Cholesterol Health
As you start to get older, Doctors like to test for a range of different things to check on your general health and well-being. You might squirm a little or hate the sight of it, but you’ll probably have had or are due for a blood test. One thing they’ll test is Cholesterol.
In this article we will explore:
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a type of fat that is essential for life. It functions to help to keep our cells together. Cholesterol is both produced by the body and it’s also found in the foods we eat! We care about cholesterol as it is a major predictor of cardiovascular health. Years of research accurately support a good balance of cholesterol to promote good heart health. As you must have guessed, there are different types of cholesterol, and I like to think of them as ‘the good’, ‘the bad’, and ‘the ugly.’
‘The Good’
Good cholesterol, also known as HDL-cholesterol, plays a major role in moving excess cholesterol and fat in the bloodstream back to the liver for disposal. It also has some super cool anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and cytoprotective functions. Basically, it helps keep your blood and your heart happy and healthy!
‘The Bad’
Bad cholesterol, also known as LDL-Cholesterol works as a transporter of cholesterol, delivering it to the cells that need it. Now, why does it get a bad wrap? Because it also delivers excess cholesterol to your arteries, this is where it builds up and causes plaques or ‘atherosclerosis’. These plaques increase your risk of blood clots, stroke, and heart attacks.
‘The Ugly’
Lastly, we have Triglycerides. Triglycerides are different as they aren’t produced by the body, we get these entirely from food to be used for fuel. However, they do circulate in the bloodstream and contribute to the plaques built up by LDL cholesterol in our arteries.
Now what?
To keep a healthy balance of cholesterol we need to adopt some healthy lifestyle habits. These habits include:
We are the experts in all of the above and have a plan that’s just right for you. So get in contact today to see how we can help you get your cholesterol back on track!
How we reviewed this article:
- Sources
- History
Diabetes Wellness Australia utilises a variety of credible and reliable sources to support and provide valuable insights into the topic being discussed. From academic journals to government reports, each reference has been carefully selected to add depth and richness of our articles.
- (1) Kosmas, C. E., Martinez, I., Sourlas, A., Bouza, K. V., Campos, F. N., Torres, V., Montan, P. D., & Guzman, E | (2018). High-density lipoprotein (HDL) functionality and its relevance to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Drugs in Context, 7(7), 1–9.
- (2) Soliman, G | (2018). Dietary Cholesterol and the Lack of Evidence in Cardiovascular Disease. Nutrients, 10(6), 780.
- (3) Huff, T., Boyd, B., & Jialal, I | (2019, March 13). Physiology, Cholesterol. Nih.gov; StatPearls Publishing.
- (4) Better Health | (2012). Triglycerides. Vic.gov.au.
Our team consistently oversees developments in the health and wellness sector, ensuring our articles are updated with the latest information as soon as it emerges.
