LDL and HDL Cholestrol – Which one is bad and which one is Good

LDL and HDL Cholestrol – Which one is bad and which one is Good

What is low-density lipoprotein (LDL)?

• You may find it strange that low density lipoproteins are called bad cholesterol when we always hear how we should reduce our cholesterol. However, LDL is “bad” because of what it does.
• LDL can build on the walls of your arteries and make them narrower. Fatty deposits form plaque that lines your arteries and can cause blockages. This build-up is called atherosclerosis.
• Arteries are blood vessels that carry oxygen-rich blood away from your heart to all other organs of the body. Fats associated with LDL cholesterol levels and which you should minimize in your diet are called saturated fats and trans fats. Saturated fats are solid or wax-like when they are at room temperature.
• You get saturated fat from most products that come from animals, such as meat, milk, cheese, and butter. Trans fats result when liquid fats solidify through the hydrogenation process. Trans fats are found in fast foods and fried foods and are used to increase the shelf life of processed foods such as cookies, crackers and bakeries.

What is high-density lipoprotein (HDL)?

• HDL is called “good cholesterol”. This is good because it eliminates other types of cholesterol. (Including LDL), away from the arteries. It may help to think of LDL as a delivery truck, thinking of LDL as a DD truck.
• HDL reduces other types of cholesterol on the liver and they are removed from the body. It is believed that high levels of HDL reduce the risk of heart disease.