HDL and LDL Cholesterol - The Lowdown on How Each Affects Us
People with high blood pressure and afflictions caused by it think of cholesterol as a four-letter word, because any mention of hypertension immediately blames cholesterol.
It's true, it can build up in the bloodstream and lead to heart disease and stroke, two of the major reasons of fatality in the western world.
But it is a fat, and is essential as a substance the body uses to keep healthy.
Having cholesterol levels that are too low are thought to increase the risk of cancer, anxiety and depression.
Certainly not a common problem, but it points to the fact that cholesterol has a function in our good health.
To further complicate matters, total cholesterol is made up of three types of cholesterol.
Here we will identify the three types that make up the total cholesterol package in your blood stream.
We will find one is bad, one good, and the third one flip-flops.
1.
LDL, or low density lipoproteins (bad): This is the stuff that builds up on artery wall, causing arteries to clog and leading to high blood pressure, as well as weakening those same arteries.
It can also cause havoc when it breaks off, floats around in the blood stream, then hits one of the organs causing stroke, heart failure or other issues.
As stated earlier, cholesterol has to be transported by the blood to the cell in order to keep us functioning.
It requires a special carrier protein called lipoproteins, which consist of varying percentages of cholesterol, protein plus other fats.
LDL has a higher concentration, about 50% or about twice the amount of the other two.
LDL has the job of carrying fats, of which cholesterol is a part, from the liver to our other organs.
The cells take what they need, with much of the rest deposited in the arteries, which can build up and cause damage.
2.
HDL or high density lipoprotein (good): its primary job is to collect the cholesterol from the cell, transport it back to the liver so it can be removed as waste from the system.
When we speak of "good" cholesterol, we don't mean the cholesterol is better but that it is getting rid of the waste.
High density lipoprotein is what we want more of in our system.
3.
VLDL or very low density lipoprotein.
This carries triglycerides, which are a type of blood fat, from the liver to various organs.
It can be converted into LDL as it is transported in the blood.
Since total accumulation of all three types of lipoproteins add up to your total count, without knowing the breakdown of good and bad you can't really be sure what your cholesterol situation is.
So for those of us planning a diet, how do we get more of the good HDL and less of the bad LDL? Here are some natural substances that can lower LDL and raise HDL: • Vitamin C.
When levels are low, the body compensates by manufacturing more cholesterol.
• Dietary fiber.
Oat fiber is at the top of the list.
• Niacin.
It has been found to raise HDL by 15-35%.
• Phytosterols.
This steroid compound is similar to cholesterol, and is best found in vegetable oils and nuts.
It's true, it can build up in the bloodstream and lead to heart disease and stroke, two of the major reasons of fatality in the western world.
But it is a fat, and is essential as a substance the body uses to keep healthy.
Having cholesterol levels that are too low are thought to increase the risk of cancer, anxiety and depression.
Certainly not a common problem, but it points to the fact that cholesterol has a function in our good health.
To further complicate matters, total cholesterol is made up of three types of cholesterol.
Here we will identify the three types that make up the total cholesterol package in your blood stream.
We will find one is bad, one good, and the third one flip-flops.
1.
LDL, or low density lipoproteins (bad): This is the stuff that builds up on artery wall, causing arteries to clog and leading to high blood pressure, as well as weakening those same arteries.
It can also cause havoc when it breaks off, floats around in the blood stream, then hits one of the organs causing stroke, heart failure or other issues.
As stated earlier, cholesterol has to be transported by the blood to the cell in order to keep us functioning.
It requires a special carrier protein called lipoproteins, which consist of varying percentages of cholesterol, protein plus other fats.
LDL has a higher concentration, about 50% or about twice the amount of the other two.
LDL has the job of carrying fats, of which cholesterol is a part, from the liver to our other organs.
The cells take what they need, with much of the rest deposited in the arteries, which can build up and cause damage.
2.
HDL or high density lipoprotein (good): its primary job is to collect the cholesterol from the cell, transport it back to the liver so it can be removed as waste from the system.
When we speak of "good" cholesterol, we don't mean the cholesterol is better but that it is getting rid of the waste.
High density lipoprotein is what we want more of in our system.
3.
VLDL or very low density lipoprotein.
This carries triglycerides, which are a type of blood fat, from the liver to various organs.
It can be converted into LDL as it is transported in the blood.
Since total accumulation of all three types of lipoproteins add up to your total count, without knowing the breakdown of good and bad you can't really be sure what your cholesterol situation is.
So for those of us planning a diet, how do we get more of the good HDL and less of the bad LDL? Here are some natural substances that can lower LDL and raise HDL: • Vitamin C.
When levels are low, the body compensates by manufacturing more cholesterol.
• Dietary fiber.
Oat fiber is at the top of the list.
• Niacin.
It has been found to raise HDL by 15-35%.
• Phytosterols.
This steroid compound is similar to cholesterol, and is best found in vegetable oils and nuts.
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