genetic predisposition can play a very vital role in determining someone's levels. But definitely lifestyle and dietary changes go a long way in eliminating the possible risks involved.

Source:-The Times of India