CHOLESTEROL part 1

I'll start with a reminder that I am not a doctor, or dietitian, or nutritionist, but I believe myself to be reasonably intelligent and I can read. I thought before we talk about diets, we should gather some facts to help us choose the best plan for each of us. Since I just had a cholesterol test and found out it's more than twice what it should be, I thought it would be smart to start with fats and cholesterol.

Cholesteral seems to be this waxy type substance that our body needs and uses. All the cholesterol that we need can be made by our liver. When we take in extra cholesterol from foods we eat, such as meats and dairy products, our liver is supposed to measure that and cut back its production. The fact that we can have levels of cholesterol that are too high, tell me that the liver doesn't or can't cut back as much as we are taking in. The excess cholesterol that is in our blood is then stored in our arteries. It builds up into plaque, making our arteries too narrow. It's called atherosclerosis, and large deposits of it can completely close the artery. Depending on where the blockage occurs, we could then suffer a stroke or a heart attack.