Cholesterol and Fats: The Whole Truth Are all fats bad? That is what many people think. When trying to lose weight, or become healthier, dieters think they need to eliminate all fat from their diets. This is not correct, there are good fats and bad fats, and the body needs the good ones to function properly. Then, there is cholesterol, it is hard to keep which type is good and which type is bad straight. Actually, they are both good, if they are maintained at the correct, healthy levels. A person has to eat the good fats and stay away from the bad ones in order to help their body maintain healthy cholesterol levels.
Lipids are important because of all the essential functions they perform in the body. They contribute to the structure of
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These include essential fatty acids (EFAs), linolenic and linoleic acid, which the body needs and cannot make on its own and has to get from the foods a person eats (Physicians Committee, n.d.). Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, have many benefits. Some of the benefits are lowering the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, helping with joint pain, lower depression levels, better visual and neurological development in infants, the possibility of improving lung function and improved mental skills, and they help to protect against Alzheimer’s and Dementia (WebMD, 2014). Research is still being done to determine all of the possible benefits of the EFAs.
Cholesterol, a lipid that lives in cell membranes and synthesizes hormones and bile salts, is made in the liver, the body makes all of the cholesterol that it needs, but it can also be found in animal proteins. There are two different types of cholesterol; the good cholesterol, High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and the bad cholesterol, Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (American Heart Association, 2014). LDL and HDL are lipoproteins that carry the cholesterol where it needs to go in the body. When a person has a higher than normal amount of LDL cholesterol he or she has a higher risk of plaque growth and atherosclerosis. HDL cholesterol helps to remove LDL cholesterol, helping to bring it back down to a normal level, in turn helping
The body needs certain fatty acids that the body is unable to make themselves; these fatty acids can be found in vegetables, seeds and different types of fish. Lipids also play a role in the immune system, our vision as well as helps with the productions of hormone-like substances. Lastly, some lipids contain a source of vitamin A, vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K and helps to make the skin healthy.
Our bodies can make most of the fats that are needed, however a member of the University of Maryland’s Medical System stated that our bodies can’t make some of the essential fatty acids, also known as Omega 3s and Omega 6s. Omega 3 is very essential because it helps all of our tissues in our bodies function. Research shows that it can also help reduce inflammation and it may help lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, cancer and arthritis. Omega 3 lowers the levels of Triglycerides (fats in the blood), when your blood is filled with triglycerides it gets thick which makes your heart work harder than usual. It is also very important for infants to receive Omega 3 from their mothers during pregnancy are at risk for developing vision and nerve problems.
Additionally lipids also have important structural roles in membranes and low dietary fat intake has been related to hormone irregularities, such as reduced prolactin levels and amenorrhea, thus indicating all types of fatty acids are needed in varying degrees. Essential fatty acids are a group of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which must be supplied in adequate amounts by the diet. The two classes of essential fatty acids include the omega-3 (ù-3) and omega-6 (ù-6) fatty
While cholesterol is a commonly used word in healthcare, most people do not know what it means. Cholesterol is a “fat-soluble steroid alcohol that is produced in the liver from saturated fats and obtained from animal fats and oils in the diet” (Wells, 2012). Cholesterol is used to make certain hormones, like estrogen and testosterone, and aids in digesting fats. Cholesterol is a combination of a steroid ring structure and a hydroxyl group (Figure 1). It is important to note that there are two types of cholesterol: LDL, which is low-density lipoprotein and HDL which stand for high-density lipoprotein. LDL is considered the “bad cholesterol” because it contributes to fatty buildup in the arteries which can later lead to heart disease or a
Cholesterol affects everyone at some point in time. Cholesterol is a lipid, a soft, fat-like substance that in a reasonable amount is crucial in maintaining good health. The liver produces a fat like a particle known as cholesterol. People ingest cholesterol daily in the food they eat call lipoproteins. The body needs Cholesterol to make Vitamin, hormones, and bile. A buildup of cholesterol in the walls causes plaque formation damaging and hardening the wall of the arteries. The hardened plaque narrow the blood flow through the artery known as Atherosclerosis. The consequence of elevated cholesterol can lead to several medical misfortunes such as heart attack, heart disease, stroke, menopause, and blood vessel disease. High cholesterol contributes
Cholesterol is often misunderstood. This is important because it affects our bodies in potentially harmful ways. When people think about cholesterol, they typically think about food. Yet, only a quarter of the cholesterol in the blood comes directly from our food intake. The rest is produced by the liver as part of its regular bodily function. There are two types of cholesterol: LDL and HDL. The low-density lipoproteins are "bad" and the high-density lipoproteins are "good". It is the LDL that builds up in the arteries as plaque. High LDL is often associated with low HDL since the HDL has the job of returning the bad cholesterol to the liver for elimination
The most important health condition is cholesterol of people in the world. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in the body cells of humans and animals. Body uses cholesterol to make essential body substances such as cell walls and hormones. Cholesterol enters the body when you eat certain foods such as eggs, meat, and other dairy products, all of are high in saturated fat. Another way your body obtains cholesterol is by producing it in the liver. The liver takes the saturated fat and turns it into two different types of cholesterol. The first type is high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL is referred to "good cholesterol” because it helps rid the body of excess cholesterol, which in return lowers the risk of heart disease. Second type
The human body consists of many various fats. Some fats are essential and they protect the important organs from mechanical injury and also provide nutrition to the body.
What we don’t talk about and never hear is the fact that fat is needed by our bodies to function properly. By understanding the different kinds of fats we can begin to understand how important it is to us, and how we can take care of our bodies and live a healthier life. Its time to break away from our old beliefs about fat and start to study this often misunderstood nutrient.
You may think having cholesterol in your body is a bad thing, but your body actually needs normal levels of cholesterol to keep you healthy. Cholesterol is a waxy, fatty substance that is found in every cell of your body. Cholesterol is especially abundant in your cell membranes (sheet-like structures that separate the inside of your cells from the outside environment) where it helps maintain the integrity of the membranes and allows your cells to communicate with each other. Your body also uses cholesterol to make hormones and bile salts. Bile salts are substances that are used in digestion to break down food. What might surprise you the most is that when you expose your skin to sunlight, cholesterol turns itself into vitamin D.
Now we go on to your Cholesterol. Cholesterol is found in all cells of the body. A waxy, fat-like substance that your body needs to make hormones, vitamin D, and elements that help you digest foods. Our bodies already
For decades, the US Dietary Guidelines on the consumption of saturated fats has been suggesting that consumers should be mindful of how dangerous they are to the human body and take active steps to reduce these fats in their diets (American Heart Association). This advice is usually presented as the claim that increased cholesterol levels and their adverse health effect can be attributed to these “harmful” fatty substances. However, scientific research is forcing a change of perspective on how saturated fats are viewed. Research now suggests they are not necessarily harmful to the body as is commonly perceived. For this paper examines whether or not the US Dietary Guidelines reflect the best practices in nutritional science as it relates to consuming saturated fats and the maintenance good cardiovascular health.
CNN., (2009), according to people who being obese, triglycerides and LDL, so-called “bad” cholesterol tend to be high, and HDL, so-called “good” cholesterol tend to be low. This increase significantly the risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke and diabetes, as well as sleep apnea, high blood pressure and some cancers. To prevent from being these diseases is to consume more vegetables, and reduce in sugary drinks, sugary snacks, bad fat in junk food and fast food.
Saturated fat is a type of fat naturally found in animal-based foods like: Fatty cuts of beef, poultry with the skin on, lard, shortening and butter, higher fat milk, cheeses and yogurts. It is also found in some vegetable oils like coconut and palm kernel oil. These oils are commonly used in fast foods and processed foods. There are different kinds of saturated fats. Some saturated fats impact our bodies more negatively than others. Because foods naturally contain a mixture of different saturated fats, it is hard to choose foods based on one particular type of saturated fat. Therefore, past researched has recommended to limit all saturated fat. The negative saturated fats have been linked to a higher risk of heart disease. This is because too much saturated fat raises LDL cholesterol, which is the “bad cholesterol.” Higher LDL cholesterol levels can lead to plaque build-up in your arteries.
We’ve probably all heard that cholesterol is bad, and high cholesterol levels is really bad. But what does that mean? It turns out that cholesterol is an essential part of a healthy diet. Cholesterol is used in the brain and throughout the body, helping to transport antioxidants, allowing the proper absorption and use of steroid hormones like cortisol, testosterone, and estrogen, and is vital to the health of every cell membrane in your body. Cholesterol is transported via the blood and helps keep your capillaries, veins, and arteries flexible and healthy.