Cholesterol and its functions

No one product of metabolism so do not speak or write as cholesterol. At the same time many people think that cholesterol - is a harmful substance. But this is not so, cholesterol plays an important role in the human body, without it would stop all metabolic processes.

Cholesterol - a biologically important representative of the sterols (sterols - organic substances group steroids natural biologically active substances). He is actively involved in metabolism.

Cholesterol has negative characteristics, so it is removed a major role in the development of atherosclerosis. Increasing the concentration of cholesterol in blood is generally observed in diabetes Diabetes , Low thyroid function (hypothyroidism), gout, obesity, hypertension, liver disease, acute stroke and other conditions. The reduced amount of cholesterol in the blood is observed in a number of infectious diseases, acute and chronic diseases of the intestine, increasing thyroid function (hyperthyroidism), severe heart failure with a stagnation of blood in the liver and so on.

Cholesterol is insoluble in water but readily soluble in acetone, alcohol, ether and other organic solvents, it is also well soluble in vegetable and animal fats and in organic solvents. Biological significance has the ability to form cholesterol fatty acid esters. When interacting with strong acids cholesterol gives intensively colored compound - this property is used when determining the blood.

The functions of cholesterol in the human body

Cholesterol is a source of the human body in the bile acids and corticosteroid hormones, vitamin D3 (calciferol), thus the physiological functions of cholesterol in the human body is extremely diverse.

In the human body (in the adrenal cortex, brain and nervous tissue, vascular walls, liver, kidney, spleen, bone marrow, skin, connective tissue, skeletal muscles) is from 140 to 350 g of cholesterol. Each cell in the body contains cholesterol and needs to maintain its shape. As part of the cell membrane, cholesterol provides their selective permeability for the substances in the cell and out of it. It regulates the activity of enzymes (substances involved in all biochemical reactions and many times accelerates their) cells.

Cholesterol is involved in the degradation and excretion of toxins. It is converted to bile acids is included in the composition of bile and is involved in the digestion of food. If a person has some kind of liver disease Liver disease: when the natural filter faltering , It promotes disruption of formation and release of cholesterol, so it stays in the blood and are deposited in blood vessels in the form of atherosclerotic plaques.

During the day, the human body is oxidized about 500 mg of cholesterol into bile acids, about the same amount is excreted in the faeces and about 100 mg - with sebum.

"Useful" and "harmful" cholesterol

It was established that in blood plasma of man and animals all cholesterol is composed of protein and fat (lipoprotein) complex, which is carried by its transfer into organs and tissues. An adult human of about 70% cholesterol is composed of complexes of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), 9-10% - liporoteidov consisting of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and 20-24% - lipotoroteidov composed of high density lipoproteins (HDL). It was found that LDL are responsible for the formation of atherosclerotic plaques, which are deposited in blood vessels and cause their slow occlusion in atherosclerosis Atherosclerosis - when problems with blood vessels . That is LDL in its composition are "harmful" cholesterol.

In contrast, HDL possess protivoateroskleroticheskim action. This is proven by the fact that animals are not prone to the development of atherosclerosis in the blood is dominated by HDL. Thus, high-density lipoproteins contain "good" cholesterol and promote its transfer to the liver for catabolism (decomposition).

Previously, all the cholesterol was considered the direct cause of atherosclerosis, it recommended limiting foods high in cholesterol. Today it is definitely known that the development of atherosclerosis negative role only animal fats (Source LDL), rich in saturated fatty acids, as well as simple carbohydrate (candy, pastries). On the other hand, vegetable fats (HDL source) must be present in the human diet as a source of "useful" cholesterol and prevention of atherosclerosis.

What amount of cholesterol in the blood is considered normal

The blood contains adult (men all the indicators above):

• Total cholesterol - 3, 0-6, 0 mg / dL;
• LDL ("bad") - 1, 92-4, 82 mmol / L;
• HDL ("good") - 0 7-2 28 mmol / l.

Cholesterol - the most important product of metabolism in the body and if it increased performance, you need to understand why there is such a situation.

Galina Romanenko