Cholesterol is a substance in your bloodstream that is similar to fat that your body uses to produce bile in the liver, to store bile in your gall bladder and to make the cell membrane of every cell in your body. Without cholesterol we could not live, but too much cholesterol is not a good thing.
High cholesterol is a very serious condition, it can lead to heart attack and stroke. If you eat a diet high in fatty foods, fried foods, eggs or other foods high in cholesterol you will no doubt end up with high cholesterol. Unfortunately there are no symptoms of the condition of high cholesterol; the only way to truly ascertain whether or not you have high cholesterol is to have a blood test performed by your doctor.
However, there are some conditions relating to high cholesterol that do have symptoms. Angina is a condition related to high cholesterol, this condition is identified by pain in the left side or middle of your chest. High cholesterol causes artery blockages and these blockages are what lead to heart attack and stroke. The pain of angina is caused by blockages of arteries that interfere with blood flow near the heart, the same thing that happens during a heart attack, just on a smaller scale.
Some other “symptoms” of high cholesterol that you may notice in yourself, and if you do then you should have your doctor check your cholesterol levels are;
lack of exercise, a sedentary lifestyle
frequent heartburn (this may be symptoms of other issues as well)
stomach ulcers
high blood pressure
Although these symptoms could be signs of some other issue but they can also be indicative of high cholesterol so if any of these sound familiar to you it would be wise to have your doctor give you a blood test.
Actually, not all cholesterol is harmful; there are two types of cholesterol, LDL or low density lipoprotein, and HDL, or high density lipoprotein. HDL, also referred to as the good cholesterol, is actually beneficial cholesterol as it is vital to the normal functions of a healthy body and it also helps to clean the arteries of the bad cholesterol, or LDL.
The LDL is what is most commonly referred to as the bad cholesterol as it causes plaque buildup in the arteries; this is what causes the blockages that cause heart attack and stroke. It is also known to cause problems with the proper functioning of other vital organs such as the liver and gall bladder.
We are in control of what we put in our body. Maintaining a healthy, properly balanced diet and exercising regularly maximizes health and minimizes risk. By consuming a diet high in fruits, vegetables, fish and lean meats, and not eating an excessive amount of fatty foods such as pork, beef and fried foods, you can maintain a healthy body and healthy lifestyle.
Or you can eat whatever and sit and watch television and have a heart attack or stroke, the choice is entirely yours to make.