Nothing is further from the truth than the idea that cholesterol, a type of fat, is bad for you.
Get a few friends together who are in their 40s and steer the conversation towards matters of health and you will invariably be bombarded with queries about cholesterol levels and their significance.
Given the many misconceptions about cholesterol and its role in our health, it is important to have a proper understanding of its real nature and function.
Coupled with the above issue is a general ignorance about how our body functions, what ails it and how to treat the problems, as opposed to just treating the symptoms.
Read on to get an idea on what exactly is cholesterol and what are the steps you can take, on a consistent basis, to enjoy a long and healthy life.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty acid produced in the liver (about 1,000 milligrams a day). It is a waxy substance found among the lipids (fats) in the bloodstream and forms a part of cell walls, nerve coverings and brain cells.
It is essential to the formation of cell membranes, some hormones, bile acids, for synthesising vitamin D and is also needed for other functions. It is also present in varying degrees in the foods we eat.
The liver increases and reduces the production of cholesterol depending on the amount of cholesterol present in our diet. The food we eat contributes to the cholesterol in our body. In this case, saturated fatty acids and trans-fat are the main culprits.
Foods from animals like eggs, meat, seafood, poultry and dairy products are richer in cholesterol. Food originating from plants like fruits, vegetables, grains, and seeds do not contain cholesterol.
Cholesterol is essential to the effective functioning of the body and becomes bad for the body only when it is present in excess.
In such a case it can cause a coronary artery blockage and lead to heart diseases and heart attacks and strokes.
Cholesterol is of two types - low-density lipoprotein (LDL), also called the ‘bad’ cholesterol, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) called the ‘good’ cholesterol.
When LDL levels rise in the blood, they get deposited on the walls of the blood vessels, and are termed as plaque, causing the arteries to become thickened (arteriosclerosis), making it difficult for the blood to flow freely.
This increases blood pressure and can block flow of blood to parts of the heart muscle leading to heart attacks. If the plaque causes the flow of blood to the brain to be affected, it can cause a stroke.
HDL carries cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, from where it is processed and eventually, expelled from the body. A high level of HDL has in fact been noted to protect against heart attacks. A low level of HDL may also increase one’s risk of stroke.
Ayurveda and cholesterol
According to Ayurveda, cholesterol is essential in supporting and lubricating the body’s circulatory channels (shrotas).
As with other ailments, Ayurveda believes that the root cause of a heart attack or a stroke is rooted not in cholesterol but in the presence of AMA (toxins).
If Ama is present in the body for a very long time, it becomes more dangerous and is referred to as Amavisha (ama poison). When amavisha mixes with the fat tissues, it damages the circulatory channels leading to diseases like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
Ayurveda has an interesting take on cholesterol in that the ancient Ayurvedic texts do not bother much with it. Instead, the focus is on Meda Dhatu (lipid/fat tissue) and on how to achieve and maintain healthy fat tissues in our body.
Ayurveda considers cholesterol one of the contents of lipid tissue and an imbalanced diet will eventually lead to an imbalance in cholesterol levels and Meda Dhatu.
According to Ayurveda, the problem is exacerbated when poor diet increases the Ama in our body, including in the liver. When the liver is overloaded with Ama, its functioning becomes impaired and affects the digestive process resulting in the Meda Dhatu getting affected (increase or decrease or it mixing with Ama).
When the Meda Dhatu mixes with Ama, it changes the quality of lipid or fat tissue and the quality of cholesterol, making it unhealthy instead of healthy. Even modern science and medicine is beginning to identify the fact that elevated levels of cholesterol alone do not cause a heart attack.
It is a combination of elements like free radicals, overactive immune cells creating inflammation, homocysteine build-up due to lack of folic acid, trans-fatty acids from impure oils in your diet and environmental toxins, such as mercury from contaminated fish, that lead to health problems.
