How to Convert Cholesterol

Cholesterol can be a healthy part of your diet. Your body uses cholesterol to produce the steroid hormones that regulate your heart and water levels and keep your energy level up. You want to convert your dietary cholesterol into these hormones to keep your cholesterol levels normal. Exercise and diet are the keys to cholesterol conversion.

Eat healthy foods throughout the day to keep blood sugar levels normal. Low blood sugar depletes the adrenal gland that converts cholesterol to steroid hormones. Three nutritious meals and three snacks ensure normal glucose levels. Be sure to eat within one hour of getting up to raise the blood sugar when steroid hormone production is strong. And, eat a snack between 2 and 3 p.m. to prevent the steroid hormone dip in the late afternoon. Include plenty of vegetables in the diet.

Supplement your diet with the vitamins C, E and B and calcium, zinc and manganese to keep the arousal system fortified with nutrients.

Limit the amount of cholesterol in your diet. Eat only enough for your lifestyle and activities. Excess cholesterol your body knows it does not need gets converted. A blood level of 6 to 23 micrograms per deciliter is normal.

Exercise regularly to increase adrenal activity. The adrenal gland activates to arouse the body strong enough to fuel activity. When you exercise, the adrenal gland increases production of steroid hormones using the cholesterol in the blood. Prolonged regular exercise increases the resting levels of steroid hormones.

The brain’s glands produce the hormone that stimulates the adrenal gland. The hypothalamus sends out to the pituitary gland the corticotropin releasing hormone. In response, the pituitary releases ACTH.

At the top of the kidneys, the ACTH stimulates the adrenal gland to convert cholesterol to the hormones cortisol, aldosterone and androgen in steps. The adrenal system uses enzymes to convert cholesterol to prognenolone. When enzymes act upon pregnenolone, cortisol forms.