Cholesterol Metabolism

Defining and understanding cholesterol metabolism requires some background knowledge of anatomical processes. The causes, effects, and possible ways to solve the problems should also be discussed. First of all, what is cholesterol? Medical dictionaries explain that cholesterol is a substance that comes from animal-based foods. This substance is processed by the liver and it is an essential building block for healthy cells and nerves while it also serves to producing some hormones. However, you should be careful about the growth of cholesterol levels, since high concentrations can lead to atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD), as well as heart attacks. Thus, in moderate amounts, this blood fat is necessary to the body.

The other notion to present in connection with cholesterol metabolism is obviously metabolism. Metabolism is the sum of all chemical processes that take place in the body. To go a little bit further with the explanation, you should be aware of the two types of metabolism that exist: anabolism builds up while catabolism breaks down. In the case of anabolism smaller molecules such as amino acids are turned into larger molecules like proteins. Obviously catabolism involves the reversed process, large molecules break into smaller ones, thus glycogen becomes glucose.

Cholesterol metabolism consists of the sum of the anabolic and catabolic processes that synthesize and break the cholesterol in the body. There is a higher serum cholesterol level when the ingested quantity is higher than the body’s need and ability to process. Besides the liver, almost all the other body tissues can synthesize cholesterol. The more cholesterol is taken in, the less it gets synthesized by the body. The removal of cholesterol from the body is done by degradation in the liver and excretion in the bile.

There is a combination of factors that lead to increased cholesterol levels. Thus, genetic factors, improper diet, a sedentary lifestyle, topped by weight gain become an extreme drawback for cholesterol metabolism. In the condition of a faulty cholesterol metabolism, hypothyroidism, diabetes and hypertension can develop or aggravate. In some cases it is simply the liver which cannot accomplish its tasks. If you have a family history of high cholesterol, keep an eye on your health. Unfortunately for those who are predisposed genetically to elevated cholesterol levels, even the toughest low-fat or no-fat diets are of no much use. Medication can surely help. Dieting and developing a physical training routine are also good but they are often insufficient.

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