High cholesterol gets all the attention, but with good reason. Although it performs important health functions, too much cholesterol can lead to heart disease; however, low cholesterol presents dangers that many people may not be aware of. Your...
Cholesterol is a necessary component in the production of several important hormones, including cortisol, which modulates the stress response; aldosterone, which regulates water balance in the body; and the sex hormones estrogen, progesterone and...
Millions of Americans suffer from high blood cholesterol. It is a risk factor for heart disease, the largest cause of death in the country, so it is rarely recognized that the opposite can also occur and your body can suffer from a cholesterol...
Cholesterol has received much more "bad" press than "good" over the past few decades. As such, many Americans are conditioned to believe that blood cholesterol levels must be reduced, and the lower the number the better. Although high cholesterol...
If you're like most people, the mention of the word "cholesterol" probably conjures up negative ideas because of its famed association with heart disease. Yet your body needs this soft, waxy substance to remain healthy. It serves as as a component...
Having high cholesterol is much more common than cholesterol numbers that are too low, but according to the Mayo Clinic, while rare, the condition can have serious side effects. Your body needs cholesterol, which is a waxy substance that carries...
Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in fats or lipids. It plays a vital role in building and maintaining cell membranes, nerve conduction and intracellular transport. Cholesterol is converted to bile in the liver. Bile salts dissolve fats in the...
Cholesterol is an essential compound used for many purposes within the body. High levels of blood cholesterol increase the risks of cardiovascular diseases, although low levels create a variety of problems also. The body synthesizes cholesterol in...
Most people have been conditioned to believe that cholesterol is dangerous and the less that exists in the blood the better. In reality, cholesterol is essential for many bodily processes and required for optimum health. Although blood cholesterol...
Blood is the carrier of oxygen, carbon dioxide and a variety of nutrients, including cholesterol and sugars. Cholesterol and sugars, especially glucose, are required by virtually all cells in the body. Cholesterol is needed for structural...
"Lower is better" is the mantra emanating from the halls of conventional medical wisdom regarding dietary fat and LDL cholesterol levels, and according to the Family Health Guide from Harvard Medical School, experts continue to lower their...
For many years, Americans have been told by most health professionals, nutritionists and dietitians that low-fat diets are the healthiest and the best for weight loss. The basic logic was that consuming less fat reduced cholesterol levels, clogged...
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, affects up to 10 percent of women of childbearing age, according to 2010 information from Mayoclinic.com. The exact causes of this condition remain unknown, but inefficient use of insulin, the hormone your body...
Many biological and dietary factors affect your cholesterol level, including saturated fat intake, liver function and hormone production. Early scientific studies such as the one published in the 1916 issue of "The Journal of Biological Chemistry"...
