When your doctor told you that you need to lower your cholesterol levels and that you need to stop eating food with too much cholesterol, he may have not explained exactly what this means.  You may or may not know that there is such a thing as “good cholesterol” and “bad cholesterol”  When we are told we need to lower our cholesterol levels, what exactly does that mean?  Do we want high levels of LDL and low levels of HDL or vice versa?  Now let’s add Triglycerides into the picture.  How does this all make sense and what should we be on the lookout for? 

First off, LDL cholesterol is bad and HDL cholesterol is good.  In an article entitled “Good Cholesterol vs Bad Cholesterol” the author simply explains it like this:

“Both are used by the body to produce things that are needed to live: hormones, bile salts, and vitamin D, to name a few.  But the main difference is LDL’s tendency to stick to the walls of your arteries as it travels through your bloodstream.  As more and more of it clings to the walls, your blood has a harder and harder time pumping through ever increasingly crowded arteries.  This is why high cholesterol and high blood pressure are so closely linked.  When a chunk of LDL cholesterol breaks off and lodges itself someplace downstream, that’s a stroke, which is something you want to avoid.”

According to the American Heart Association:

“Cholesterol can’t dissolve in the blood. It has to be transported to and from the cells by carriers called lipoproteins. Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, is known as “bad” cholesterol. High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, is known as “good” cholesterol. These two types of lipids, along with triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol, make up your total cholesterol count, which can be determined through a blood test. 

LDL (Bad) Cholesterol
When too much LDL (bad) cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. Together with other substances, it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result.

HDL (good) Cholesterol
About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Low levels of HDL (less than 40 mg/dL) also increase the risk of heart disease. Medical experts think that HDL tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it’s passed from the body. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup.

Triglycerides
Triglyceride is a form of fat made in the body. Elevated triglycerides can be due to overweight/obesity, physical inactivity, cigarette smoking, excess alcohol consumption and a diet very high in carbohydrates (60 percent of total calories or more). People with high triglycerides often have a high total cholesterol level, including a high LDL (bad) level and a low HDL (good) level. Many people with heart disease and/or diabetes also have high triglyceride levels.

Lp(a) Cholesterol
Lp(a) is a genetic variation of LDL (bad) cholesterol. A high level of Lp(a) is a significant risk factor for the premature development of fatty deposits in arteries. Lp(a) isn’t fully understood, but it may interact with substances found in artery walls and contribute to the buildup of fatty deposits.”

Eating right and exercise can also help keep your cholesterol levels in check. 

Qolest Cholesterol Support  is a natural way to help maintain normal levels of cholesterol in healthy people.