Many of us have a vague idea of what cholesterol is. It is considered as something unwanted but did you know that your body requires a substantial amount of cholesterol?
Yes, cholesterol has major roles to play in proper functioning of our body. Excessive amounts of cholesterol can however, give birth to a number of diseases. In the following sections, you will get a clear idea of what cholesterol is, why is it needed and what are the its functions in our body, along with brief overview on home visit for cholesterol.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol, in simple terms, can be said to be a chemical substance, waxy in texture and is found in blood and cells of human body. It is generated from the liver or the intestines. A balanced amount of cholesterol keeps the body healthy.
Cholesterol is also added to our body with the aid of food rich in fat, meat and dairy products. These products cause the liver to generate more cholesterol.
Types of Cholesterol
There are two broad categories of Cholesterol, one bad and the other is good.
When we refer to cholesterol as bad, we mean low density lipoprotein (LDL). Increase in LDL have serious consequences, mainly exposing one to coronary heart disease. What does LDL do in our body?
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- LDL carries the cholesterol produced by out liver to the arteries.
- It builds up plaque in the arteries that essentially causes a blockage.
- Due to the formation of plaque, the flow of oxygen to different organs of our body is reduced.
- Increases the risk of a heart attack or a stroke.
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is the good cholesterol, if you have this in your system, it would enhance the overall functioning of your system.
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- The presence of HDL would help you get rid of the bad or excessive cholesterol by absorbing it.
- Lowers the risk of being affected by heart diseases.
- Prevents the cholesterol from getting accumulated in the arteries.
- Clears blockage in the arteries by carrying the cholesterol back to the liver.
What is the importance of cholesterol in our body?
Balanced amount of good cholesterol serves the following functions in our body: –
- Helps in establishing membrane permeability.
- Helps the liver in producing bile.
- Cholesterol is used by the nerves for insulation.
- Formation of steroid hormones and sex hormones such as testosterone, progesterone, etc.
- According to research, cholesterol has major role to play in synthesis of Vitamin D.
- Also, acts as an antioxidant for the body.
Thus, the cholesterol cannot be completely eliminated from our system. It is a substance, produced naturally by our body and is essential to the working of it. The thing that we could do is to ensure that the production of cholesterol does not go above the desirable amount as it leads to cardiovascular diseases and damages the functioning of other organs too
It is therefore important that you check the amounts of LDL or bad cholesterol in your blood from time to time. You can easily book cholesterol blood test in Mumbai, the details of which will be mentioned down below.
What is the importance of cholesterol in our body?
Balanced amount of good cholesterol serves the following functions in our body: –
- Helps in establishing membrane permeability.
- Helps the liver in producing bile.
- Cholesterol is used by the nerves for insulation.
- Formation of steroid hormones and sex hormones such as testosterone, progesterone, etc.
- According to research, cholesterol has major role to play in synthesis of Vitamin D.
- Also, acts as an antioxidant for the body.
Thus, the cholesterol cannot be completely eliminated from our system. It is a substance, produced naturally by our body and is essential to the working of it. The thing that we could do is to ensure that the production of cholesterol does not go above the desirable amount as it leads to cardiovascular diseases and damages the functioning of other organs too
It is therefore important that you check the amounts of LDL or bad cholesterol in your blood from time to time. You can easily book cholesterol blood test in Mumbai, the details of which will be mentioned down below.
How to keep cholesterol levels under check?
You can follow a few simple rules to ensure that your body is not being flooded with high amounts of cholesterol. These are as follows:
- Include fresh fruits and vegetables to your diet, especially avocados, apples, etc.
- Avoid dairy products.
- Eat fish instead of meat.
- Avoid fried and baked food.
- Avoid sugar.
- Keep your body fit and healthy by exercising regularly as it would help you lose fat.
If you follow these basic steps, you can easily control the increasing amount of cholesterol. However, it is always recommended that you take a test prior to you start a rigorous diet. It is important for you to know the exact level of LDL and HDL in your blood.
Home visit for Cholesterol Test
The Cholesterol test is also called a lipid panel or a lipid test, which can detect the amount of cholesterol (both LDL & HLD) and triglycerides in the blood. Take a test immediately if you have any of the following issue: –
- Overweight
- Diabetes
- Physically inactive
- Family history of high cholesterol or heart disease
Home visit for cholesterol test can be in form of a mail-in-test or a professional visiting your house to collect sample of your blood.
Are you ready to book a home visit for cholesterol test?”