Two Types of Cholesterol
We have all heard about cholesterol and how too much of it can be detrimental to our health.
Much of our body's cholesterol is produced by our liver with the rest derived from the food.
But there are a couple of truth's about cholesterol with the first being that not all cholesterol is bad, and the second being that there are two types of cholesterol which impact our cardiovascular health in very different ways.
Of the two types of cholesterol Is our bad cholesterol really good cholesterol? Well not exactly, but almost.
LDL (low density lipoprotein molecules) is what is referred to as bad cholesterol.
Without a certain amount of LDL our cells would die and we would slowly wither away like that dead houseplant we forgot to water before going on vacation.
Bad cholesterol helps keep our digestive system regular, is essential for hormone production, holds us together on a cellular level, and is essential for the vitamin D synthesis.
Wow, that bad cholesterol sounds pretty good! But before you go out and order a plate of lard covered liver cooked in butter and garnished with high fat processed meat it is important to know that what sounds pretty good can also be very, very, bad when it comes cardiovascular health.
High levels of LDL cholesterol have been linked to plaque deposits in our arteries which heighten the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Research studies tell us that 70 percent of heart attack victims have elevated LDL levels.
LDL (low density lipoproteins) molecules contain primarily fat and cholesterol, along with a small amount of protein.
When found in abundance in our bloodstream these fat laden molecules are more than happy to deposit their fatty cargo on the inner lining of our arteries (lumen).
Of the two types of cholesterol is our good cholesterol really bad? The answer is no! Good cholesterol is always good and the more of it you have the better chance you will have of avoiding heart and artery disease.
Good cholesterol is known as HDL (high density lipoprotein molecules) and research tells us that having a reading of 60 milligrams for every deciliter of blood protects our arteries from arterial plaque deposits and reduces the risk for hardening of the arteries, heart attack, and stroke.
Interesting fact: The risk of having a heart attack can measured by diving HDL level into total cholesterol.
For women if the result is 3.
8 or less they are in the low risk category and for men anything below 2.
9 puts them in the lowest risk category.
So the two types of cholesterol are LDL and HDL.
Sometimes LDL wears a white hat and other times black hat.
On the other hand HDL always wears a white hat and plays an important role in heart and artery health.
HDL is also a very lean molecule that collects excess bad cholesterol and removes it from the body.
In conclusion, there are two types of cholesterol and keeping them in balance is an important part of heart, artery, and general health.
To achieve this the American Heart Association recommends consuming a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, partaking in regular doctor approved exercise, maintain a heart healthy weight, eating plenty of vegetables and whole grains, adding foods high in omega 3 fatty acids to your diet a couple of time a week (salmon, flax), and not smoking.
Additionally, many natural health minded individuals have found that by adding a cholesterol reduction supplement containing cholesterol binding ingredients, such as phytosterols and policosanol, they have been able to gain the advantage in the war against high cholesterol bringing the primary two types of cholesterol (LDL,HDL) back into balance.
Much of our body's cholesterol is produced by our liver with the rest derived from the food.
But there are a couple of truth's about cholesterol with the first being that not all cholesterol is bad, and the second being that there are two types of cholesterol which impact our cardiovascular health in very different ways.
Of the two types of cholesterol Is our bad cholesterol really good cholesterol? Well not exactly, but almost.
LDL (low density lipoprotein molecules) is what is referred to as bad cholesterol.
Without a certain amount of LDL our cells would die and we would slowly wither away like that dead houseplant we forgot to water before going on vacation.
Bad cholesterol helps keep our digestive system regular, is essential for hormone production, holds us together on a cellular level, and is essential for the vitamin D synthesis.
Wow, that bad cholesterol sounds pretty good! But before you go out and order a plate of lard covered liver cooked in butter and garnished with high fat processed meat it is important to know that what sounds pretty good can also be very, very, bad when it comes cardiovascular health.
High levels of LDL cholesterol have been linked to plaque deposits in our arteries which heighten the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Research studies tell us that 70 percent of heart attack victims have elevated LDL levels.
LDL (low density lipoproteins) molecules contain primarily fat and cholesterol, along with a small amount of protein.
When found in abundance in our bloodstream these fat laden molecules are more than happy to deposit their fatty cargo on the inner lining of our arteries (lumen).
Of the two types of cholesterol is our good cholesterol really bad? The answer is no! Good cholesterol is always good and the more of it you have the better chance you will have of avoiding heart and artery disease.
Good cholesterol is known as HDL (high density lipoprotein molecules) and research tells us that having a reading of 60 milligrams for every deciliter of blood protects our arteries from arterial plaque deposits and reduces the risk for hardening of the arteries, heart attack, and stroke.
Interesting fact: The risk of having a heart attack can measured by diving HDL level into total cholesterol.
For women if the result is 3.
8 or less they are in the low risk category and for men anything below 2.
9 puts them in the lowest risk category.
So the two types of cholesterol are LDL and HDL.
Sometimes LDL wears a white hat and other times black hat.
On the other hand HDL always wears a white hat and plays an important role in heart and artery health.
HDL is also a very lean molecule that collects excess bad cholesterol and removes it from the body.
In conclusion, there are two types of cholesterol and keeping them in balance is an important part of heart, artery, and general health.
To achieve this the American Heart Association recommends consuming a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, partaking in regular doctor approved exercise, maintain a heart healthy weight, eating plenty of vegetables and whole grains, adding foods high in omega 3 fatty acids to your diet a couple of time a week (salmon, flax), and not smoking.
Additionally, many natural health minded individuals have found that by adding a cholesterol reduction supplement containing cholesterol binding ingredients, such as phytosterols and policosanol, they have been able to gain the advantage in the war against high cholesterol bringing the primary two types of cholesterol (LDL,HDL) back into balance.