subject: Is Bad Cholesterol LDL or HDL? [print this page] I know you've heard people talking about cholesterol as two separate kinds, good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. Did you realize that most people don't really know what the difference between the two actually is, and which one is which, HDL or LDL?
Cholesterol is actually a key component of our body's tissue and blood stream. We need some amount of cholesterol to be healthy, as it is used to make many hormones and produces cell membrane. We need both the bad type and the good type, but why?
Bad cholesterol, also known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is bad because it is sticky, and a high level of it can clog the arteries, leading to heart attack or other heart diseases. A normal level of "bad cholesterol" is considered to be 200mg/dL or less. More than that can pose a risk of any heart problems. Do you see why they call it bad now?
High-density lipoprotein (HDL) is what is called "good cholesterol". The reason this cholesterol is considered good is because it protects our heart from stroke or other cardiovascular conditions. A minimum of 40mg/dL or more is agreed on as the right level for good cholesterol. Want to get more of the good and less of the bad?
Most people can insure healthy levels of cholesterol with the following simple steps: eating healthy and exercising. Eating healthy includes food items low in saturated and trans fat as well as cholesterol. Do you eat any of these foods that contain high levels of cholesterol include egg yolks, shellfish, fried foods, meat, butter and cheese?
