I’ve written this blog because I often here clients and family panic when they hear that someone has high cholesterol. I just wanted to fill you in with some of the finer details:-

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is often referred to as fat, but it’s actually a heavyweight alcohol with a hormone like structure that behaves like fat.  Cholesterol is a key building block for all cells, helping to maintain cells stiffness. It is produced in our bodies as a response to stress and this explains why cholesterol levels go up with age! If something inside the body is inflamed, there is a need for cholesterol to heal it.

If you hear that someone has high cholesterol, the immediate reaction is that they have a heart attack pending. In actual fact, did you know that cholesterol is an antioxidant? Antioxidants protect against free radical damage that leads to serious disease.

Cholesterol is split into high-density lipoproteins (HDL) carry cholesterol away from the cells to the liver, and low-density lipoproteins (LDL) carry cholesterol to the cells. Both play critical roles in body chemistry.

So why does it rise?

Stress, drugs, alcohol and processed foods are all factors causing cholesterol to elevate. Many doctors prescribe statins to lower high cholesterol, and advise the patient to stay away from certain foods – some of which, ironically, are actually needed to heal the damaged cells.

The benefits of cholesterol

Your body uses cholesterol to make hormones that help you deal with stress and protect against certain diseases.

Your body needs cholesterol to make sex hormones such as testosterone and progesterone.

Your body uses cholesterol to make Vitamin D, vital for the bones, nervous system, reproduction and immune system function.

Bile salts are made from cholesterol. Bile is vital for digestion and assimilation of dietary fats.

Breast milk is higher in cholesterol then any other food and contains enzymes to help the baby utilise the nutrient. Cholesterol is important for babies and children as it helps to ensure proper development of the brain and nervous system. Now if it’s naturally found in breast milk surely we must be designed to need it!?

Before you go…

I hope this blog post has been an eye opener to you, and next time you hear of someone suffering from high cholesterol, you can share this post with them. If you suffer from high cholesterol it would be worth considering the potential causes as to what has elevated it. Remember the number one reason being stress!

The above information is taken from my own knowledge and from ‘The Cholesterol Myths: Exposing the Fallacy That Saturated Fats & Cholesterol Causes Heart Disease, by Uffe Ravnskov, M.D., Ph.D. and ‘How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy’ BY Paul Chek.