September is Cholesterol Awareness Month. Because of its connection to cardiovascular disease over the past 30 years, cholesterol has developed a bad reputation. In my six-part series, I would like to inform Sun Citians of the changing role of cholesterol on the medical, pharmaceutical, and nutritional scene.
Cholesterol is a high molecular weight sterol. While it is not a fat, it is fat soluble. It is a waxy, soft substance that is present in all body cells and found in the blood stream. Cholesterol is actually produced in the body. It plays a huge role in cellular health and is vitally important to the healing process, something which will be thoroughly discussed later in this series. Cholesterol is also a vital element for energy production, nervous system health, brain function, sex drive, and the production of vitamin D and bile acids. Maintaining a careful balance of our body’s cholesterol is critical to keeping us in overall good health.
Component of cell membranes:
Because cholesterol forms part of the body’s cellular membranes, it affects the function and permeability of these membranes. As the cell membrane acts as the gatekeeper of the cell, cholesterol is involved in allowing or preventing critical nutrients from entering the cell, which then affects cellular function.
Nervous system health/brain function:
The white matter of the brain and the central nervous system are particularly abundant in cholesterol.
Precursor for steroid sex hormones:
The sex hormones: progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen are all derived from and structurally related to cholesterol. Cholesterol is then indirectly involved in the varying actions of these hormones. Some of these different functions include metabolism regulation and synthesis of protein and body tissue. Also included is regulation of the menstrual cycle, improvement of skin tone, prevention of bone loss, and reduction of women’s risk for heart attacks.
Precursor for other hormones:
Several other hormones are synthesized from cholesterol. Among them is the adrenal gland’s production of cortisol from cholesterol. Cortisol exerts several functions within the body. It increases blood glucose levels and inhibits immune and inflammatory responses throughout the body. It also decreases calcium levels in the blood.
Raw material for vitamin D:
Cholesterol is a precursor for vitamin D within the human body. It converts an inert vitamin D from the sun, through skin exposure, to an active form. Cholesterol, therefore, is implicated in the many roles of vitamin D in the body, which include calcium balance and regulation of the immune system. (Please see my vitamin D article in a past Sun Day edition.)
Organ synthesizing cholesterol:
Cholesterol is synthesized by the liver and released here into the body’s cells. The human liver is responsible for producing about 75 percent of the cholesterol that is needed to maintain healthy cells and synthesize vitamins and hormones.
Precursor for bile acids:
The remaining 25 percent of cholesterol, according to the American Heart Association, comes from the food we eat. Bile salts, derived from cholesterol, are found in the digestive tract where they facilitate the absorption of dietary fats and fat-soluble vitamins.
Next edition: Part 2: Why so many of us take cholesterol-lowering meds.
