"Good" Cholesterol Vs "Bad" Cholesterol - Which is Which?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance used by your body for building cell walls, and is also necessary for the proper manufacture of vitamin D and some hormones. Cholesterol is manufactured in the liver and distributed to cells in the bloodstream. The problem, however, is that it does not dissolve in blood, it is carried by proteins. But what 's the deal with the so-called "good" cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol?

There are two forms of protein-cholesterol complexes: high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), hence the "good" and "bad" cholesterol. Both forms are necessary for your body to function, and are always present, the LDL form in excess (the "bad" cholesterol) can cause problems. LDL carries cholesterol from the liver to the rest of the body, and when there 's too much of it in the blood, some deposits form on the walls of arteries. Because of those deposits, the arteries become less flexible and block the blood flow, and if they become too constricted, these blockages can lead to heart attacks or strokes. HDL, on the other hand, carries cholesterol from the blood back to the liver, where it 's discarded. By carrying cholesterol from the blood, HDL reduces the deposits on the arteries, that 's why the HDL is considered "good". A high ratio of HDL to LDL, within the normal range of total cholesterol, can reduce risks of heart attack or stroke.

High cholesterol levels are often associated with being overweight, but contrary to popular belief, people with any body type can have high cholesterol, especially if they have a diet high in unsaturated fats. The cholesterol level should be checked regularly, because there are no noticeable symptoms of high levels. A diet that is low in specific types of fat seems to be the best way to control cholesterol. However, reducing dietary cholesterol has a rather small effect on the blood concentration, as recent research has indicated. But if you have high cholesterol, even a small reduction is helpful. For most people, about 75% of the cholesterol in the blood is made in the liver.

Saturated fats, which includes most animal fats (meat, dairy, egg yolks) and some vegetable fats (coconut and palm oils) tend to raise cholesterol. Because they raise both HDL and LDL levels, saturated fats have an overall negative effect, therefore their consumption should be limited.

On the other hand, trans fats (another form of fat) decreases HDL and increases LDL in the blood. These fats are produced by the addition of hydrogen to the fat molecules in vegetable oils. They can be found in stick margarine, many snacks and processed food, as well as commercial deep-fried foods, but have strong negative effects on cholesterol, and should be eliminated from the diet.

A third type of fat is unsaturated fat, which actually reduces LDL levels and increases HDL levels. Vegetable oils, including corn, sunflower, soybean, olive oils and canola contain unsaturated fat.

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