Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that is waxy and occurs naturally in many parts of the body. The body has the capacity to synthesize its own cholesterol though it can also be sourced from the diet. Cholesterol is essential for survival of the human body. It has important physiological functions in the body. This includes synthesis of cell membranes. It is also a component of bile juices. Cholesterol is the raw product for the synthesis of vitamin D and steroid hormones such as cortisol and aldosterone. In high levels, cholesterol has adverse effects on the health. It is deposited in the blood vessel walls resulting in narrowing of the lumen with subsequent decrease in blood flow. High cholesterol in blood most often results from excess dietary intake. However some familial conditions such as familial hypercholestrolemia result in elevated cholesterol independent of dietary intake. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for coronary heart disease. It is important to have cholesterol levels monitored with an optimum target of 200mg/dl.

Cholesterol and Obesity

Cholesterol is a lipid, or type of fat produced by the liver and derived from various dietary sources. Although often referred to in negative terms, cholesterol plays an essential part in many processes within the body, including formation of cell membranes and nerve linings and in the manufacture of bile acids, fat-soluble vitamins and certain hormones. However, high cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia is strongly associated with significant health issues including heart disease and stroke.

Liver

The liver plays an important role in the digestion and processing of proteins, fat and sugar. The liver helps create some of the building blocks of proteins needed for the body known as amino acids. The liver plays an important role in fat digestion as well as the production of fats needed for the function of different organs of the body. Simple sugars are created in the liver by breaking down both proteins as well as more complex sugars known as glycogen. The liver can also convert simple sugar into glycogen which is better for storage. In this way the liver acts as an energy center for the body. It controls the balance of simple and complex sugar storage and releases sugar stores when needed for energy.

Gallbladder

One of the functions of the gallbladder is to concentrate the bile produced by the liver. Mainly by removing water, the bile is reduced from a fifth to a tenth of its original volume until reaching the maximum capacity of the gallbladder at about 50 milliliters. This concentration is a kind of balancing act. If the gallbladder doesn’t concentrate the bile, then there may not be enough active ingredients to break down a heavy load of fat, resulting in digestive problems. If the gallbladder performs too much concentration, the lack of water may stimulate the formation of gallstones around impurities in the high saturation of cholesterol.