Are you scared of Cholesterol?

Cholesterol plays an important role in your body and you need it.

Cholesterol is made by your own body in your liver. Cholesterol is important for cell structure, nerve protection and is a component of bile salts and hormones.

It is found in animal foods and your body is stimulated to make more cholesterol when you eat animal (or saturated fats)

Cholesterol is transported in your body in two major lipoproteins (lipoprotein meaning fat and protein together)

1. Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) are the ‘bad guys’ – they dump bad cholesterol in your arteries

2. High-density lipoproteins (HDLs) are the ‘good guys’ – they come along and sweep the bad guys away. They carry cholesterol from your body back to the liver, where it is then cleansed from your body.

If you have too much LDL and not enough HDL in your blood, your risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke increases.

When you have your cholesterol tested, you will probably be given one of the following readings:

Desirable :Less than 5.5 mmol/L

Elevated : 5.5-6.5mmol/L

High :More than 6.5 mmol/L

However, the key here is not just the reading but the split between the good guys and the bad guys.

Do you ask your doctor to share the split between the LDL and HDL when you have your cholesterol tested?

What can you do?

To maintain healthy ‘good guy’ levels, aim to reduce the amount of animal fat that you eat and aim to increase your fibre intake by eating more ‘brown’ foods – brown bread, rice, pasta and wholegrain cereal – and more fruit and veggies!

Did you know that 80% of your cholesterol levels are actually produced in the liver of your own body?