Facts about Cholesterol in an easy to understand presentation

1. 11 Basic Facts
About Cholesterol
•

2. *
WHAT IS CHOLESTEROL?
Every cell in your body contains cholesterol. It
is produced by the body but can also be
taken in from food. Being fat-soluble, it does
not mix with blood, which is water-soluble.
That's why it is carried through your
bloodstream by lipoproteins called HDL and
LDL. Cholesterol is essential for your health,
but too much of it can be harmful.
Cholesterol Is Essential For You

3. *
WHERE DO I GET CHOLESTEROL?
Cholesterol comes from
two sources
Your body, particularly your liver, makes all the
cholesterol you need. This naturally produced
cholesterol accounts for approximately two
thirds of the cholesterol circulating in your
blood. The rest comes from food, mainly from
meat, eggs and full-fat dairy products.

4. *
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT
CHOLESTEROL TYPES?
Cholesterol and other fats are transported in
the body by lipoproteins. Low density
lipoprotein or LDL is considered "bad" as it is
involved in the atherosclerotic process, which
may cause plaque build-up inside your
arteries, leading to cardiovascular disease.
High density lipoprotein or HDL is often called
"good" cholesterol, because it helps remove
cholesterol from the arteries.
Cholesterol comes in two main forms

5. *
WHAT ARE TRIGLYCERIDES?
Triglycerides are a type of fat circulating in
the blood. Triglyceride levels are often
measured together with cholesterol levels.
Elevated triglyceride levels (>1.7 mmol/l)
may increase the risk of coronary heart
disease. This applies especially to people
with a low HDL level and elevated LDL level
and to people with diabetes.
Elevated triglycerides are linked
to heart disease

6. *
DO I NEED CHOLESTEROL?
Your body needs a small amount of
cholesterol to build cell membranes,
make hormones, produce vitamin D
and carry out other important tasks.
Your liver produces all the cholesterol
you need so you don't have to get it
through your diet.
Cholesterol is essential
for your health

7. *
CAN I HAVE HIGH CHOLESTEROL?
Elevated cholesterol affects people of all ages
and backgrounds in industrialised countries – no
matter whether you are young or old, thin or
overweight or whether you exercise or not.
The only way to know if your cholesterol level is
elevated is to have it tested by your doctor or
other health care professional.
Every second adult has
elevated cholesterol
WHO • www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk_factors/cholesterol_mean_text/en

8. *
WHEN IS MY CHOLESTEROL TOO HIGH?
Elevated cholesterol usually has no symptoms so
you will be able to follow your cholesterol levels
only by having regular checkups. If you are
generally healthy, your recommended total
cholesterol is below 5.0 mmol/l, your LDL below 3.0
and your HDL more than 1.0. If you have other risk
factors, such as smoking, high blood pressure,
diabetes or heart disease, the target levels for total
and LDL cholesterol are even lower.
Recommended cholesterol
levels for healthy people

9. *
HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE HIGH
CHOLESTEROL?
You can't feel elevated cholesterol; it has no
signs or symptoms. The only way to know
your cholesterol levels is through a blood
test that measures the fats in your blood.
Your doctor will interpret the results based
on other risk factors, such as age, family
history, smoking and high blood pressure,
and advise you how to proceed.
Have your cholesterol
checked regularly

10. *
WHY IS HIGH CHOLESTEROL
BAD FOR ME?
When there is too much LDL cholesterol in
your blood, it may cause plaque buildup on the
walls of your arteries. This condition, known as
atherosclerosis, may lead to a variety of health
problems, such as heart attack or stroke.
Lowering your cholesterol levels now can help
you avoid problems later on in life.
Elevated cholesterol is a risk
factor for heart disease

11. *
IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO?
Through small changes in your lifestyle and
especially in your diet, you can achieve
great results. Taking care of your
cholesterol level helps you maintain a
healthy heart. Including Benecol® products
as part of a healthy diet is a simple,
additional step to start lowering your
cholesterol level today.
The simple steps towards
a healthy heart

12. *
HOW DOES BENECOL® HELP ME?
The tasty products in the Benecol® range
contain plant stanol ester and are proven
to lower your cholesterol by 7–10% in 2–3
weeks. What’s more, the cholesterol level
remains at the lower level reached as long
as the Benecol products are used daily with
a meal.
Benecol lowers your cholesterol

13. For more information visit www.benecol.com
Thank you.