Recently, I was shocked by the results that I received from the hospital. About two months ago, I had a comprehensive medical check-up. I consider myself to be healthy. I thought that, at least, I would not have problem about cholesterol. For me, cholesterol is a problem of people like my father or people who have obesity. My rate of cholesterol is much higher than normal. My parents were surprised at my result, too. Because I¡¯m still young and female, they also did not worry about my cholesterol, even though I love meats
By the results of comprehensive medical testing, I start to have interest in cholesterol. When others began to worry about their term paper topic, without hesitating, I decided to research about cholesterol. I hope this research will be of benefit to myself and give warning to others who do not think of cholesterol as a serious problem.
2.What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a sterol (a combination steroid and alcohol) and a lipid (amphiphilic class of hydrocarbon-containing organic compounds : wikipedia) found in the cell membranes of all body tissues, and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. Cholesterol is also found in plant membranes. Cholesterol is a fatty substance that is important part of the outer lining (membranes) of cells in the animal body.
People can absorb cholesterol through dietary intake and liver production. Cholesterol is synthesized internally by the body from unburned food metabolites. The level of cholesterol in blood can be raised by eating foods containing cholesterol. Cholesterol is necessary for people, but too much will be harmful because there are two kinds of cholesterol (I will mention this more specifically, later). Cholesterol is more abundant in tissues which either synthesize more or have more abundant densely-packed membranes, for example, the liver, spinal cord, brain, and atheromata(arterial plaques). Also, like other fats, cholesterol can¡¯t dissolve in the blood. The carriers called lipoproteins (biochemical assembly that contains both proteins and lipids : wikipedia) transport cholesterol from and to cells. In this process, cholesterol attach to the wall of blood vessel. If too much cholesterol attach to the blood vessel, there is no space left for blood to flow and causes disease.
3. What kinds of Cholesterol are there?
There are three kinds of cholesterol. One is called Low-density lipoprotein (LDL), second is called High-density lipoprotein (HDL), and the third is called Triglycerides (glyceride in which the glycerol is esterified with three fatty acids : wikipedia). From now on, I will introduce three kinds of Cholesterol.
-Low-density lipoprotein (LDL)
LDL is known as bad cholesterol. By dissolving very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), which is produced in liver, inside blood vessel, LDL is made. It carries cholesterol in the liver and small intestine to cells and tissues. It synthesizes or reserves cell membranes and hormones in tissue cell. It causes serious disease if the level is more than a healthy range. Arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, and other heart related disease are the diseases that can occurr due to LDL.
-High-density lipoprotein (HDL)
On the other hand, HDL is known as good cholesterol. HDL removes cholesterol in the blood vessel. Therefore, if LDL is high, it isn¡¯t good for health but if HDL is high, it is quite good for health. HDL also transports cholesterol to the liver and excretes LDL to the outside, like a cleaner. Doctors judge that even though LDL is high, if HDL is high, there is less probability of diseases. People often avoid cholesterol and fat. If people, however, don¡¯t absorb good cholesterol, as like HDL, by eating food like oily food, aging will accelerate and immunity will decrease.
-Triglycerides
Triglycerides (glyceride in which the glycerol is esterified with three fatty acids : wikipedia) are absorbed through food (especially food with animal fat or cream). After eating food, they are absorbed in small intestine. Combined with lipoprotein, triglycerides flow into the blood. If glucoses (the most important carbohydrate) are left, they are converted into triglycerides and accumulate in subcutaneous (under the skin) fat. Triglycerides are necessary energy resource and function to maintain organs and tissues. If triglycerides are too much in blood, they caused serious problem as like LDL. Triglycerides are related to obesity and if one has high rate on triglycerides, it means one has high possibility of heart disease and diabetes.
4. Health Range
According to recent third report from America national cholesterol education program,
Total Cholesterol : less than 200mg/dl
Low-density Cholesterol : less than 130mg/dl
High-density Cholesterol : more than 60mg/dl
Triglycerides : less than 200mg/dl
(www.heartuk.org.uk)
It is important to stay in a healthy range. Being out of a healthy range will cause problem and if the rate is less than healthy range, it is also dangerous.
5.Function of Cholesterol
Cholesterol protects the inside of cells from outside attack. In addition, Cholesterol is the one of things that makes an independent domain inside the cells. All animals¡¯ cell membranes are composed of cholesterol and, without cholesterol, cell membrane cannot function correctly. Moreover, cholesterol becomes the ingredient of synthesis of hormones. Cholesterol is the material for making bile acid which assists fat, carotinoid, and vitamin¡¯s digestion.
6. Threaten by Cholesterol
In a February 1st, 2007, article entitled ¡®The Reason of Sudden Death : Cholesterol¡¯ reported in KyeongHyang newspaper. Mr. Kim, who was warned about high cholesterol last year, planned to exercise and healthy diet. The plan, however, crashed because of frequent dining together for business. Even though he realized he should care about cholesterol, he couldn¡¯t. One day, he went to heaven.( KyeonHang ¡°The Reason for Sudden Death:Cholesterol.¡± Kim, Min Seong 1 Feb. 2007: 11)
Similar articles are often carried in newspaper, nowadays. It means cholesterol is not the problem for a few but for all people. MI (myocardial infarction) ranks first for the reason of death in Western society. In Korea, it is also ranked third after cancer and stroke (Korean Health Ministry). In 1910s, one Russian scholar said ¡®If there¡¯s no cholesterol, there also be no aortosclerosis (Cho, Seong Tae. Cho Seong Tae¡¯s food Curement. Seoul: KyeongHwang, 199. Pg 37). As this statement inferred, cholesterol is related with heart disease.
The situation where in the ratio of cholesterol in blood is increased radically is not a disease but it is dangerous situation. That situation will lead to severe disease which can cause death. Therefore, people should pay attention to stay in healthy range.
7. Treatment to reduce Cholesterol
As there are problems, there are also the solutions. The treatments, at first, are physical exercise, a dietetic treatment, and improvement of daily life. For physical exercise, aerobic exercises such as running, swimming, biking, etc more than 30 minutes per day will decrease LDL for little bit and increase HDL for little. Thus, incidence of heart disease will be decreased. For dietetic treatment, people should avoid food with saturated fat. People should eat vegetables, fruits, unrefined grains, olive oil which contains a lot of unsaturated fats, or fish with blue back and avoid animals¡¯ intestines, livers, or eggs because they contain plenty of cholesterol. Moreover, for the meat, I recommend white meat like chicken or goose rather than reddish meat like beef and pork. For vegetable oil, also, it is better to evade frying because frying incurs transformation and the transformation produces trans-fat.
-What is EPA?
EPA stands for Eicosa Pentenoic Acid. EPA is unsaturated fat that intakes by foods like DHA, and DPA. Recent reports inform us that the foods that include EPA is a benefit to reduce cholesterol. In fish, there is large amount of EPA. Therefore, Eskimos, Dutchmen, and Japanese people, who eat numerous fish, have less heart disease (Cho, Seong Tae. Cho Seong Tae¡¯s food Curement. Seoul: KyeongHwang, 1998. Pg 37-38).
-Treatment from Asia
Because the word ¡®Cholesterol¡¯ is English, there is no section with the word ¡®Cholesterol¡¯ in the Ancient Asia book. In the book named ¡®Dong Hee Bo Gam¡¯, which Heo Jun the famous Korean herb doctor in ChoSun dynasty wrote, shrimps are sweet and have little poison. Shrimps are use to treat heart disease, especially small shrimps because the shrimps, themselves, are high in cholesterol. The skins of shrimps, however, have effect that can resolve tangled blood. Therefore, shrimps are good for aortosclerosis (Lee, Won Jong. Become medicine when people have knowledge. Seoul: EasyBook, 2002. Pg 55-57).
Cholesterol is also affected by family history. Therefore, if physical exercise and diet cure aren¡¯t work, buy medicine that can reduce cholesterol. Ingesting cholesterol medicine will be the fastest way to reduce cholesterol.
8.Misconceptions about cholesterol
-Thin people don¡¯t have to worry about cholesterol?
Absolutely, no! Thin people, who are less than standard weights, can suffer from cholesterol. Thin people might pay less attention on cholesterol. Therefore, they are hardly recognize the problem, and thin people might delay the treatment.
-Women don¡¯t have to worry about cholesterol?
It is quite true that women¡¯s rate of cholesterol is lower than men¡¯s. After climacteric (the end of menstruation), women¡¯s cholesterol increased and the danger of related disease is also increased. Therefore, women should be as careful about cholesterol as men.
9.Conclusion
I learned large amount of knowledge about cholesterol. I should try to follow the treatment which I mentioned above. I now avoid fatty foods, which I loved. Before I finish my term paper, I have another blood test to check my cholesterol. Surprisingly, my cholesterol decreased. Therefore, I am thankful to my term paper.
I hope many people, who disregard cholesterol, might now focus on cholesterol through reading my term paper, and try to keep people's health before something horrible happened.
Works cited
-Cho, Seong Tae. Cho Seong Tae¡¯s food Curement. Seoul: KyeongHwang, 1998.
-"Cholesterol." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 16 May 2007, 21:11 UTC. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 21 May 2007
-Heartuk. ¡°What is cholesterol?¡± Macnair, Dr Trisha 15 Oct. 2007: 27
-Isley, William L. "eMedicineHealth." High Cholesterol. 16 Oct. 2005. Web MD. 14 Apr. 2007
-KyeonHang ¡°The Reason for Sudden Death:Cholesterol.¡± Kim, Min Seong 1 Feb. 2007: 11
-Lee, Won Jong. Become medicine when people have knowledge. Seoul: EasyBook, 2002.
Links to other sites on the Web
Who Are We?
Who Am I?
To. President No Moo Hyun
Cholesterol(Term Paper)
Chenua Achebe
Rest of my essays