The Difference Between HDL and LDL Cholesterol and Who Are They Today

Most of us have heard the names HDL and LDL but most don't know the real difference between HDL and LDL cholesterol. In this article we will not only explore the difference in the two but also the how they got to be who they are today.

The birth of our two star players begins in that serene setting full of flora waving in the wind, the intestines. Before our two stars grew up they were known as chylomicrons. These are particles that your intestinal cells assemble from the proteins and fats you eat. Chylomicrons are very, very fatty tiny particles. But as they travel through your bloodstream making their way to the liver, these fatty particles release their fats, known as triglycerides, into your blood. Now ten ton tiny is only a remnant of himself, to be exact a chylomicron remnant, but he is still packing his cholesterol and protein.

Once arriving at the fat depot otherwise known as the liver our friendly remnant eats four or five chili cheese dogs to fatten up and comes out full of fat and now becomes a very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). He has emerged bigger, fatter, and fluffier than ever before! The liver then sends 20 ton tiny out into the world known as your body. As VLDL makes his rounds he is continually dropping piles of fat and cholesterol. As this happens he emerges as slightly smaller version of himself known as an IDL, and as fat and cholesterol continue to melt away he is now turned in a slightly smaller, heavier low density lipoprotein. The last and final step is transforming the fat frog into the mostly protein handsome prince know as high density lipoprotein (HDL).

HDL is now so proud of his fat and cholesterol reduction program that he never wants to be fat again and is obsessed with removing fat and cholesterol from the arteries. He has now become cholesterols worst enemy. A scavenger molecule bent on the destruction of cholesterol.

As you can see the difference between HDL and LDL cholesterol is that LDL still contains cholesterol. Where HDL does not. This is the main different, one is primarily fat and one is primarily protein. One can cause coronary artery disease and the other prevents it. Two lipoproteins, one step away from each other in the chain of development, and ultimately they are virtually complete opposites. Sound like anyone you know?

What Next? Lowering cholesterol, in most cases, is about changing old habits, adopting new healthier habits, and enlisting the help of convention medications such as statins or natural cholesterol reducing remedies if needed. Put simply, this basically means finding ways to increase HDL (good cholesterol) and decrease LDL (bad cholesterol levels). Certainly the aforementioned statin drugs will be one of your options but they do carry a number of serious label warnings. The side effect risks have made lowered-cholesterol.com natural cholesterol reduction supplements combined with diet modification an alternative treatment combination worth considering.

Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of safe and effective high quality alternative health products and natural living, with over 10 years experience in the field. Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at purchaseremedies.com Purchase Remedies.com