Most of us have heard that cholesterol is bad. Some of us have heard rumors that it can actually be good. Good and bad are nice labels for a complicated problem. Like most things in life, it’s not a matter of black and white. It’s all shades of gray.
I’ll give you the basics and make it as simple as I can. From there it turns into a tricky balancing act.
Here it is:
LDL=Bad
HDL=Good
LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol is the kind that sticks to the arteries in your heart and brain. It builds up and forms nasty blockages that can cause heart attacks and strokes. If you eat too much LDL cholesterol (or if you have a genetic tendency to create too much of your own) that’s bad.
HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol is like nature’s balancing system against the bad stuff. It doesn’t stick where it shouldn’t and even seems to help clear the LDL away without letting it stick either. Good.
So the overall goal of cholesterol nutrition is to keep you blood work showing a low LDL and a high HDL. This combination seems to give the lowest risk of heart disease and other nasty complications. As far as scientists can tell it’s a yin-yang balance thing.
Now, the shades of gray. Too much is still too much, no matter which kind it is. Aside from LDL and HDL, you are also tested for total cholesterol. If you have your blood drawn and this number is too high, it doesn’t matter whether it’s from LDL or HDL (although it generally is LDL) your risk for heart disease goes back up.
Now, before you say “That’s it, I’ll just refuse to eat fats and cholesterol, then I won’t have to worry about balance, good or bad”, let me remind you that there is good. Your body needs some fat to function properly and even makes it’s own if we neglect to give it enough. Let’s just try to learn how to stay on the teeter-totter.
The first things you need to look at are exercise and fiber. These two things can help a lot without having to figure out if your food wears a white or black hat.
Next, quit smoking and drinking.
Finally, figure out who the good guys and bad guys are. In general, the good guys in white hats are called “unsaturated fat”. The bad, black-hatted LDLs show up on the food label as “saturated fat”. Learn to play nicely with the naughty kids on the block, but you don’t have to invite them over every day. If you have a choice, choose unsaturated.
If you’ve tried all these tricks and your total or LDL cholesterol blood count is still too high, you may need to work with your doctor on finding medications to help you.
Related Articles:
Ten Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Heart Disease
Make Your Favorite Foods Healthier