What Is the Role Between LDL Cholesterol & Water?
Water is necessary for multiple physiological processes, from blood flow and metabolism to temperature regulation. It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, that hydration has an important role in preventing something that millions of Americans are concerned about--blocked arteries and heart disease. In connection with that, water plays a role in the body's level of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad," cholesterol.
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Research
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Authors reporting on The Adventist Health Study in a 2002 article in the "American Journal of Epidemiology" found a strong, negative relationship between water intake and coronary heart disease. As water intake increased, the risk of heart disease was considerably less. The reason for that relationship may be in part because people in the study with decreased risk of heart disease had overall healthy lifestyles, but the study also indicates a direct relationship between LDL and dehydration.
LDL and HDL Roles
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As a repair mechanism, LDL buildup occurs to plug damage in artery walls. What begins as a protective clot can become, in the presence of chronic arterial damage, a risk factor for coronary heart disease. The body's "good" cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL), has the opposing role of clearing LDL from the bloodstream to decrease the risk of coronary heart disease. Proper hydration is one of the keys to keeping the balance of these two types of cholesterol under control.
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Dehydration Effects on Blood Vessels
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In the presence of adequate water or other fluid, blood is slightly alkaline (non-acidic). Without adequate water or other fluid, however, blood becomes acidic. The flow of acidic blood erodes artery walls. As a result, the body attempts to control damage by attracting LDL to the blood vessel walls.
LDL Potentially Unsafe
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LDL is the primary carrier of cholesterol in the body, and it carries cholesterol in the body's core. This soft and fatty core is able to act as a type of plug to a blood vessel, providing repair to a damaged area. At first, the presence of LDL doesn't hurt the body because the blood vessel benefits from the temporary help. When LDL sticks around too long, however, cell-eating macrophages can track down LDL and consume it. When LDL is ingested by macrophages, a large, fatty, foamy cell is made.
Each fatty, foamy cell has the potential to burst. If that happens, its contents are released and incite an inflammatory response. This inflammation cascade causes a mass of red blood cells and platelets to gather and create a plaque. The bigger the plaque, the less likely blood will flow through the blood vessel.
Practical Application
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Extensive blockage and narrowing of arteries is directly responsible for the death of active and oxygenated tissue, heart disease and stroke. Because lack of water, or dehydration, causes damage that incites a threatening inflammatory response, proper hydration (consuming six to eight glasses of water or an equal amount of liquid) per day is a sensible practice to prevent complications from excessive LDL buildup. Aside from thirst and dry mouth, indications that it's time to consume water or another fluid include chronic fatigue, dry skin and dark urine.
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- Photo Credit splash of water glass image by OMKAR A.V from Fotolia.com
