Alcohol and Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a wax like lipid produced in the liver to sustain balance and health .The liver manufactures just enough cholesterol that the body needs. The level of cholesterol in our bodies is a result of what we add to it with the food we consume.
Consumed cholesterol is both beneficial and detrimental to our body and the difference between good and bad is down to the density of the lipids:
- When the body consumes high density lipoproteins (HDL) then all is good.
HDL which we call the “good cholesterol” is a vital function of the body and its processes. The HDL has a major friend called RTC. This is reverse transport cholesterol. This component actually removes excess cholesterol through fecal matter.
- On the flip side, if that cholesterol is low density lipoproteins (LDL) the body starts to have negative reactions.
LDL, aka “bad cholesterol” likes to build up in the blood stream and block blood flow increasing risk of cardio-vascular diseases.
The reaction of cholesterol to alcohol
An oddity of cholesterol is the attraction to alcohol. It has been studied that people in France have a long life expectancy and cholesterol levels are lower; all this while they eat a lot of food containing fat. Most of the residents of France drink some form of alcohol.
Alcohol in moderation and regularly consumed can actually help raise your HDL level. The beverage also appears to help the body increase resistance towards insulin.
Are all types of alcohol a cholesterol reducer?
Not all alcoholic beverages have the same qualities. Red wines are particularly high on the list of “medicinal” beverages for the body. Any other type of alcohol will have a minor effect to reduce cholesterol levels.
On the other hand, too much alcohol use can cause very harmful issues such as heart disease, cancer, damage to the liver and non-health related problems. The issue boils down to personal responsibility and only using red wine in moderate servings, perhaps a few ounces a day to help up your level of “good cholesterol” and reduce “bad cholesterol”.
As well as the effects alcohol has on the cholesterol, it can also help your blood vessels improve elasticity which in turn will reduce blood pressure. Overall the effects can be favorable.
To sum it all, the use of alcohol in reducing HDL is a good start. The key is moderation and the type of alcohol. Used in excess, alcohol can severely damage your body by hampering the functionality of your liver, including upsetting one of its key processes – the manufacture and regulation of cholesterol.
