Comparing HDL Cholesterol Vs. LDL Cholesterol:
HDL cholesterol is high-density lipoprotein and is good for the body, while LDL or low-density lipoprotein is bad for the body because it tends to build up in the arteries blocking blood flow and can be the cause of heart attacks or strokes. In fact, LDL is a major cause of heart disease. Cholesterol is actually good for the body in the right levels. Cholesterol has a beneficial function of providing stability to cells.
HDL Cholesterol Overview:
HDL is a type of cholesterol that aids the body in different ways. It keeps the endothelium clean, which is often where arteriosclerosis starts. HDL removes LDL and transports it to the liver where it can be reprocessed. The HDL cholesterol information will give you a better understanding of how cholesterol works in our bodies. Essentially all cholesterol starts out being beneficial to our bodies. Cholesterol is mandatory for life. It sustains us by being part of the tissue of cells.
This fatty acid or lipid synthesizes hormones like testosterone, estrogen and progesterone, as well as cortisol, cortisone, aldosterone and vitamin D3. The negative aspects of LDL cholesterol become evident when the body is physically under assault by inflammation. Chronic inflammation forces cholesterol to work overtime, which could lead to a build-up of cholesterol in the vessels creating blockages or arthrosclerosis. In an effort to repair the vessels, instead it blocks them with too much LDL cholesterol.
Both types of cholesterol are needed, but because the job of LDL is to carry cholesterol from the liver to the cells, if it carries too much to the arteries it’s bad for the heart. HDL is naturally the good cholesterol because it cleans up after LDL and carries the cholesterol from the arteries back to the liver. Obtaining a good cholesterol number is a balancing act between having good levels of both types of cholesterol.
HDL Cholesterol Levels:
It’s important to keep your HDL levels around at 60 milligrams per deciliter mg/dL. If they fall to 40 or below that’s not high enough to balance out your high LDL cholesterol. HDL Cholesterol treatment can raise your HDL levels. The simple things that you can do to raise your HDL levels are to quit smoking as it tends to lower HDL. Exercising 30 to 60 minutes a day is important to keeping your cholesterol regulated. This will also raise HDL levels. Losing weight is an aid in improving HDL levels as well. Reducing your consumption of trans fatty acids will also raise your HDL levels. Partially hydrogenated oils in our diets are forcing our HDL levels down and our LDL levels up. When you remove these trans fatty acids from your diet, you help yourself immensely.
How To Increase Your HDL Levels:
Consuming more monosaturated fats like canola oil, olive oil, avocado oil and peanut oil will increase your HDL levels as well. Omega-3 fatty acids will also increase HDL cholesterol. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in fish like salmon and in cranberry juice. Another method of increasing HDL cholesterol is by adding soluble fiber to your diet. Just by eating oats, fruits, vegetables and beans you can increase your HDL levels.
HDL Cholesterol Symptoms:
When your HDL cholesterol symptoms occur this indicates your HDL is too low. Depression is one way to tell if your HDL is too low. The other symptoms include thought of suicide, increased aggression, stroke, vitamin D deficiency, cancer and heart disease. Cancer is fought off by antioxidants. When vitamins A, K and E, which are carried by cholesterol are deficient it indicates you have a cholesterol imbalance. These are also HDL cholesterol signs that indicate if your HDL is too low.
It’s essential to know how your body works. Failing to understand any function that your body must complete in order to stay healthy is the first mistake in maintaining good health. Most of us are ignorant of our body’s basic functions. This ignorance is no longer acceptable. We live in a time when information is readily available. It’s time we embrace the opportunity to understand how our body’s work and put an end to some of our health issues. Imbalanced cholesterol should be one of those health issues that cease to be a problem because we took the time to learn how to balance our HDL and LDL cholesterol levels.