Relationship Between Fat, Cholesterol And Cancer

Cholesterol And Cancer

It is a proven fact that cardiovascular diseases are closely related to cancer, so that anything that increases the risk for cardiovascular disease, also increase the cancer risk.

Hence high cholesterol predispose tumor formation. This is the explanation of why high intake of fat (especially animal) is so tied to carcinogenesis.


But what is cholesterol and how to increase its blood level? We could define cholesterol how a complex fat product that is part of all cells, which is necessary for the hormones and vitamin D formation.

Also plays a role in digestion, as part of the bile juices. To ensure an adequate level of cholesterol, the liver produces about one gram daily of this substance .


The rest comes from diet. The problem comes when an abnormality in the metabolic processes of lipids or a poor diet, the level of blood cholesterol rises too high, since the body as it is not easy remove quickly this excess.


The major route of cholesterol elimination is its conversion into bile salts,which are discharged into the intestine and reabsorbed later, losing only a small part in the dregs. This is why the elimination is slow, and excessive levels can be durable.


When this happens, there is a tendency to atherogenesis, or fatty deposits formation on artery walls, with consequent narrowing andarterial stiffness(arteriosclerosis ), thus increasing the cardiovascular diseases risk and cancer, as we have said before.


One of the known causes that may cause malfunctions in the metabolism of fat is stress. Also a sedentary lifestyle, or excessive fatty foods consumption, especially animal can shoot cholesterol levels.


A study by Dr. John McDougall Hospital of St. Helena (California ) showed that a 12-day diet based on foods with no cholesterol, along with some moderate exercise and more or less effective stress elimination can reduce approximately 11% the blood cholesterol level. This reduction leads to a 25 % lower of coronary heart disease risk.


Cholesterol is basically divided into two types: high-density lipoprotein (HDL ) or "good" cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL )  or "Bad" cholesterol. The presence of the first type does not imply any danger, because rather protects against cardiovascular diseases.

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