Good & Bad Cholesterol

Do you know the difference between good and bad cholesterol? What is it that your doctor actually measures when he tests your cholesterol levels? And, how do you know what a good or bad cholesterol level is? These are common questions when you talk about cholesterol. Many people talk about their cholesterol levels, whether they be high or low, but few really know what it means.

Cholesterol is a soft, waxy substance (a lipid and lipids are fats) that is contained in all parts of the body, including your nervous system, skin, muscles, liver, intestines and heart. It is essential for your health as it strengthens your cell membranes and is used to create nerve cell insulation, digestive acids, steroid hormones and Vitamin D. It is a substance that is both made by your liver in your body and acquired from animal products in your diet.

Cholesterol is transmitted throughout your body in your blood. That is why your doctor tests your blood to obtain your cholesterol levels. When your doctor reads your cholesterol levels, he is looking at four factors:

• Total Cholesterol: the measurement of all the types of cholesterol in your blood. A total cholesterol level of less than 200 is considered healthy, while higher levels may indicate an increase of risk for heart disease.

• HDL Cholesterol: (High-Density Lipoprotein) this is the ‘good’ cholesterol. It helps remove fats from your blood vessels. Here a higher reading is better. An HDL reading of under 35 means you are at risk for heart disease.

• LDL Cholesterol: (Low-Density Lipoprotein)-this is considered the ‘bad’ cholesterol. This type of cholesterol tends to deposit plaque on the walls of your blood vessels. Here a lower reading is best. A LDL of 100 or lower is optimal; 100-130 is good; 130-160 is borderline; while if your reading is over 160 you are at high risk for heart disease.

• Cholesterol Ratio: Your doctor also looks at your cholesterol ratio, which is derived from your total cholesterol level divided by your HDL. For example, a total cholesterol of 200 divided by an HDL of 50 results in a ration of 4.0. A healthy ratio would be a result of 5.0 or less.

So now that you know what the readings mean, how does this affect your dieting? Of course, one of the things that you need to get control of to stay healthy is your cholesterol levels. Managing your diet and losing weight can help in this regard. Other factors can affect your cholesterol levels, which can include a heredity component. In some cases your doctor may recommend that you take medication to control your cholesterol levels, but adjusting your diet also helps.

On a daily basis, your body produces about 1,000 mg. of cholesterol per day, while the average diet supplies another 500-900 mg. This is a great deal more than the average adult should consume on a daily basis—only 300 mg. per day is considered healthy. As a point of note, even if you did not consume any cholesterol with your diet, your liver (and to a lesser extent your body cells) would produce enough cholesterol for you body to function normally.

High cholesterol can be caused by over-indulgence in eating LDL cholesterol-containing foods. Some of the factors associated with high cholesterol are: drinking coffee, a diet that is high in saturated fats, lack of proper exercise, emotional stress, obesity, and a high intake of sucrose (sugar) or other foods that become sugars.

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