Cholesterol is something that we have learned to fear. We spend a lot of time eating foods that don’t have much of it and we get our blood tested for it, but what is this strange substance that’s responsible for damaging our hearts?
Cholesterol is material that’s waxy and fatty. It’s found in the blood and in all of the cells of the body. In fact, cholesterol can be a good thing – you’re supposed to have some.
Our body actually puts it to good use when it’s making cell membranes and putting together the building blocks of hormones. So why do we worry so much about having it if we need it?
Too much cholesterol in the body results in hypercholesterolemia. This is the technical term for high cholesterol. When our body has more cholesterol than it can use for its everyday processes, the rest of it ends up floating freely in our blood. When this happens, it begins to become deposited on the blood vessel walls. Continue reading “Let’s Talk Cholesterol” »