Lowering Cholesterol Tips
All types of cholesterol are not bad. In this article, you will know which types of cholesterols are bad and the ones you need to lower.
Cholesterol is a factor that contributes to heart disease. High cholesterol is more worrying because it brings no symptoms. The serious outcome of high cholesterol is all due to one particular type of cholesterol.
Read here about risk factors for heart problems
How many types of cholesterol are there?
Mainly, your body has two types of cholesterol: Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) and High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL). Lipoproteins are found in your blood and act as transporters. Your body combines them with and transports fats or lipids to various cells.
What is HDL?
HDL cholesterol is “good” cholesterol as it helps your body to get rid of excess cholesterol and fat by transporting them to your liver and flushing them out of your system. Think of a garbage removal van going through your blood, collecting excess fat, and throwing it out of your body.
Note the word “Excess”. It’s the key word there, as cholesterol is, in fact, a good thing and essential to life. It’s the “too much” of the bad type of cholesterol that causes harm.
What is LDL cholesterol?
LDL type of cholesterol is considered “bad.” Excess LDL cholesterol in the blood can build up and form plaques on the walls of your blood vessels. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, plaque build-ups can lead to many health problems, including heart disease and stroke.
The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommends getting LDL and HDL cholesterols checked with a blood test every five years for teenagers and young adults. When adults hit their 40s and 50s, LDL and HDL must be checked more often. However, individuals over 65 should get their cholesterol checked annually.
When you get your cholesterol levels checked, you’ll probably see three numbers: total cholesterol, LDL, and HDL cholesterol. The total cholesterol includes both LDL and HDL numbers.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, most adults need to keep their LDL levels below 100 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). An LDL level above that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease.
How to lower LDL cholesterol?
Foods containing high amounts of saturated fat, like red meat, fast foods, baked goods, or full-fat dairy, increase LDL cholesterol. So, try to avoid such foods.
Including certain foods in your diet that lower LDL levels will also help. These include oats, millets, barley, whole grains, beans, legumes, vegetables, nuts, and fatty fish.
Tobacco products (including smokeless tobacco and vaping) also impact cholesterol levels. Tobacco reduces HDL levels – the “good” type of cholesterol you need to remove LDL from your body. So, avoid smoking to lower your LDL levels by keeping HDL levels up where they need to be.
Exercise and weight management are also crucial because obesity has been shown to increase LDL levels.
Many medications also help lower LDL cholesterol but must be taken as directed by your doctor.
Read here how to lower cholesterol naturally
Taking medicines to reduce cholesterol often reduces both total and LDL cholesterol, even though LDL is the desired target. That’s why doctors recommend medication according to a patient’s needs, including targeting LDL levels specifically.
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About Author: Renu Bakshi, AKA Fitness Buffhq, is an ISSA Certified Elite Trainer. He
passed the Personal Fitness Trainer Course, Nutrition Health Coach course & Specialist Exercise Therapy course from ISSA, USA, obtaining + 97% marks. He shares his experience and knowledge about nutrition and effective workouts to get you in the best shape of your life, no matter how old you may be. The author says, “Age is just a number!”
