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Easy Guide to Cholesterol Levels HDL & LDL

Your cholesterol numbers are very important in determining your risk of coronary heart disease. Understanding the difference between good cholesterol and bad cholesterol and how your lifestyle and diet affect them will help you make adjustments to push both numbers in the right directions.

  1. Cholesterol for Body Function

    • Cholesterol is an insoluble fat found in your blood plasma. It is a sterol, a group of lipids, imperative for good health by building cell walls, hormone production and creating bile for digestion. The physical description of cholesterol is that it is a waxy substance that is hard until it reaches 149 degrees Celsius. Your body produces cholesterol not consumed in your diet by converting calories that are not used. Additionally, the more stress and pressure your are under, the more your body will produce cholesterol.
      Cholesterol is moved through your blood through lipoproteins. This is where good cholesterol is separated from bad cholesterol.

    HDL vs LDL

    • Cholesterol is transported in the body through one of two lipoproteins: high-density lipoproteins (HDL) or low-density lipoproteins (LDL). HDL is considered good cholesterol and LDL is considered bad cholesterol.
      For men, an HDL less than 40 is considered to raise your risk of coronary heart disease. In women this number is 50. If your HDL is higher than 60 mg/dL then you are improving your health and protecting against coronary heart disease.
      Bad cholesterol should be less than 200 mg/dL to be considered to normal. Ranges between 200 to 239 are borderline high with anything above 240 mg/dL as high and at serious risk of heart disease.

    Improving Your Cholesterol Numbers

    • Whether you have low HDL or high LDL, the remedies according to the American Heart Association are the same. Consume a diet low in fat to reduce LDL levels and increase HDL levels. Eat more fish such as tuna, mackerel and herring to get more omega-3 fatty acids which will both raise HDL and lower LDL. Drink green tea and limit alcohol consumption. Moderate alcohol consumption may increase HDL but excessive consumption leads to many other serious health problems such as liver problems that will increase LDL. Daily aerobic activity will improve cholesterol levels as well as increase body mass, thus basic metabolism.

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