HealthPub- Health, Beauty and Fitness

The amount of total serum cholesterol may be increased by taking animal products or foods that are rich in cholesterol such as red meat, cheese, milk cream, mayonnaise, and ice cream. Cholesterol metabolism is regulated by various genes and when there are variations in these genes, they may affect how a person’s body handles cholesterol. Familial hypercholesterolemia is an example of an inherited cholesterol disorder where a person has high cholesterol levels but normal triglycerides. Some people will have high cholesterol levels despite their efforts to reduce these amounts in body.  There are no symptoms for elevated levels of serum cholesterols and it is advisable that people receive regular checkups and tests of their cholesterol levels.  Cholesterol is an essential organic chemical in body that helps in different functions including cell formation and repair, synthesis of hormones and steroids, and initiation of different physiological processes such as maintenance o...

Serum cholesterol is the measure of total amount of cholesterol in blood such as high-density lipoprotein and low-density lipoprotein. The amount of total cholesterol in blood can determine the health of an individual. Why low-density lipoproteins are considered as ‘bad’ cholesterol Low-density lipoproteins contain more lipids or fats than protein. Unlike high-density lipoprotein, the LDL travels from the liver to cells and arteries. This means that high-density lipoproteins and low-density lipoproteins travel in opposite direction. The HDL travels from the cells and arteries back to the liver. The LDL is regarded as ‘bad’ cholesterol because it is able to deposit on walls of arteries causing blockage of blood flow. When the LDL cholesterol is deposited on artery walls, the body responds by sending white blood cells to clean up the area lodged with cholesterol. With time, plaque builds up inside the blood vessels thus narrowing the arteries, a condition known as atherosclerosis. At tim...

Cholesterol is a type of sterol that is essential for the body. For new cells to form and old ones to repair after injury, cholesterol is needed. In the body, cholesterol appears like a waxy compound. There are two sources of cholesterol; the body and food people eat. The body manufacturers a large amount of cholesterol in the liver, and small amounts are synthesized in individual cells and small intestine. Whenever the body needs cholesterol, it is able to produce it in the liver. Besides, foods people eat add cholesterol in body such as dairy and animal products. Cholesterol assists in the synthesis of hormones such as cortisol, testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone. Although high cholesterol in body is associated with heart disease, there are many benefits of this substance in body. What is serum cholesterol? Serum cholesterol is a measure of the total amount of cholesterol in blood. Not all cholesterol is bad for your body as some types are beneficial while others are harmful...

Rarely, elevated levels of triglycerides occur on their own. There is almost always another condition associated with the high levels. High triglycerides form part of a group of medical conditions regarded as metabolic syndrome. These conditions increase the risk of suffering from other conditions like stroke, heart attack, and diabetes. Elevated levels of triglycerides may be caused by conditions like poorly controlled diabetes, obesity, hypothyroidism or underactive thyroid gland, and kidney disease. When you regularly eat more calories than the body can burn, this may also result to increased levels of these fat compounds in body. Drinking a lot of alcohol is also associated with elevated triglyceride levels. Taking certain medications such as steroids, diuretics, beta-blockers, tamoxifen, estrogen, and birth control pills can also increase the levels. In atypical cases, high triglycerides may run in families. How can you lower high triglycerides? High levels of triglycerides ca...

Triglycerides play a major role in formation of a lipid bilayer, which creates the structure of cell membranes. Both triglycerides and phospholipids form a lipid bilayer that serves as membrane barrier separating the inside and the outside of a cell. What happens is that triglycerides and phospholipids have their polar head facing the inside as well as outside of the cell. The non-polar parts of the molecules (usually the fatty acid portions) tend to dissolve in one another. By dissolving, they form a mixture of substance that is resistant to water. This water resistant substance keeps the solution within the cells inside and at the same time, it restricts any flow of water and other things outside the cell. This cell membrane is not rigid but fluid-like, something that adds value to the cells.  In the lipid bilayers, there are other molecules like proteins, which move from the inside and outside of cell through the cell membrane allowing for the conduction of chemicals in and o...

Triglycerides are lipids or fats and therefore, they do not dissolve in water. This makes it difficult for the triglycerides to be directly absorbed in body. When you eat food that contains fat in form of triglycerides, it goes to the stomach and intestines. In the intestines, large fat droplets mix with bile salts released from the gall bladder. Bile salts are manufactured in the liver and stored in gall bladder. The process where large fat droplets mix with bile salts is called emulsification. This process breaks the large molecules of triglycerides into small droplets known as micelles thus increasing the surface area of the fats. An enzyme called lipase, which is secreted by pancreas, attacks the surface of the micelle, breaking the fat into glycerol and fatty acids. These parts are then absorbed through the cells of the intestine wall lining. Once they get into the intestinal lining wall cells, the glycerol and fatty acids parts are reassembled and packaged into fat molecules wi...

Triglycerides are digested by the body and are source of energy for metabolism. In the right amounts, triglycerides are good for the health of the body, however when in excess, they can lead to health complications. When you take in too many calories than the body can utilize, they are converted and stored as triglycerides.  Increased levels of these fats can result to health conditions like heart disease and diabetes. High triglycerides do not show symptoms in body except when the high levels are caused by a genetic disorder. If a genetic condition causes the elevated levels of these fats, a person may have fatty deposits under the skin, a condition known as xanthomas. What are triglycerides? Triglycerides are organic chemicals compounds that form part of the different lipids or fats found in food. Other lipids include sterols or cholesterol and phospholipids. Triglycerides are the common form fat people digest from the food they eat and consist of the main ingredients in vege...