The Difference Between the Good and Bad Cholesterol

There are two main types of cholesterol - the good and bad cholesterol. The good cholesterol is also known as the HDL or high density lipoprotein and the bad cholesterol is known as the LDL or the low density lipoprotein.

Lipoproteins are made up fats and proteins. Low density cholesterol (lipoprotein) contains more fat molecules than high density cholesterol. While the bad cholesterol carries cholesterol from the liver, the good cholesterol returns the extra cholesterol that is not required from the bloodstream to the liver. HDL cholesterol removes the bad cholesterol from the bloodstream rather than depositing it into the arteries.

When there is too much LDL (bad) cholesterol, with time this builds up in the inner walls of the arteries. This build up can narrow and clog up our arteries thereby restricting the blood supply to other vital organs of the body.

Excess intake of saturated fat does affect the amount of cholesterol in your blood. Saturated fat is fully saturated with hydrogen atoms, which means that there is no room for any more hydrogen atoms. With unsaturated fat, there is more room for extra hydrogen atoms.

There has to be a balance between the good (HDL) and the bad (LDL) cholesterol. If the good cholesterol is too low and the bad cholesterol is too high, then our chance of developing heart disease and other circulatory problems can increase.

You would have heard that saturated fat come from animal sources, while unsaturated fat comes from vegetable sources; however, there is an exception to this rule as certain vegetable oils contain saturated fat.

Foods containing high levels of saturated fats include butter, some margarine, lard, dripping, suet, ghee, fatty meats, meat products, dairy products, cakes, biscuits and cream, not forgetting coconut oil and palm oil.

Food containing unsaturated fats are endless on the list; they include nuts and seeds, olive oil, rapeseed oil, corn oil, sunflower, peanut oil; oily fish such as herring fresh tuna and salmon.

Evelyn Pindura is a both a qualified Nurse and Midwife and has several years of experience. For more useful information visit: thefoodweeat.co.uk thefoodweeat.co.uk