LDL cholesterol is bad - HDL cholesterol is good - well anyway, at certain levels either can be a concern for health. Here is some information about the subject.
Over 100 million Americans currently suffer from elevated cholesterol levels, or those with total cholesterol blood values of greater than 240mg/dL of blood. This number is expected to increase as our dietary standards continue to decline. Because you cannot control your family history and the impact it plays on your natural cholesterol levels, diet may be the most prominent influence in your attempts to lower your current cholesterol levels.
Why Should we care about our levels of cholesterol anyway? What is the difference between HDL and LDL Cholesterol?
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.
Resterol provides you with effective, cholesterol lowering nutrients, as well as botanicals that support circulatory health. When combined with exercise and sound diet, Resterol works to naturally lower LDL (bad cholesterol) and help raise HDL (good cholesterol).
Cholesterol commercials that implant vivid images into our minds. They play on human emotion regarding the many dangers associated with elevated cholesterol. They tell you that drugs can effectively help you lower your LDL, or “bad” cholesterol levels, while improving your HDL, or “good” cholesterol. However, what the advertisers fail to tell you is that most doctors recommend that all nonpharmacologic options be exhausted before you even begin thinking about taking prescription medications. There is nothing more important than keeping your heart in good health, and Resterol can help do just that.
To help decrease your cholesterol without a statin—or to supplement the statin you’re already taking—follow these guidelines from the TLC diet.
Reduce saturated fat to no more than 7% of total calories, and cholesterol to no more than 200 milligrams per day
Saturated fat is likely to raise blood cholesterol more than any other food in your diet (except for, perhaps, trans fats, which are slowly being phased out of many foods). A goal of just 7% of total calories is no more than 16 grams per day for most people. To stay within these boundaries, eat more of a plant-based diet with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and limit red meat, full-fat dairy products, baked goods, and fried foods.
Read labels and try to track your daily saturated fat grams until you get an idea of how much your typical food choices contain; don't rely solely on the Percent Daily Values listed, since they're based on the diet of someone who doesn't have high cholesterol and thus can eat slightly more saturated fat. An added bonus: Lowering your saturated fat intake means you’ll help lower cholesterol intake as well, since saturated fat and cholesterol tend to be found together.