Though many people are struggling with it, cholesterol, in small amounts, is crucial to hour health. It participates in the construction of cells and hormones, such as estrogen and testosterone.
10 Interesting Facts About Cholesterol
There Are Two Types Of Cholesterol
LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or “bad” cholesterol, forms large particles and deposits on the walls of arteries. This in turn increases the possibility of blockages. On the other hand, HDL (high density lipoprotein) is a small particle that has a positive role of LDL removal from peripheral tissues and helps their excretion from the body.
In ideal cases, you’ll have 3.5 times more HDL than LDL in your system.
LDL particles may vary in size, but they also have A and B variants. The B particles are smaller, denser and higher. Elevated levels of B-type is usually associated with an increased risk of heart disease.
Cholesterol Isn’t The Only Reason For A Heart Attack
A healthy cholesterol level is 5mmol / L (millimoles per liter of blood) or less. However if your results are slightly worse, you should not panic.
You could run a marathon and have cholesterol around 7 mmol/L and still have a lower risk of heart attack compared to someone who has a level of 5 mmol / L, but smoking and has diabetes.
You Can Spot Cholesterol Through The Eyes
The white ring around the cornea can be a sign of high cholesterol. This symptom of aging can occur in people who have not exceeded the age of 40, if they have excess LDL in the blood.
It is believed that cholesterol is deposited in the eyes, because this area is rich in blood vessels.
Small fatty lumps around the joints an also be a sign of a rare form of hereditary cholesterol (familial hypercholesterolemia) and in this case, the cholesterol collects in tendons for unknown reasons.
You Don’t Have To Starve Yourself Before Doing Tests
It was thought that in order for the tests to be accurate, people needed to do the tests on an empty stomach. However, a new study published in the “European Heart Journal” in May shows that there is no difference in the credibility of the results in people who starved themselves and those who did not.
You Should Go To Bed Early
Many factors may affect the levels of cholesterol, such as infection, because it neutralizes toxins produced by bacteria.
People who sleep poorly tend to have elevated cholesterol levels, because lack of sleep disrupts the activity of genes that regulate cholesterol.
Low Levels Of Cholesterol Make You Feel Angry
A recent study at the University of San Diego found that women taking statins, especially those older than 45, had increased irritability, after cholesterol levels in their body dropped.
Other studies have also linked low cholesterol levels to an increased risk of depression, which means that statins are not to blame for this phenomenon.
It is possible that this is due to the fact that the brain is an organ extremely rich in cholesterol and to decrease cholesterol in the blood in some way changes the communication between the neurons.
Blocking Cholesterol Levels Can Stop The Development Of Cancer
Some scientists believe that cholesterol plays a role in most forms of breast cancer. Breast cancer with positive estrogen receptors is treated with a hormone therapy that blocks the production of estrogen. These medications are very successful, but at thirty percent of patients, the disease returns.
It turns out that the tumor cells, deprived of estrogen begin to use cholesterol as a “fuel”. By blocking cholesterol, the tumor growth can be decreased from 30 to 50 %, according to a study conducted at Imperial College London.
Don’t Use The Elevator, Use The Stairs
Slight changes in your lifestyle, for example using the stairs instead of the elevator, can reduce blood cholesterol levels, according to a study by the University of Geneva.
Move Faster
Recent analysis of the effects of exercise on cholesterol have shown that intensive exercise for about 20 minutes most effectively inhibits LDL.
Feel Free To Eat Eggs
Certain foods, such as eggs, shellfish and squid are naturally high in cholesterol, but avoiding these foods only lowers the harmless cholesterol levels, and not one that is associated with health problems.
Moreover, studies have shown that reducing carbohydrates in the actually increases levels of good HDL cholesterol.
Not All Cholesterol Is Bad
People older than 60, with high cholesterol levels tend to live longer than those who have lover cholesterol levels, according to researches. The reason is that cholesterol helps fight infections.
Source: http://spicylife.net/2016/10/10-interesting-facts-about-cholesterol/