| day you hear about the dangers of high | | | | means that there is more protein compared to |
| cholesterol, about ways to lower your cholesterol | | | | fat. High density lipoproteins (HDL) are your good |
| and ways to avoid cholesterol in your diet. This | | | | cholesterol. They do the necessary work assigned |
| kind of bad news would lead you to believe that | | | | to cholesterol, don't clog up your arteries and help |
| cholesterol is a bad thing. Why does your body | | | | flush excess fat from your body. |
| keep this awful stuff around anyway? | | | | Low density lipoproteins (LDL), very low density |
| Well, your body needs cholesterol to build and | | | | lipoproteins (VLDL) and triglycerides (a type of fat |
| maintain cell membranes; the membranes need it | | | | carried by LDL and VLDL) make up the bad |
| to produce hormones, vitamin D and bile acids. | | | | cholesterol that cause plaque buildup on artery |
| The bile acids actually help to digest fat. Most | | | | walls and predict heart disease. Why do levels of |
| cholesterol is made by your body itself. There is, | | | | bad and good cholesterol vary from person to |
| however, bad and good cholesterol. Your body | | | | person? Factors that affect cholesterol levels |
| only needs a little good cholesterol in order to be | | | | include being overweight, a diet with too much |
| able to function well. When your cholesterol is high, | | | | saturated fat and cholesterol, not enough |
| it means you have too much bad cholesterol. | | | | exercise, heredity and certain medical conditions |
| High Density Lipoprotein | | | | or medicines. Cholesterol tends to increase with |
| Cholesterol is manufactured in the liver. Foods | | | | age, too. |
| from animals also contain cholesterol - probably | | | | If your cholesterol is too high, your doctor will help |
| because animals have livers, too. Some | | | | you find out the likely causes. In general, you can |
| vegetables can also contain cholesterol and | | | | always increase good cholesterol and decrease |
| saturated fat. Cholesterol is a fat-like substance | | | | bad cholesterol by watching your diet, exercising |
| that bonds to a protein before beginning its travel | | | | regularly and losing weight - in other words, by |
| through the bloodstream. When cholesterol bonds | | | | following a healthy lifestyle. You'll need your |
| to a protein the result is a lipoprotein. | | | | doctor's help with the other factors. Don't worry |
| The test you take to measure cholesterol actually | | | | about having too little cholesterol. That's not likely |
| measures lipoproteins. These lipoproteins are | | | | to happen. Concentrate on having enough good |
| sorted by their density - the measure of fat | | | | cholesterol, less bad cholesterol and the rest will |
| versus protein in the combination. High density | | | | take care of itself. |