Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is necessary for the body. The body itself produces all the cholesterol it needs from the fat content in your diet. Cholesterol is thus a natural and integral portion of cells that make up the body.

Types of cholesterol

Cholesterol can be categorized into two types, bad and good cholesterol. HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol is good for human body. The LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol is harmful for the body. It deposits in arteries, narrowing them down and blocking them causing heart attacks and paralytic strokes. The HDL cholesterol helps to clear the arteries. It takes the bad cholesterol to the liver, where the bad LDL cholesterol gets destroyed.

When does cholesterol become harmful?

An excessive amount of LDL cholesterol deposit is extremely harmful for human body. An abnormal cholesterol level can build up in the body because of high cholesterol diet and sometimes the body itself produces excess cholesterol due to diverse malfunctions. The extra cholesterol deposits in the blood vessels, which causes a blockage. This blockage of blood vessels causes heart attacks and brain strokes.

Diagnosis

High cholesterol levels are diagnosed through proper blood tests. The laboratory reports indicate the HDL and LDL cholesterol. They also report the level of Triglycerides- the most common fats in both the blood and diets. When the level of LDL and Triglycerides is high or HDL levels are low the cholesterol may cause heart diseases and strokes. However the medical jargon ‘high cholesterol’ refers to total cholesterol. The high total cholesterol is mainly due to high LDL content.

Controlling cholesterol

A healthy diet is the key to controlling cholesterol. Reducing the saturated fat and cholesterol content in your food will greatly help to reduce cholesterol. Your diet should incorporate the good cholesterol (HDL) and the bad cholesterol (LDL) in the ratio 1:2. Food like egg yolk, some shell fish, chicken skin, butter, some dairy products and meats contain bad LDL cholesterol and should be avoided. Other elements that help lowering Triglycerides and bad cholesterol are EPA and DHA. They reduce risk of blood vessel blockage.

How to reduce cholesterol level?
It is best to eat food cooked with unsaturated oils like corn oil, sunflower oil, olive oil and peanut oil. Fish from cold waters like tuna, salmon and cod and fish oil may be consumed in large quantities. This is because these fish oils comprise of polyunsaturated fatty acids like Omega-3. Olive oil which is rich in unsaturated fatty acids called Omega 9 should be consumed. Primrose oil has a high Omega 6 content and also reduces bad cholesterol levels in your blood. Avocado that contains mono unsaturated fats is also effective in reducing cholesterol. Fiber rich food like whole rice and oats stimulate digestion and causes a higher bile acid secretion. This helps reduce cholesterol.
High cholesterol levels raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Hence, it is important to check your cholesterol levels regularly, so that it can be controlled before it’s too late.