About the size of a fist, a healthy human heart relies on oxygen and nutrients to continually beat and pump blood through our circulatory system, which is constructed out of a network of blood vessels, arteries, veins, and capillaries. Our heart is vital to our health and if it is not functioning properly, blood cannot circulate efficiently within our body and we will get sick, or may even die. This is a big problem, yet most people never really think about it, until a loved one has a heart attack, a close friend needs bypass surgery, or we ourselves are diagnosed with Atrial Septal Defect (ASD) or any other type of heart malfunction.

Cholesterol gets so much bad press that it is hard to believe that your body actually needs it. There are two kinds of cholesterol in your body, good cholesterol which is commonly known as HDL cholesterol, and bad cholesterol or the more common name, LDL cholesterol. Cholesterol in your body is necessary to make hormones, vitamin D and bile salts and so is a necessary part of your normal body’s functioning.