HDL & LDL Cholesterol

What is Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy fat-like substance that is found in the human body and is also found in animal foods like lean meat, organ meat, eggs, dairy products etc. Although plant foods like vegetables, fruits, grains etc. do not contain cholesterol.

The Different types of Cholesterol:-

1) LDL (Low density lipoproteins) - LDL is also known as a "bad cholesterol" as an increased amount of LDL causes the blood vessels to clog and increase the risk of heart diseases in the body. This is because of the fact that the LDL is responsible for transporting the cholesterol from the liver to the various cells in the body. But, once the body cells have enough of cholesterol, the extra amount of cholesterol gets deposited along the blood vessels and causes them to clog.

2) HDL(High-density lipoproteins) - HDL is known as a "good cholesterol" as it helps in reducing the risk of heart diseases in the body by reducing the level of LDL and clearing it off from the blood. This is because of the fact that the HDL is responsible for transporting the cholesterol from the various cells of the body to the liver from where the cholesterol gets excreted.

Every cell in the human body including the skin, heart, liver, intestines etc is composed of cholesterol which is very useful for our body. Cholesterol is required by our body to manufacture hormones, Vitamin D, Bile acids and to maintain healthy cell walls.

Our body synthesizes enough cholesterol for our body and therefore any cholesterol consumed through the food adds an extra burden for our body as the high levels of cholesterol keep clogging the blood vessels leading to the narrowing of the arteries and thereby preventing the blood flow. This is called a stroke and when the stroke occurs in any artery that feeds the heart, it leads to a heart attack. Even the elevated levels of triglycerides is known to increase the risk of heart diseases.(Triglycerides are chains of high-energy fatty acids that provide much of the energy needed for cells to function.)

Therefore, it is very important for us to maintain our cholesterol levels and get them checked once in every 4-5 years.

Firstly, it is very important to bring some healthy changes in the lifestyle. A controlled diet and a regular exercise is very important for the body and it goes a long way in keeping the cholesterol levels under control. A diet low in saturated and trans-fats and high in plant foods like fruits, vegetables, cereals etc is very helpful in reducing the cholesterol levels. Also, a regular exercise for at least 30-45 minutes a day can help in reducing the weight and thereby reducing the cholesterol levels too in the body even without making major changes in the dietary habits.

Apart from the lifestyle changes, one can also take some types of treatments that help in reducing the cholesterol levels like the consumption of plant sterols, dietary supplements like Basikol, Vasacor, gene therapy etc. There are also various diet plans available for reducing the cholesterol that can help reducing the cholesterol naturally by including certain herbs in the diet too.

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