Cholesterol
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firegirlred
Posts: 674 Member
I learned something else interesting today from biology.
Cholesterol is considered a steroid.
Cholesterol is not all bad:
It helps to make bile (which digests fats)
It forms Vitamin D when exposed to UV light,
It forms sex hormones...
Cholesterol is considered a steroid.
Cholesterol is not all bad:
It helps to make bile (which digests fats)
It forms Vitamin D when exposed to UV light,
It forms sex hormones...
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Replies
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I learned something else interesting today from biology.
Cholesterol is considered a steroid.
Cholesterol is not all bad:
It helps to make bile (which digests fats)
It forms Vitamin D when exposed to UV light,
It forms sex hormones...0 -
I learned something else interesting today from biology.
Cholesterol is considered a steroid.
Cholesterol is not all bad:
It helps to make bile (which digests fats)
It forms Vitamin D when exposed to UV light,
It forms sex hormones...
Interesting!
Since starting MFP and losing some weight (and exercising almost everyday for the past 6 months) I still have my LDL - bad cholesterol - at a low 78, but I raised my HDL - good cholesterol - to 80!!!
My doc said that can be attributed to the consumption of good fats, but also to all the exercise! My blood pressure is still around 100/65 which is I also think might not have been had I kept gaining weight.
Although I do think I am looking better, it is really all about health - quality of life, and of course increasing quantity!!!!
:flowerforyou:0 -
It is also necessary for our cell membranes. The saturated fats in our cell membranes are what keep it fluid...too many unsaturated fats and it becomes rigid because the bent fatty acid groups will get caught on one another. Saturated fats are just as necessary as unsaturated, they just get a bad rep...poor sat fats...:brokenheart:0
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It is also necessary for our cell membranes. The saturated fats in our cell membranes are what keep it fluid...too many unsaturated fats and it becomes rigid because the bent fatty acid groups will get caught on one another. Saturated fats are just as necessary as unsaturated, they just get a bad rep...poor sat fats...:brokenheart:
Songbyrdsweet - you're the braniac in the MFP family
- have you heard about the negative effects of LDL cholesterol going too low? My doctor said there is an increased risk for parkinson's disease if the LDL is too much lower than 80 (well, a correlation I should say). Have you heard of this?
:flowerforyou:0 -
It is also necessary for our cell membranes. The saturated fats in our cell membranes are what keep it fluid...too many unsaturated fats and it becomes rigid because the bent fatty acid groups will get caught on one another. Saturated fats are just as necessary as unsaturated, they just get a bad rep...poor sat fats...:brokenheart:
Songbyrdsweet - you're the braniac in the MFP family - have you heard about the negative effects of LDL cholesterol going too low? My doctor said there is an increased risk for parkinson's disease if the LDL is too much lower than 80 (well, a correlation I should say). Have you heard of this?
:flowerforyou:
Ah-ha, you said correlation! That makes me all fuzzy hehe :laugh:
I hadn't heard that, but it's interesting. As my phys teacher says, the amount we actually KNOW versus what we're GUESSING, is so scary that he doesn't want to go to a doctor anymore. :laugh: If I were to sit on my text book for 5 years, it'd be very different from one purchased after that 5 years. I'll definitely look into that though, it sounds like an interesting research topic for my senior capstone project!0 -
Songbyrdsweet - you're the braniac in the MFP family - have you heard about the negative effects of LDL cholesterol going too low? My doctor said there is an increased risk for parkinson's disease if the LDL is too much lower than 80 (well, a correlation I should say). Have you heard of this?
:flowerforyou:
My doc took me off cholesterol meds in July because she said my total count dropped too low and that too low wasn't good--think it was like 115 or something. She didn't say why too low was bad though, and I didn't think to ask her.0 -
It is also necessary for our cell membranes. The saturated fats in our cell membranes are what keep it fluid...too many unsaturated fats and it becomes rigid because the bent fatty acid groups will get caught on one another. Saturated fats are just as necessary as unsaturated, they just get a bad rep...poor sat fats...:brokenheart:
Songbyrdsweet - you're the braniac in the MFP family - have you heard about the negative effects of LDL cholesterol going too low? My doctor said there is an increased risk for parkinson's disease if the LDL is too much lower than 80 (well, a correlation I should say). Have you heard of this?
:flowerforyou:
Ah-ha, you said correlation! That makes me all fuzzy hehe :laugh:
I hadn't heard that, but it's interesting. As my phys teacher says, the amount we actually KNOW versus what we're GUESSING, is so scary that he doesn't want to go to a doctor anymore. :laugh: If I were to sit on my text book for 5 years, it'd be very different from one purchased after that 5 years. I'll definitely look into that though, it sounds like an interesting research topic for my senior capstone project!
Oh - it's so true. I work in the health care field, and I work closely with dermatologists, and the information changes so rapidly! I only have to keep on top of one disease, and I can't tell you how many studies and journals I read with constantly updated information. I cannot imagine being a GP and trying to keep current. Unbelievable!
:noway:0 -
Songbyrdsweet - you're the braniac in the MFP family - have you heard about the negative effects of LDL cholesterol going too low? My doctor said there is an increased risk for parkinson's disease if the LDL is too much lower than 80 (well, a correlation I should say). Have you heard of this?
:flowerforyou:
My doc took me off cholesterol meds in July because she said my total count dropped too low and that too low wasn't good--think it was like 115 or something. She didn't say why too low was bad though, and I didn't think to ask her.
In Canada our docs look at the two numbers seperately - HDL and LDL - Oprah's fav doc - Dr. Oz says this is the way cholesterol should be looked at. Ideally you want your HDL to be greater than your LDL with a total number of less than 200 - but LDL not too much lower than 80 (well the Heart Association says 80 or less is "ideal" for LDL - but it can be too low - however that is generally associated with chol produced in the body, not diet). Your HDL must be great with your clean diet and all that biking though!
:flowerforyou:0 -
Oh - it's so true. I work in the health care field, and I work closely with dermatologists, and the information changes so rapidly! I only have to keep on top of one disease, and I can't tell you how many studies and journals I read with constantly updated information. I cannot imagine being a GP and trying to keep current. Unbelievable!
:noway:
Since being diagnosed diabetic in 2003, I have had 4 different docs due to moves/Navy med care, etc. Every single one gives me different numbers to shoot for--talk about frustrating!
Is it that the information keeps being constantly updated or that they just don't communicate or what?
The Navy docs never seemed to care that my A1C was over 7 and BP like 140/90. Then my doc last year freaked and insisted I shoot for A1C under 6, a BP of 110/70, and a cholesterol under 130.
Then the one I've got now, she's not as low as the last one but not too far off either. She said I should shoot for A1C under 6, a BP of 120-130/75-80, and cholesterol under 150.
Go figure!0 -
In Canada our docs look at the two numbers seperately - HDL and LDL - Oprah's fav doc - Dr. Oz says this is the way cholesterol should be looked at. Ideally you want your HDL to be greater than your LDL with a total number of less than 200 - but LDL not too much lower than 80 (well the Heart Association says 80 or less is "ideal" for LDL - but it can be too low - however that is generally associated with chol produced in the body, not diet). Your HDL must be great with your clean diet and all that biking though!
:flowerforyou:
Believe it or not, with all the other med issues I've got, my cholesterol has always been great. Never higher than 150 total! Docs usually can't believe it given my other problems.
I can't remember the exact numbers but I think my "bad" cholesterol was like 30 last time. My doc said I had one of the best cholesterol levels she has ever seen.
Since she took me off the Lipitor, I started keeping an eye on my cholesterol on MFP, too. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that most days I didn't exceed 100 mgs--recommended level is no more than 300 and 200 for people with heart disease. The one day I went over 100 was the day we celebrated our anniversary eating blue crabs and I had 22 of them
I don't try to watch it either--I guess I just don't gravitate towards high cholesterol foods.0 -
Oh - it's so true. I work in the health care field, and I work closely with dermatologists, and the information changes so rapidly! I only have to keep on top of one disease, and I can't tell you how many studies and journals I read with constantly updated information. I cannot imagine being a GP and trying to keep current. Unbelievable!
:noway:
Since being diagnosed diabetic in 2003, I have had 4 different docs due to moves/Navy med care, etc. Every single one gives me different numbers to shoot for--talk about frustrating!
Is it that the information keeps being constantly updated or that they just don't communicate or what?
The Navy docs never seemed to care that my A1C was over 7 and BP like 140/90. Then my doc last year freaked and insisted I shoot for A1C under 6, a BP of 110/70, and a cholesterol under 130.
Then the one I've got now, she's not as low as the last one but not too far off either. She said I should shoot for A1C under 6, a BP of 120-130/75-80, and cholesterol under 150.
Go figure!
I hear you... it can be frustrating!
My hubby's BP is 120/80 - no kidding - exactly "text book" and he just had a physical, and was told that 120/80 is now considered "high/normal". WHAT!?!?!? The poor guy is so stressed out now, thinking that he has high BP!!! He has ripped abs at 190lbs standing 6'3", works out, and eats well - is this doc for real???
What's A1C?
I feel your pain - you are moving in the right direction, and doing great things for your health, so just know that you are healthy!
:flowerforyou:0 -
My hubby's BP is 120/80 - no kidding - exactly "text book" and he just had a physical, and was told that 120/80 is now considered "high/normal". WHAT!?!?!? The poor guy is so stressed out now, thinking that he has high BP!!! He has ripped abs at 190lbs standing 6'3", works out, and eats well - is this doc for real???
What's A1C?
I feel your pain - you are moving in the right direction, and doing great things for your health, so just know that you are healthy!
:flowerforyou:
A1C is a measurement for diabetes--it's taken quarterly and gives an average Blood glucose level of the previous 3-4 months. Used to be they had to sent it to labs to get it--now they've got a little meter just like us diabetes use daily that pops up with the A1C in 5 minutes! pretty cool.
My last A1C was 5.3--that was in April. I was ecstatic about that! That is considered "normal"--meaning non-diabetic level.0 -
My hubby's BP is 120/80 - no kidding - exactly "text book" and he just had a physical, and was told that 120/80 is now considered "high/normal". WHAT!?!?!? The poor guy is so stressed out now, thinking that he has high BP!!! He has ripped abs at 190lbs standing 6'3", works out, and eats well - is this doc for real???
What's A1C?
I feel your pain - you are moving in the right direction, and doing great things for your health, so just know that you are healthy!
:flowerforyou:
A1C is a measurement for diabetes--it's taken quarterly and gives an average Blood glucose level of the previous 3-4 months. Used to be they had to sent it to labs to get it--now they've got a little meter just like us diabetes use daily that pops up with the A1C in 5 minutes! pretty cool.
My last A1C was 5.3--that was in April. I was ecstatic about that! That is considered "normal"--meaning non-diabetic level.
Ohhhhh!!!!! Yes - we consider "normal" to be between 3 and 6, so looks like you are doing great!!!0 -
Ohhhhh!!!!! Yes - we consider "normal" to be between 3 and 6, so looks like you are doing great!!!
Didn't even hardly recognize you with the new hair-do! When did you get the new do? Looks great!0 -
Did some Googling and found this article on the Michael J. Fox's website for Parkinson's--interesting! Lots of other articles on the 'net about it, too.
_________________________________________________________________________--
eptember 29, 2005
Low cholesterol linked to Parkinson's risk in men
By Martha Kerr
Is it possible to have too low a level of cholesterol? A cholesterol profile that reduces the risk of heart disease may increase the risk for Parkinson's disease -- at least for men -- researchers report.
Going back several years, studies have uncovered associations between low cholesterol and suicide, stroke, depression, even violence. While the findings in most cases did not stand up to scrutiny, the suspicion remains that very low cholesterol might influence mental function.
Now, at the annual meeting the American Neurological Association held this week in San Diego, California, Dr. Xuemei Huang described a possible link to Parkinson's disease.
Huang and colleagues, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, measured the lipid levels of 124 Parkinson's patients and a group of 112 similar people free of Parkinson's disease.
Huang reported that, after adjusting for age, smoking, and use of lipid-lowering agents, men with low total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels had an increased risk of Parkinson's.
For example, compared to men with LDL cholesterol levels higher than 135, those with levels between 91 and 135 were 6 times more likely to have Parkinson's, and those LDL levels below 91 were 4 time more likely.
Huang proposed several possible mechanisms to explain the link between low cholesterol and risk of Parkinson's disease. One is that cholesterol helps rid the body of environmental toxins that might trigger Parkinson's.
"Another possible mechanism underlying our finding is the role of cholesterol as a precursor for hormones/chemical modulators that are involved in central nervous system function in a variety of ways," he said.
The association did not hold true for women. "Our findings of the gender differences are intriguing...the lifetime risk of Parkinson's disease is about two-fold higher in males than females," Huang noted.
"The fact that LDL cholesterol levels increase with age in men until 65 years of age, and until 75 years in women, may be relevant to our findings of gender-specific association between cholesterol and Parkinson's disease," he commented.
Expanding on this point, Huang concluded: "The fact that cholesterol levels tend to increase with age in young or middle age adults, yet decrease in later life when the risk of Parkinson's disease increases, suggests caution in balancing the benefits and risks of medication use in achieving 'optimal' cholesterol levels."0 -
Here's another article that explains where it can be bad--
_________________________________________________________________________
Recent study presented at the annual meeting of the American Neurological Association in San Diego, California, described a possible link to Parkinson's disease and low cholesterol.
How the Study was Conducted
Dr. Huang and colleagues, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, measured the cholesterol levels of 124 Parkinson's patients and a group of 112 similar people free of Parkinson's disease.
Huang reported that men with low total and LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels had an increased risk of Parkinson's.
The study found that those with cholesterol levels between 91 and 135 were 6 times more likely to have Parkinson's, and those LDL levels below 91 were 4 time more likely.
Huang commented that the reason for the link between low cholesterol and Parkinson may be due to the fact that:
# Cholesterol helps rid the body of environmental toxins that might trigger Parkinson's.
# Cholesterol is a precursor for hormones/chemical modulators that are important in central nervous system function.
Dr. Grisanti's Comments
It is of great interest that Dr. Huang commented on the significance of cholesterol and the importance of hormone production and detoxification compromise. Remember 80% of cholesterol in made in the liver. Cholesterol is also important for the production of cortisone (the body's natural pain killer)0 -
Ohhhhh!!!!! Yes - we consider "normal" to be between 3 and 6, so looks like you are doing great!!!
Didn't even hardly recognize you with the new hair-do! When did you get the new do? Looks great!
You mean in my profile pic (am I missing a joke here...)...
My hair is just up because we were going to the beach! It's still long.
:flowerforyou:0 -
You mean in my profile pic (am I missing a joke here...)...
My hair is just up because we were going to the beach! It's still long.
:flowerforyou:
Oh, ok. Thought you had gotten it all cut off or something.0 -
Interesting about those studies...
Could we still not just say correlation though?
As my hubby said, have you ever seen an overweight person with Parkinson's? Not me.
I should probably look out for my health and have a cheeseburger tomorrow. I'm sure I could search my soul and make the sacrafice. 
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I should probably look out for my health and have a cheeseburger tomorrow. I'm sure I could search my soul and make the sacrafice.
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:0
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