You have heard of LDL (low density lipoprotein) as being the bad cholesterol. Well it really is not all that bad, in fact we need them. So what exactly is LDL cholesterol, why do we need it and how do we keep it within limits?
What Is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is produced by the liver and is in our diet.
Since cholesterol are fat cells, and will separate from the blood, they need to be transported to the cells that need them. Just dumping them in the blood will not do. To effectively transport them, proteins will wrap them self around the cholesterol fat cells and transport to the cells that need them.
The protein that engulfs the cholesterol for transport to the needy cells is called lipoprotein (LDL). So you can see the importance of LDL and it is not all bad. The bad LDL comes in when you have to much LDL and not enough needy cells. When this happens, those LDLs who could not find needy cells, dump their cholesterol in the blood stream.
When this happens, it will cause plaque to build up on artery walls leading to coronary problems.
Why Do We Need LDL
Cholesterol is needed by our bodies for development and to function properly. They help produce the hormones needed for sex by both men and women. These sex hormones are estrogen in for women, and the testosterone hormones for men.
How Do We Keep Them Within Limits
The upper limit for LDL is less than 160 mg/dl for those people with no risk for heart disease or diabetes. If you have a moderate risk, the goal is to keep it below 130 mg/dl and those with high risk of heart disease and /or diabetes, you should keep your LDL levels below 100 mg/dl.
To keep your LDL below one of these levels, there are several things you should do. Change your diet to one with polyunsaturated fats, reduce your weight through diet and exercise, eat cholesterol-lowering foods such as cold-water fish, quit smoking and take Omega-3 fish oil supplements.
Conclusion
LDL is not all bad; in fact it is needed by the body to create sex hormones. It only becomes bad when there is to much of them and they dump their cholesterol in the blood stream. When this happens, plaque can build up narrowing the arteries, which could lead to coronary disease.
Keep your LDL good, by keeping it within limits.?
Walter Chase made a life style change when he was 35. When that happened he started taking supplements, exercising, which included weight lifting and running. Walter started taking Omega - 3 supplements five years ago. Receive a free e-book all about Omega-3 at his web site goodfattyacids.com goodfattyacids.com/.
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