By: Saima Ausaf
The term Cholesterol does not sound new to the ears. All of us have come across this word at some point or another during our lifetime. Many people confuse cholesterol with saturated fats. Instead, cholesterol is a fat related compound belonging to a family of substances called, sterols. Precisely, cholesterol is a waxy substance essential for our body in many ways. In fact it is a vital matter in human metabolism, necessary in forming bile acids and is a component of all cell membranes. A cholesterol product in the skin, 7-dehydrocholesterol, is irritated by the sun’s ultraviolet rays to initiate the synthesis of vitamin D hormone. Cholesterol is widely distributed in all body cells and large amounts occur in brain and nerve tissue. The internal body supply is synthesized mainly in the liver while some of it comes from the food we eat. It must be noted here that not all cholesterol is bad. It is only when the amount of cholesterol in our blood exceeds a certain limit it becomes harmful because it precipitates within the arterial walls narrowing and obstructing them. This process of forming fatty cholesterol deposits in blood vessel walls is called atherosclerosis. It is the underlying disease process leading to coronary heart disease such as hypertension. High cholesterol is well known as a silent killer as it is a major risk factor for heart related diseases.
Eating healthy food has a very important part in fighting atherosclerotic heart disease. It has been proven that diets designated to reduce body weight are very essential for primary and secondary prevention and risk reduction of cardiovascular disease.
