What Is (High) Cholesterol And What Is An Effective Way To Prevent It?
The level of cholesterol is a very common health-related conversation topic and a lot of people is concerned about keeping it under control. But what is cholesterol? Is it a harmful substance? What function does it play in our body? If it causes a serious threat to our health, then how can we control the level of cholesterol to stay healthy, fit and active? Let’s find out!
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is not inherently bad. It is a fat-like substance produced by our liver which becomes one of the main components of our cells’ membrane. It also contributes to the production of hormones, vitamins and essential substances for our digestion. However, there are four different variants of cholesterol with different functions:
1. HDL (high-density lipoprotein)
2. IDL (intermediate-density lipoprotein)
3. LDL (low-density lipoprotein)
4. VLDL (very-low-density lipoprotein)
The most “popular” are HDL and LDL often described as “good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol as high LDL can produce plaques inside the blood vessels and HDL helps transport LDL in excess back to the liver where it can be destroyed and eliminated. Plaques in the blood vessels can lead to heart attack and stroke. This is why it is really important to maintain the right levels of cholesterol in your body.
A healthy diet plays a vital role
High level of cholesterol can be related to age, family predisposition, ethnicity or other chronic diseases. However, the most common causes are: not exercising enough, smoking, being overweight and eating too much saturated and trans fats like processed and fatty meat, cheese, milk, cream, ghee, butter, lard, palm oil, coconut oil, margarine, baked goods, fried foods and ice cream just to mention some.
Some fats contained in vegetable sources like extra virgin olive oil, rapeseed oil, nuts, seeds, olives, avocado and in fish can help maintain healthy levels of HDL cholesterol and keep LDL cholesterol levels under control. As most condiments usually contains saturated and trans fat, replacing butter, ghee, margarine, cream, palm and coconut oil with extra virgin olive oil is a giant step towards a better health. Always choose organic extra virgin olive oil to maximize benefits.
Organic extra virgin olive oil is a staple of healthy eating!
High-quality organic extra virgin olive oil is a storehouse of healthy substances if consumed raw to finish your dishes and minimizes side effects if used as a cooking oil with most cooking methods.
Here at Olivocracy we offer a range of certified and lab tested organic and biodynamic extra virgin olive oils. Single estate for finishing your best dishes and single origin for everyday use!
Contact us for any questions related to our products!