High Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a fatty substance produced naturally by the body and serves several vital functions. You need to create walls that surround the cells of the body and is the basic substance is transformed into certain hormones. Your body makes all the cholesterol it needs. Therefore, only a small amount of fat in the diet, so your body produces enough cholesterol to stay healthy.
The intestine absorbs fat and cholesterol you eat and transports it to the liver. The liver converts this fat and releases cholesterol into the bloodstream. There are two main types of cholesterol: low density lipoprotein (LDL) (LDL “bad”) cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL) (the “good” cholesterol).
High levels of LDL cholesterol are associated with atherosclerosis, a buildup of cholesterol-rich deposits of fat in the arteries. This can cause arteries to narrow or blocked, and that reduce or stop blood supply to vital organs, especially the heart and brain. Atherosclerosis that affects the heart is called coronary artery disease (CHD), and can cause a heart attack. When atherosclerosis blocks arteries that carry blood to the brain, can cause a stroke (brain attack, stroke).
High levels of HDL cholesterol protect the body against heart attacks and stroke, which remove cholesterol from arteries and lead him back to the liver.
Because high cholesterol levels can cause atherosclerosis, doctors recommend that cholesterol levels in a specific range. In general, adults over age 20 should try to keep your total cholesterol level below 200 milligrams per deciliter.