Self-Managing Cholesterol

By David Spero As a recent study indicates, reducing LDL (“bad" cholesterol) can help prevent complications in most people with diabetes. Why is LDL cholesterol a bad thing, and how do you get to a healthy level? First, what is cholesterol? Discovered in 1769 by analyzing gallstones, cholesterol is a fat-like organic chemical that is an essential part of animal cell membranes. Without it, cells won't function properly. Cholesterol is made into bile, which is needed for digesting fats. It is also helps produce the body's natural steroids, including our sex hormones and the vital stress hormone cortisol. Cholesterol is also central for brain function. You don't want to go to low. But it can also cause some problems when there's too much. You have probably heard that that are two kinds of cholesterol: LDL is the bad stuff and HDL is often called "good cholesterol." In reality, HDL and LDL cholesterols are essentially the same. The difference is where they go in the body. LDL stands for "low-density lipoprotein," and HDL for "high-density lipoprotein." Lipoproteins are like molecular delivery boats. They take cholesterol around the bloodstream so that cells can use it. Cholesterol needs lipoproteins to get around the bloodstream, a watery environment. HDL takes cholesterol from the general circulation to the liver where it gets reprocessed. It actually cleans extra cholesterol from blood vessels so they can work better. LDL goes throughout the bloodstream, and if there'...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs