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health

      Myths about cholesterol continue to rule the minds



      The cholesterol remains one of the most powerful healing foods and   gives our cells necessary stiffness and in-
                                                                         tegrity. It constitutes at least 50 % of the
      molecules the human body can ingest and produce, writes kanchan    cell membranes.
                                                                         Bone health— they play a vital role in the
              he myths about cholesterol    cholesterol— LDL cholesterol clog arter-  health of our bones for calcium to be ef-
              a fatty substance that liver   ies and blood flow which increases the   fectively incorporated into the skeletal
              makes  continue to confuse   risk of heart attack and stroke.   structure, at least 50% of the dietary fats
              and mislead both doctors and   High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) or good   should be saturated.
     T the common people alike. The    cholesterol— it remove cholesterol from   Lower Lipoprotein— Lp(a), is a parti-
      cholesterol is, in fact, one of the most   the blood to the liver, moves harmful bad   cle in our body which carries choles-
      powerful healing foods and molecules   cholesterol from where it doesn’t belong.   terol, fat and protein. A substance in the
      the human body can ingest and produce.  HDL levels reduce the risk of heart attack   blood that indicates proneness to heart
        Cholesterol, for example, play a vital   and heart disease.      disease. They protect the liver from al-
      role in the health of our bones for cal-                           cohol and other toxins, such as Tylenol/
      cium to be effectively incorporated into   The origin of Heart Disease   paracetamol.
      the skeletal structure, at least 50% of the   In the 20th century Heart Disease was   Enhance immunity— they enhance the
      dietary fats should be saturated.   considered a very rare disease. By the   immune system and act as an anti-de-
        In 2013, The American Heart Associa-  1950’s, it was considered a major health   pressant by enhancing serotonin recep-
      tion and American College of Cardiology   threat. Today, despite trillions of dollars   tor function. Low cholesterol is highly
      couldn’t find any scientific evidence                                   associated with violent and aggres-
      that limiting dietary cholesterol had                                   sive behaviour, depression and sui-
      an effect on ‘bad’ cholesterol in the                                   cidal tendencies.
      arteries.                                                               Proper use of essential fats— they
        In fact, a study in 2020 by The                                       are needed for the proper utiliza-
      British Medical Journal found that                                      tion of essential fatty acids. Elon-
      people who ate about one egg per                                        gated omega-3 fatty acids are bet-
      day were no more likely to develop                                      ter retained in the tissues when the
      coronary artery disease or stroke                                       diet is rich in saturated fats.
      than people who didn’t eat eggs.                                        Anti-Microbial properties— short
        The Dietary Guidelines for                                            and medium-chain saturated fatty
      Americans even lifted its choles-                                       acids have important antimicro-
      terol recommendation of 300 milli-                                      bial properties. They protect us
      grams per day, saying it didn’t have                                    against harmful microorganisms
      enough information to set a limit.                                      in the digestive tract. Cholesterol
      The quantities   of total cholesterol                                   plays a vital role in the repair and
      level in adults are 200 milligrams                                      maintenance of the intestinal wall,
      per decilitre (mg/dL) are considered de-  research and the best medical equip-  preventing leaky gut syndrome, ulcera-
      sirable for adults. Adults are needed to   ment available, the American Heart As-  tive colitis and a host of other intestinal
      check their cholesterol levels in every   sociation says that 48 % Americans today   disorder.
      4 to 6 years. Although, children are only   have a chance of getting this deadly dis-  Anti-Oxidant protection— cholesterol is
      need to have their levels checked once or   ease. As food processing began to take off   now understood to be a vital anti-oxidant
      twice before the age of 18.      so did the occurrence of heart disease. In   that protects us from free radical damage
        Our body needs some cholesterol to   the recent time Cholesterol has been vili-  and helps to heal any arterial damage
      do function properly. It helps to make   fied as the major cause of heart disease.   that may have occurred. Higher levels
      hormones and vitamin D, which help   We can vary cholesterol by different   of free radical damage from oxidative
      us to digest food in our body. Having too   age, weight and gender. The claim that it   stress.
      much quantity of bad cholesterol in your   clogs our arteries is known world-wide,   Bile production— cholesterol produces
      body is causing at risk like heart attack   despite no scientific evidence to validate   bile salts that help us metabolize fats in
      and stroke.                      the idea.                         our diet.
      Cholesterol can be measured in these   The benefits of saturated fat   Brain and Nervous system develop-
      three categories:—               (cholesterol)                     ment— cholesterol is important for chil-
      Total cholesterol— In adults desired for   Role of cholesterol in our bodies and   dren and babies as they develop their
      total cholesterol level are less than 200   the intake of these compounds in our   brain and nervous system.
      (mg/dL),                         diet:
      Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) or bad   Cell membrane health— cholesterol             letters@tehelka.com


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