INTRODUCTION: Cholesterol is a lipid (A greasy organic compound that cannot be dissolved in water.) found in the cell membranes of all tissues, and is transported in the blood plasma of all animals. It is also considered a sterol (a combination steroid and alcohol) and is most abundant in tissues which either synthesize more of it or have more abundant densely-packed membranes, for example, the liver, spinal cord and brain and is insoluble in blood, but is carried in the circulatory system bound to one of the varieties of lipoproteins. Cholesterol is required in the membranes of mammalian cells for normal cell function, and is either synthesized or gotten from the diet, in which case it is transported by the bloodstream in low-density lipoproteins.

It is minimally soluble in water; it cannot dissolve and travel in the water-based bloodstream. It is primarily found in animal fats: all food containing animal fats contains cholesterol; food not containing animal fats either contains none or negligible amounts. It’s a waxy, fat-like substance that can build up on the walls of your arteries (blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to other parts of the body) and plays essential roles in the formation of cell membranes, some hormones, and vitamin D.

DISEASE: Large amounts of low density particles (LDL) are strongly associated with the presence of arterial disease within the arteries. By contrast, having small amounts of large particles (HDL) has been independently associated with arterial disease progression within the arteries. In other words too much LDL or too little HDL is associated with arterial disease. This disease process can develop into myocardial infarction (heart attack), stroke and peripheral vascular disease.

It is suggested that you have your cholesterol levels tested more frequently than five years if a person: has total levels of 200 mg/dL or greater, is a man over age 45 or a woman over age 50, has HDL (good) cholesterol less than 40 mg/dL, or other risk factors for heart disease and stroke. A campaign is under way to teach women that heart disease isn’t for men only.

It’s estimated that 70,000,000 americans have at least 1 form of heart disease. Latest results from the Women’s Health Initiative Dietary Modification Trial showed that eating a low-fat diet for eight years DID NOT prevent heart disease, breast cancer, or colon cancer, and didn’t do much for weight loss, either.

What is becoming clearer and clearer is that bad fats, meaning saturated and trans fats, increase the chance for certain diseases while good fats, meaning mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats, lower the risk. In a study of over 80 thousands female nurses, Harvard researchers actually found that increasing cholesterol intake by 200 mg for every one thousand calories in the diet (about an egg a day) DID NOT appreciably increase the risk for heart disease. Recent research by Harvard investigators has shown that moderate egg consumption–up to 1 a day–DOES NOT increase heart disease risk in healthy persons. People with diabetes, though, should probably limit themselves to no more than two or three eggs per week, as the Nurse’s Health Study found that for such individuals, an egg a day might increase the risk for heart disease.

LEVELS: According to the lipid hypothesis, abnormally high cholesterol levels (AKA hypercholesterolemia) and unusual proportions of LDL and HDL are associated with cardiovascular disease by promoting atheroma development in arteries (atherosclerosis). Since high LDL contributes to this process, it is called “bad cholesterol”, while high levels of HDL (”good cholesterol”) offer a degree of protection against heart disease. Unusually low levels are termed hypocholesterolemia. As has been said, elevated levels of cholesterol in the blood can increase your chance of heart disease and your levels tend to rise as you get older. In the 1960s and 70s, scientists established a connection between high blood levels and heart disease.

Some types of fat are clearly good for cholesterol levels and others are clearly bad for them. While it is well known that high blood levels are associated with an increased risk for heart disease, scientific studies have shown that there is only a weak relationship between the amount of cholesterol a person “consumes” and their blood cholesterol levels or risk for heart disease.

For some people with elevated levels, reducing the quantity in the diet has a small but helpful impact on blood cholesterol levels. While it’s true that egg yolks have a lot of cholesterol–and, therefore may slightly affect blood levels–eggs also contain nutrients that may help reduce the risk for heart disease, including protein, vitamins B12 and D, riboflavin, and folate. Saturated fats increase total blood levels more than dietary cholesterol because they tend to boost both good HDL and bad LDL. Trans fats are even worse than saturated fats because they increase bad LDL and decrease good HDL.

In studies in which poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated fats were eaten instead of carbohydrates, these good fats decreased LDL levels and increased HDL levels. Logically, most of the influence that fat intake has on heart disease is due to its effect on blood cholesterol levels. In other words, low-fat diets seem to offer no apparent advantages over diets with fat levels near to the national average.

CONCLUSION: Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like material that is found in all cells of the body and is also found in some of the foods you consume. It is recommended by the American Heart Association to test cholesterol levels every 5 years for persons aged 20 years or older. There are usually no signs or symptoms that you have elevated blood cholesterol, but it can be detected with a blood test. You are likely to have high levels if members of your family have it, if you are overweight or if you consume a lot of fatty foods. You can lower your cholesterol by exercising more and eating more fruits and vegetables. You also may need to take medicine to lower it.

The ketogenic (seizure control) diet is used for children and young people although it can be used for babies that are only months old.

80% of the diet by weight is fat and it makes up 90% of the calorie intake. A typical breakfast might be mushroom omelette with bacon. Hot chocolate made with 36 per cent cream. Lunch might include celery stalks filled with peanut butter or cream cheese, lettuce with mayonnaise and a slice of tomato, and a caffeine-free diet soda. Dinner might be hot dog with ketchup or mustard, lettuce and mayonnaise, a whipped cream sundae with a strawberry, and a diet soda.

This diet is not complete from a nutritional standpoint and the child will have to take multivitamins and minerals and calcium. The diet has to be very strictly adhered to otherwise it won’t control seizures.

Beginning The Diet

Four days of hospitalisation is required. The child is fasted for a few days then high fat meals are gradually introduced.

During this period the dietician teaches the diet to the family and provides them with a number of meal plans specifically calculated for the child.

The Diet Is Quite Challenging

Most children will find that their favourite foods are not to be eaten on this diet. There is no fries, pastas, pizzas, cakes, biscuits, sweets and ice cream. This will make them ‘different’ from their family and friends.

Every scrap of food has to be eaten, every last drop drunk, otherwise the precise calculations of the diet will be invalid. Every food item must be carefully weighed. Eating away from home, at school and on trips must be planned with vigilance.

Is The Diet Safe?

A diet which is so high in fat may not seem very healthy, but look again and the foods that are left out of the diet. Children do grow normally and weight remains stable. Nutritional supplements are provided to meet shortfalls.

The Diet Can Cure

The diet is effective for the majority of children who try it. Their seizures are eliminated or greatly reduced. They are able to reduce or discard their medications. After a few years, children can be weaned off the diet and return to eating normally. For children who became seizure and medication free on the diet, it means they are effectively cured. That is why higher blood lipids is not a problem. The diet is short term for most children.

Cholesterol often gives everyone the wrong impression that it is all bad, but if we took the time to understand just exactly what is cholesterol, then we will be able to understand our cholesterol readings that we get from our doctor. Cholesterol can be good because it assists our bodies function properly and it can be harmful as well by clogging up our arteries. Understanding the distinction between the two will help us better able to manage our diet to lower cholesterol.

Our good cholesterol is identified as HDL cholesterol which is commonly known as high-density lipoprotein. Its main goal is to make our body parts function properly by taking the cholesterol that we have and flushing it from our system. This keeps our arteries clean and helps us avoid experiencing a heart attack in addition to a stroke.

Then we have the bad cholesterol, which is also know as LDL cholesterol (low-density lipoprotein). This cholesterol is bad, especially when we have large quantities in our bodies. Its main job is to slowly build up in our arteries which eventually clogs them up and can cause us to experience a heart attack and possibly a stroke.

This is the reason why it is exceedingly important that you get a hold of a cholesterol reading to make sure that your cholesterol levels rest within the target range. When you acquire your reading there are three things you need to look at: HDL cholesterol levels, LDL cholesterol levels, and total cholesterol levels.

Knowing the normal cholesterol numbers will help you learn when you need to start taking some action against your cholesterol. Your total cholesterol reading should be below 200. If it reaches 140, this can be very dangerous. Your LDL cholesterol should be below 130. If it reaches 160, then you need to start adjusting your diet to lower cholesterol. Your HDL cholesterol readings should be above 45. You should be concerned if it falls below 40.

To have your cholesterol assessed, you will want to visit your doctor and inform him you want to check your cholesterol levels. When you get the results, the doctor will either inform you that you are fine and within the target range, that you should consider starting on a diet to lower cholesterol, or that you should begin taking medication.

Knowing the difference involving the good and bad cholesterol will help you recognize what the medical doctor is saying when he gives you your cholesterol readings. The outcome will help you and your doctor decide if you should go on some prescription or if you should control your cholesterol through a diet to lower cholesterol.