What Is Cholesterol & Why Is It Necessary?
Cholesterol is a wax-like substance that is present in every cell of our body. It plays a pivotal role in cell wall maintenance, hormone production, and vitamin D synthesis, and also facilitates digestion.
Good and Bad Cholesterol: Is It Real?
Cholesterol in itself is neither good nor bad. In fact, the carrier molecules called lipoproteins that transport cholesterol to and from the blood vessels make it so.
Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or bad cholesterol are the molecules that allegedly deposit fats on the walls of the blood vessels. Conversely, high-density lipoproteins (HDL) are good cholesterol as they clear excess fats from the body. The total cholesterol is the sum of cholesterol, HDL, and LDL in the blood.
In an interesting turn of the story, in 2016 researchers revealed that high levels bad cholesterol did not affect mortality in patients of ages 60 or older.
Chronic Inflammation is a New and Overlooked Risk Factor for Heart Disease
An inflammation is more than just a red, swollen painful site at the injured part of the body. It can occur continuously at the cellular level and we may not even realize. An increasing body of evidence suggests that long-term inflammation could be linked to a number of chronic conditions.