If you’ve reached this site, it’s probably because you or someone you know has been told they have high cholesterol.  You’ve probably heard about LDL and HDL and maybe even triglycerides – but what does all that mean.  Is LDL the good kind or bad kind?  And what about the ratios.

Lets Break It Down –

First lets talk about what cholesterol really is.  It’s a waxy substance that is carried in our bloodstreams and is eventually stored in our cells. It is then used by the body in many ways.  The cholesterol  numbers your doctor describes to you are indicators of how well balanced our LDL and HDL are, along with our triglycerides.  These numbers are just one measure used to determine the overall health of our cardiovascular systems.

The Good

On the other hand, HDL high-density lipoprotein tends to carry cholesterol away from the arteries and back to the liver, where it’s passed from the body. Some experts believe HDL removes excess cholesterol from plaques and thus slows their growth. HDL cholesterol is known as “good” cholesterol because a high HDL level seems to protect against heart attack. I remember HDL as being the happy lipoprotein or you could might remember you want your HDL to be HIGH!

The Bad

LDL or low-density lipoprotein is the major cholesterol carrier in the blood. If too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the walls of the arteries feeding the heart and brain. Together with other substances it can form plaque, a thick, hard deposit that can clog those arteries. This condition is known as atherosclerosis.  My doctor helped me to remember the LDL is the lousy lipoprotein. Another way to think about it, is that you want LDL to be LOW.

The Ugly –

Ultimately if your high cholesterol gets out of hand, plaque builds up on the artery walls.  This decreases the ability of blood to easily flow, while increasing blood pressure.  Over time, without intervention, this condition causes atherosclerosis – or hardening of the arteries and it can be severe enough to causes a heart attack or stroke. So what you don’t know about how to lower cholesterol can indeed kill you.

The BEST!

You can reduce your cholesterol naturally in a variety of ways.  In the next articles we’ll explore the many techniques you can use to safely and effectively reduce LDL, raise HDL, and naturally lower your overall cholesterol levels.

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