{"id":17220,"date":"2022-06-20T09:45:58","date_gmt":"2022-06-20T04:15:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.odoc.life\/?p=17220"},"modified":"2022-07-04T19:30:59","modified_gmt":"2022-07-04T14:00:59","slug":"cholesterol","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/3.7.237.78\/si\/blog\/cholesterol\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cGood\u201d and \u201cBad\u201d Cholesterol – What you need to know"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cGood\u201d and \u201cBad\u201d Cholesterol - What you need to know<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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<\/i><\/span>Shares<\/small><\/div>
<\/i><\/span><\/a><\/span>\n<\/i><\/a><\/span>\n<\/i><\/a><\/span>\n<\/i><\/a><\/span>\n<\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/span> Post Views:<\/span> 6,324<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div> <\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Cholesterol is the misunderstood, problem child of wellness and good health. It gets a bad rap, but no one really tells you why it\u2019s there, what it does, or why it isn\u2019t just all bad. In this week\u2019s blog, we break down the what\u2019s what of cholesterol so you will have a greater appreciation of its benefits and why it\u2019s important to keep tabs on its status.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

What is cholesterol?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in all the cells of your body. It\u2019s not inherently bad; it has an important function: your body needs it to build cells and make vitamins and hormones. Your liver produces about three-quarters of the cholesterol in your body, and the rest comes from animal foods such as egg yolks, meat, and cheese. However, too much cholesterol can cause problems.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Cholesterol travels through your bloodstream on proteins called \u201clipoproteins.\u201d There are 2 types of lipoproteins:<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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LDL (low-density lipoprotein), or \u201cbad\u201d cholesterol<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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LDL makes up most of your body\u2019s cholesterol. It\u2019s a larger molecule, so high levels of LDL mean there can eventually be a build-up within the walls of your blood vessels, causing narrowing of the passageways and inhibiting the free flow of oxygen-rich blood. Further, there are possibilities for clots to form and get stuck in a narrowed space, which could lead to a heart attack or stroke.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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HDL (high-density lipoprotein), or \u201cgood\u201d cholesterol<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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HDL is the good guy: helping clean up the mess! It travels through your blood, picks up excess cholesterol, and takes it back to your liver, where it is broken down and removed from your body. HDL helps you lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. <\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Triglyceride<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The HDL cholesterol is closely related to triglycerides, a type of fat found in your blood that is stored in your fat cells and later released by your hormones for energy between meals. However, suppose you regularly consume more calories than you burn, especially from high-carbohydrate foods, it may result in high levels of triglycerides\u200b\u200b, which increases the risk of strokes, heart attacks and heart disease.<\/span><\/p>

Usually, those with high triglycerides have a propensity to have low HDL cholesterol levels. The triglyceride\/HDL ratio should be <\/span>below 2<\/b> (divide your triglyceride levels by your HDL). If the triglyceride\/HDL level is above 4, it is considered a risk, and therefore it is advisable to have a lower ratio by changing diet and taking up exercise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Increased triglycerides<\/b> can be a reliable sign of biliary function, fat metabolism, liver function, and genetic factors. Problems with sugar typically accompany elevated triglycerides (sweet tooth) or adult-onset diabetes. Therefore, maintaining a triglyceride level between 70 and 100 mg\/dl is advisable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

Reduced triglycerides<\/b> indicate inadequate fatty acid release, hormonal hyperactivity, and perhaps immunological issues.<\/span>As opposed to simply high cholesterol and LDL\/HDL ratios, keep in mind that <\/span>the triglyceride to HDL ratio is a significantly better predictor of heart disease<\/b>. It’s crucial to realise that additional factors besides high cholesterol also point to possible issues.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Risk factors that can impact your cholesterol levels<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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