Difference Between Good Cholesterol and Bad Cholesterol

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance found in all cells of the human body. Far from its often-insidious reputation, cholesterol has much to do with most of the functions that occur within the body. It is necessary to build cell membranes and is involved in the formation of certain hormones like estrogen and testosterone. It's also important in helping the body absorb fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamin D. But stories about cholesterol are more complicated than "good" and "bad.".

The two types of cholesterol are High-Density Lipoprotein, known as "good cholesterol," and Low-Density Lipoprotein, often referred to as "bad cholesterol." There is an extremely thin line that crosses over into the correct balance of the two types, which spells heart wellness or cardiovascular disease.

What Is Good Cholesterol (HDL)?

HDL is often referred to as "good" cholesterol as it enters into your system as a scavenger that cleans out excess cholesterol in your bloodstream. It carries this extra cholesterol back with itself to be processed by your liver before leaving the body. This prevents the excessive deposit of cholesterol in your arteries, and you are saved from heart disease and other cardiovascular disorders.

Why is HDL Good for Your Heart?

• Reduces plaque buildup: It dissolves excess cholesterol in your blood plasma and hence reduces the cholesterol that could become plaque in your arteries. This is the sticky substance which becomes hard after some time, thereby narrowing or blockage of your arteries that may lead to heart attack or stroke.
• Promotes blood flow: Healthy arteries free of plaque enable greater blood flow to your heart and vital organs.
• Prevent blood clot: Maintaining an appropriate HDL level will prevent blood clots from occurring. Blood clots often cause blockages of your arteries, which leads to a heart attack or stroke.

How to Increase HDL Levels Naturally?

Maintaining healthy lifestyle changes can help increase levels of HDL. Several good methods to increase the good cholesterol are as under:

• Exercise regularly: Aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming, jogging, or cycling improve HDL to a considerable extent. Do at least half an hour of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.
• Heart-healthy diet: Emphasize more on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and lean proteins like fish and chicken. Foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, flaxseeds, and walnuts, may lead to increased levels of HDL.
• Maintain ideal weight: Excess fat, particularly within your belly, lowers the levels of HDL. Losing a few body percent can drastically improve cholesterol levels.
• Quit smoking: Smoking lowers the level of HDL in your blood. Quitting smoking increases the levels of HDL. Several weeks after quitting smoking, you will realize improvements in the HDL levels and overall heart health.
• Moderate drinking: Moderate alcohol consumption- one glass of red wine, for instance-can be connected with higher HDL levels. Excessive drinking will surely harm you more than it benefits you, so drink in moderation.

What Is Bad Cholesterol (LDL)?

This type of cholesterol is popularly known as "bad" cholesterol due to the transportation of cholesterol into your arteries. LDL cholesterol builds up in the arteries and forms plaque, which narrows them which eventually diminishes the flow of blood to important organs like the heart and the brain.If the plaque tears, it can cause blood clots, leading to serious complications such as heart attacks or strokes.

Danger with High LDL Levels

High LDL cholesterol increases your risk of cardiovascular diseases. Here's how high LDL levels affect your body:

• Heart disease risk: Plaque, formed by aggregated LDL cholesterol, may block those arteries carrying blood to the heart, thus making it likely for you to develop coronary artery disease that makes a heart attack more probable.
• Higher stroke risk: Narrowed arteries leading to your brain can result in a stroke. Strokes result from reduced or blocked blood flow to areas of the brain, cutting off essential oxygen supply to the brain tissue.
• Peripheral Artery Disease: Low-density lipoprotein can also contribute to atherosclerotic buildup in arteries in your legs, arms, or elsewhere in your body, which may result in pain, discomfort, and other circulatory problems.

How to Lower LDL Cholesterol Naturally?

You can control your LDL cholesterol with lifestyle modifications. Here are some main strategies that will help reduce your bad cholesterol and keep your heart healthy:

• Adopt a heart-healthy diet: Incorporate foods high in fiber and healthy fats; avoid saturated fats, such as those found in red meat, butter, and full-fat dairy, and also trans fats, which are mostly found in fried and processed foods. Soluble fibers in oats, barley, legumes, and fruits will reduce LDL.
• Be active: Exercise regularly, such as brisk walking, cycling, or swimming, which can lower LDL as well as improve heart health
• Maintain a healthy weight: Excess body weight - particularly around your belly - loses fat when you lose unwanted pounds, improving your LDL cholesterol numbers.
• Quit smoking: Smoking increases your level of LDL cholesterol and lowers your level of HDL cholesterol, so quitting will improve your overall profile.

Your doctor may prescribe medications if lifestyle changes are not enough: If lifestyle measures alone cannot result in lowering LDL cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe oral drugs, such as statins, to help control your cholesterol.

Why A Balance Of Cholesterol Matters?

The right balance of good and bad cholesterol helps to protect your heart. While you do have a need for LDL cholesterol in the body, too much of it is potentially dangerous for you. On the other hand, high levels of HDL will often help you avoid developing cardiovascular diseases.

Recommended Levels:

• HDL Cholesterol: 60 mg/dL or greater protects against heart disease.
• LDL cholesterol: Less than 100 mg/dL is considered perfect for heart health.

Additional Lifestyle Advice to Get Your Cholesterol Under Control

Controlling your cholesterol cannot be achieved based on HDL and LDL alone. Consider these additional lifestyle tips to boost your overall cholesterol profile:

• Limit processed foods: Processed foods contain high levels of trans fats and refined sugars, which increase LDL and reduce HDL. So, replace them with fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
• Incorporate healthy fats: Introduce food sources of unsaturated fats: avocados, olive oil, nuts, seeds-they also help to boost HDL while lowering LDL.
• Drink alcohol in moderation: While moderate alcohol can raise HDL, excessive intake can increase triglycerides and harm your heart.
• Reduce stress: Secondary causes of cholesterol raising may be through chronic stress because stress, high blood pressure, and poor habits like eating much or smoking indirectly get induced. Meditation, Yoga, or Deep Breathing may do.

Conclusion

Cholesterol is very important to your body, but its balanced presence ensures that it plays a good role in heart health. Good cholesterol, or HDL, helps remove excess cholesterol from your arteries, while bad cholesterol, also known as LDL, can place plaques into your arteries and increase your chance of having a heart attack or stroke, for example.

Incorporating healthy habits like regular exercise, balanced diets, weight management, and quitting smoking helps control cholesterol levels and reduces the risk of heart disease. In some cases, the healthcare provider may need to prescribe certain medications that will help reduce your cholesterol count further.