Cholesterol sounds like a bad word. Advertising companies certainly use cholesterol as one. Cholesterol however, is absolutely vital for the good and proper functioning of your body.  Cholesterol is a type of fat that is part of animal cells and is essential for the body’s metabolic processes including hormone and bile production. Cholesterol also helps that body process vitamin D.

Cholesterol is produced by the liver and by most cells in the body. It is carried around the body by a substance called lipoproteins. You need cholesterol because our bodies use it to build cell membranes, make your hormones and to make your metabolism work properly.

Now this is the tricky part, there are two types of cholesterol and they can be sorted into two separate categories. The good forms of cholesterol are known as HDL cholesterol.   What is bad cholesterol called?  The bad form is called LDL cholesterol.

HDL cholesterol stands for high-density lipoproteins. They are considered to be ‘good’ cholesterol because they can remove cholesterol from the arteries and transport it to the liver for excretion or re-utilization. They are the smallest and the densest lipoproteins because they contain the most amount of protein (surprise, surprise). Studies have shown that high concentrations of HDL help protect the body against cardiovascular disease.

LDL cholesterol stands for low-density lipoproteins. These are the ‘bad’ cholesterol that you don’t want too much of floating around inside you. These carry cholesterol into the blood and around the body for use by cells. High levels of LDL lipoproteins have been linked to things such as heart disease and this is why they are referred to as the bad ones. It is important to note though, that it’s not exactly the cholesterol that is bad. How and where the cholesterol is being transported to (such as the arteries) and the amount that is being transported over a specific amount of time is a better way to think about it.

Remember, your body is quite capable of producing its own cholesterol and requires no help from you (in the form of eating lots of cholesterol laden foods). Meats, dairy produce, poultry, eggs and seafood are all high cholesterol containing foods and should be eaten in moderation. Because your body produces enough cholesterol on its own, if you eat a large amount of cholesterol containing foods, there will obviously be too much for your body to utilize and will inevitably lead to ‘high cholesterol levels’ and a whole host of health and medical issues … but that’s another story altogether!