Is Cholesterol All Bad?

“99 ABC’s of Wellness” Article Credit: The original article 99 ABC’s of Wellness is by Mylene Mendoza-Dayrit, which has appeared on the Philippine Star on January 12, 1999.

Principle #21: Is Cholesterol All Bad?

“Cholesterol, the bad type, comes from meat and dairy products. The body produces its own serum of natural cholesterol so there is no need to include it in the diet. The good cholesterol only collects the bad ones and excesses are believed to sometimes turn into bad. Excess serum cholesterol is likewise linked to cancer. Hence, excess of any kind- LDL’s (bad), HDL’s (good), or serum cholesterol – is bad.” (excerpt from the original article)

The normal cholesterol level is between 131-200mg/dl. Beyond 200, one is starting to get into trouble.

Cholesterol is a vital component of our body. In fact, the brain is composed of cholesterol and the human breast milk has significant quantities of cholesterol. “It is an essential structural component of mammalian cell membranes and is required to establish proper membrane permeability and fluidity. In addition, cholesterol is an important component for the manufacture of bile acids, steroid hormones, and vitamin D” (source: wikipedia). The problem begins when the supply of cholesterol in blood becomes excessive. They can clog the arteries and cause them to erupt.

While a good amount of cholesterol in the body is essential to keep its normal function, any excess has potential danger particularly to the heart. It can lead to cardiovascular disease and even stroke.

As we always say, too much is always bad so we need to regulate our fat intake. We need to take care of our bodies to avoid deep complications later on in life.


Image above courtesy of:
en.wikipedia.org