People generally are suffering from cholesterol issues but are intrinsically unaware of what is LDL and HDL cholesterol. We often don’t know its actual factors like what are its symptoms, causes, what are the potential treatment available for this. So, in this article we are covering such essential details of good and bad cholesterol for your informative purposes.
What is Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a type of lipid that is oil-based and waxy substance. This substance is present in every cell of the body, as it has important natural functions such as digestive roles, hormones production and generating vitamin D. There are two basic types of cholesterols, HDL and LDL which are further divided into the range and measurement of cholesterol levels.
Types of Cholesterols
- Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL)
- High Density Lipoprotein (HDL)
Bad & good cholesterol are also notified as LDL (low-density lipoproteins) and HDL (high-density lipoproteins) respectively. So, herein below we have discussed what is LDL and HDL cholesterol levels and how to keep them in control.
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What is Bad Cholesterol (LDL)?
LDL refers to low-density lipoproteins which is often known as “bad” cholesterol. It is considered to be unhealthy for body because it collects in the walls of your blood vessels, that increases the chances of health problems like a heart disease or stroke. But all cholesterol aren’t dangerous, your body needs some amount of it to protect its nerves and build healthy cells and hormones.
LDL Cholesterol Levels
There are a few numbers that can be determined while checking onto your LDL. The lower the number count remains the better it is for you. Thence, we have taken out a few important figures of low cholesterol in adults.
- Good- Less than 100mg/dL & below 70mg/dL
- Moderately high- 130–159mg/dL
- High- 160mg/dL or higher;
- Very high- 190mg/dL and above, (considered very poor to have in body).
Causes of Low Density Lipoprotein
Every effect has a cause, so there must be some factors that lead to increase in low cholesterol and triglyceride levels. However, there are some factors you can control such as inactivity, obesity and an unhealthy diet. But some factors are beyond your control like your genetic build up that might make it more difficult for your body to remove LDL cholesterol from your blood or break it down in the liver. Some people with medical conditions are also grasped in the unhealthy cholesterol levels. These conditions include:
- Chronic kidney disease
- Lupus
- Diabetes
- HIV/AIDS
- High blood pressure
Other Factors that Can Cause High Cholesterol
- Eating food high in cholesterol,
- saturated fats,
- trans fats
- inactivity
- smoking
- Hereditary
High-Cholesterol Food to Avoid
High-cholesterol is majorly found in animal based products, such as meat, eggs, and dairy. To treat this, best you can practice is to limit your intake of high-cholesterol foods.
For instance, these below mentioned products contain high levels of LDL cholesterol:
- liver and other organ meats
- fatty cuts of red meat
- eggs, especially the yolks
- high-fat dairy products, like full-fat cheese, milk, ice cream, & butter.
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Food That Can Reduce LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein)
What we eat is an essential component what we are taking in our body. Our food has all the good and bad elements which we might know or may not know about. Food has the capability to induce or reduce the LDL cholesterol levels. Thus, you can add this food that can potentially reduce your LDL.
- Oats
- Nuts
- Whole grains
- Boost Your Omega-3s
- Fiber supplements
- Vegetables and fruit
- pulses and beans
How to Reduce Bad Cholesterol
One can definitely control and lower the increased cholesterol levels by various simplified and easy ways. Such that the lifestyle, which includes some bad or unfavorable habits in us that leads to bad cholesterol levels. Your choices can make a huge difference in the way your body reflex and lives. So, you can try these below mentioned changes in your lifestyle to see better results.
- Add exercise as a routine
- Reduce smoking
- Minimize intake of alcohol
- Control weight
- Don’t stress too much
- Reducing total fat
What is Good Cholesterol (HDL)?
HDL stands for high-density lipoproteins. It is commonly known as “good” cholesterol due to its essential function in the body because it carries away other bad, harmful cholesterol from the body and gives it to liver to remove unnecessary & unhealthy cholesterol from the body. It’s believed that higher levels of HDL reduce the risk for various heart diseases.
HDL Cholesterol Levels
HDL levels should be kept higher in general.
- Risk factor: less than 40 mg/dL
- Borderline low: 41 mg/dL to 59 mg/dL
- Optimal: 60 mg/dL or higher.
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How to Boost HDL
When we talk about appropriate cholesterol levels then, we can say that higher levels of HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol also considered as “good” cholesterol may benefit your heart. It potentially removes excess fat from blood, helps arteries to be clean and clear, and may protect you against heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
So what’s the best way to have a good amount of HDL in body is to take medication or you can bring out a new healthier lifestyle. Although many people take required medication to control their cholesterol level but it is suggested to do it through simple changes in lifestyle.
There are many habits that are great for your overall health and positively can also help to boost HDL.
Here follows some of those:
- Keep blood pressure under control
- Intake healthy fats
- Adopt healthier cooking methods
Foods for HDL (High-Density Lipoprotein)
Sometimes you may be able to lower your cholesterol levels without the help of medications if it is not causing any severe issue in the body. For example, it may be enough to eat a nutritious diet, or do exercise regularly, and avoid smoking tobacco products in order to maintain cholesterol level. But some people need doctors help and medicines to work upon their cholesterol levels.
However, bringing in these food in diet can help you get an adequate & reasonable amount of HDL.
- Soy products
- Reduce sugar consumption
- Choose healthy fats
- Avocado
- Antioxidant rich foods.
Conclusion
Therefore, to conclude the article we can safely state that LDL and HDL cholesterol whether has to be in a balanced amount in the body. Also, we must be completely aware of what to eat and what has to be avoided in both the conditions, otherwise it can worsen and complicate HDL or LDL.
