Blood (serum)
cholesterol and dietary cholesterol are two different types of cholesterol.
Dietary cholesterol is found in foods of animal origin, such as egg yolks,
organ meats, and full fat dairy products. Blood cholesterol is a waxy substance
which occurs naturally in our body. It is used to make estrogen and
testosterone, and bile, which is needed for digestion. If the level of
cholesterol in the blood is too high, cholesterol and other fats can stick to
the artery walls.
Since
blood cholesterol is waxy and cannot dissolve in water, it is carried through
the blood in packages called lipoproteins. High density lipoprotein (HDL) is a
good package for cholesterol. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) is a “bad” package
for cholesterol.
VLDLs:
Very-low density lipoproteins carry fat from the liver to other parts of the
body. VLDL turns into LDL after it unloads a fatty substance called
triglycerides.
LDLs:
Low- density lipoproteins ( LDL) are called “bad” cholesterol because they tend
to stick to the inner walls of your blood vessels, causing atherosclerosis
(narrowing and hardening of the vessels). Atherosclerosis reduces blood flow
and oxygen supply to the heart and other muscles.
HDLs:
High- density lipoproteins (HDLs) are called “good” cholesterol because they
“rescue the LDL particles from the artery walls and deliver them back to the
liver, where they are either recycled or removed from the body.
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