Cholesterol is not all bad

Ok, have you heard all the commercials talking about keeping your cholesterol low and how cholesterol is so bad etc... Well, the fact is Cholesterol is essential to all the cells in the human body. Without cholesterol we would not exist to be as we are.

So what is cholesterol? You have heard the word from you friend, your doctor, on the news, in an article but do you actually know what it is and why you have it? Well, cholesterol is not only in your blood stream but all the cells in your body. It is a soft waxy substance. It is predominantly made by your liver and basically we need it to function.

Now most people talk about good cholesterol and bad cholesterol but really there is only one type of cholesterol. Cholesterol is just fat and protein particles that come in different sizes, some are better than others. Each cell needs cholesterol to function properly so having extremely low cholesterol can be potentially dangerous. Too low cholesterol can affect your memory, your mood and some studies have connected it to cancer and Parkinson's disease. On the other extreme you absolutely want to avoid developing high cholesterol.

The key is moderation. High cholesterol is often a response to consuming large amounts of fatty foods, large and frequent consumption of alcohol, being over weight or obese. If your health is in order and your cholesterol is at a healthy place then continue making healthy and wise lifestyle choices. If you do not fall into the healthy category there are some easy and safe ways to lower your cholesterol. Increase your consumption of omega 3-fats, reduce sugar and grain intake, eat most of your food raw and exercise frequently.