It seems whether you’re reading a magazine, watching the news, or just out to lunch with a coworker, everyone is talking about “good” cholesterol and “bad” cholesterol. What exactly does this cholesterol differentiation mean to someone who is not a doctor? Naming the two types of cholesterol in such obvious terms is the easiest way to communicate to most people if they are on the path for some type of heart disease.
The “good” cholesterol, High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), is labeled so due to its ability to clear the “bad” cholesterol, Low-density Lipoprotein (LDL), from the blood and transport it into the liver where it can be reused by the body. LDL is essential for the body in small amounts, since this is the type of cholesterol that helps repair the body when it is lightly damaged, such as after acute bouts of exercise. Arteries, especially those that feed the brain and the heart with oxygen and other nutrients, are greatly affected by high cholesterol levels because of their small size. When healthy amounts of LDL are present, a micro-tear in the lining of an artery can easily be “plugged” by a LDL molecule. However, if there is too much LDL cholesterol in the blood it will eventually begin to build upon itself until it is no longer easy to remove. Once this small obstruction is in place, more and more cholesterol will stick to it which could lead to a complete shunting of blood, or in other words, a subsequent “clogging” of the artery. This condition is a precursor to a heart attack, and is the world’s most deadly untreated illness. Another silent killer related to excess LDL is a stroke that develops due to the clots in the arteries. If a large clot gets dislodged from the artery wall it can move to the brain where it can inhibit blood flow, killing brain cells and, in some cases, leaving the victim partially paralyzed.
HDL, on the other hand, helps to shuttle the excess LDL out of the blood and back into the liver where it can be stored and converted when the body needs it. Currently, there is no way to examine the extent of damage that is done by high levels of LDL cholesterol, only recommendations as to what a safe amount in the blood may be. Many resources state that 160 mg/dL of LDL cholesterol in the blood is a precursor to heart disease, but having a HDL count of over 40 mg/dL is a good way to counteract some of these effects. Recommendations for a better ratio of cholesterol are exercising and eating right. Exercise can lower the total amount of cholesterol in the body by reducing the amount of fat stored in the body, and it gives the cholesterol in the blood somewhere to be used as a repair tool. Many of the foods we eat are full of this “bad” type of cholesterol, especially those containing animal products (i.e., eggs, beef, pork, butter, etc.). The body is already able to produce enough cholesterol for repair without supplementation, so consuming excessive amounts of saturated fats is unnecessary, and contributes to a potential future cholesterol problem. The websites below can give you some great ideas on foods that have little or no saturated fats. Overall, being aware of what we put in our bodies and living an active lifestyle is enough to keep the threats posed by “bad” cholesterol under control.
http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/25-top-heart-healthy-foods
http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4488
