Health & Medical Heart Diseases

Quick Guide To Understanding Your Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance which is found in the tissue of humans and other animals.
Our livers produce all of the cholesterol that we need for these important functions.
Excessive amounts can contribute to antherosclerosis or clogging of the arteries.
It is not found in any plant-derived foods.
Excessive amounts in your diet can increase its level in your blood, which can increase the risk of coronary heart disease.
You'll often hear it referred to as either good cholesterol or bad cholesterol.
To help in our understanding of the two and their differences, we first need to define the word "lipoproteins.
When we talk about LDL, we're referring to low density lipoprotein cholesterol.
And when we refer to HDL, we're referring to high density lipoprotein cholesterol.
LDL, often referred to as "bad cholesterol," carries these fat-like substances through the bloodstream, dropping them off where they're needed for cell building and leaving behind any unused residue as plague on the walls of the arteries.
HDL, often referred to as "good cholesterol," picks up the fat-like residue which has been deposited in the arteries and brings it back to the liver for reprocessing or excretion.
You can easily understand why there's a distinction between the good and bad now that you understand the unique functions of each.
These fats are usually solid at room temperature.
These fats also contribute to your blood cholesterol levels.
Polyunsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and derived from plants.
Examples: safflower, corn, soybean, cottonseed and sunflower oils.
Polyunsaturated fats tend to lower LDL, but in excess can also lower your HDL.
Monounsaturated fats are also derived from plants.
These include olive oils and canola oil.
Replacing the saturated fats in your diet with monounsaturated fats can help to lower your LDL without lowering your HDL.
The bottomline: whenever you're making a choice about the fats you use, keep in mind that good heart health depends on keeping your LDL cholesterol low while maintaining your HDL.

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