Good vs. Bad Cholesterol
Coursing through every artery is the substance called cholesterol. Being a fat, cholesterol is not soluble in blood. It has to bond with proteins that can ferry it around the bloodstream, the two becoming one as lipoprotein.
Lipoprotein may be an LDL (low-density lipoproteins) or HDL (high-density lipoproteins). Either way, one can’t do without cholesterols, for they are building blocks of cell membranes and hormones. It takes the cake though when they begin wreaking havoc on the heart.
Damning evidence points to the baddie – the low density lipoprotein. Too much of bad cholesterol deposits plaques on the insides of the arteries traveling around the brain and heart. Soon, the plaques would become pent-up to the point of atherosclerosis, when the arteries are constricted beyond reprieve. Any time the blood clots and jams its flow, a stroke or heart attack is nigh to thee.
If LDL is the bad cholesterol, then HDL is its polar opposite, saving the day from heart diseases. It relegates bad cholesterols away from the artery to the liver, which excretes them. HDL also impedes the accumulation of plaques by spiriting away some of their cholesterol.
One must give anything to have high levels of HDL, preferably nothing below 40 mg/dL. Still, size matters; no matter how much the LDLs, if they are fluffy and large, plaques are less likely to build up. Conversely, the denser and smaller the LDL, the more dangerous it is.
Bad cholesterol has a treasure trove in food rich in saturated animal fats and trans fats. Yes, it’s time to hoard those juicy-looking fruits and leafy, crunchy vegetables in the fridge.
It also pays to exercise at least 30 minutes daily, to rein in those LDL. For optimal HDL stocks, one should do aerobic exercise that burns at least 800 calories weekly.
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