Cholesterol: Fat and fiction
Cholesterol is a fat produced by the liver from the fatty foods we eat and it plays an important part in helping the body function properly. Every liver produces cholesterol so if you eat any animal produce it is bound to contain cholesterol. When you think about cholesterol you need to be aware of two molecules called lipoproteins which carry it around the body. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) carry cholesterol from the liver and it is these that begin the formation of the plaques that can narrow the artery walls. A clot in a narrowed artery can trigger a heart attack. This is why LDL is often called bad cholesterol. On the other hand, there are high-density lipoproteins (HDL) and these are thought to prevent heart disease. They carry cholesterol back to the liver were it is converted into bile-acid or excreted. You can see why this is referred to as good cholesterol. The amount of cholesterol in the blood can range from 3.6 to7.8 mmol/litre. A level above 6 is considered high. The recommended target level is 5.
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