Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Cholesterol and Triglycerides – Important Things To Know

May 10, 2010 by dietsan5  
Filed under General

More and more people are becoming aware of the real danger obesity poses and have begun to take much better care of themselves.

One aspect that people need to know more about is cholesterol and triglycerides.

Cholesterol has gotten a really bad rap, to the point that many people believe all cholesterol is bad, when in reality, there are different types of cholesterol and the body needs these to survive .

It is very important that everyone truly understands what cholesterol and triglycerides really are and how they affect the body so that can make intelligent decisions regarding treatment . To keep it simple, there are two types of cholesterol to be concerned about, LDL and HDL.

LDL And HDL

The bad cholesterol is know as LDL and this is the one responsible for building up in the arteries which feed the heart and brain with blood and oxygen .

Further, LDL can go on to create plaque in the arteries which is a very thick and hard substance, completely clogging the arteries and leading to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the veins/arteries .

On the flip side, HDL is considered to be the good cholesterol, HDL is needed by the body and in healthy levels will actually protect against a heart attack and too low a level will allow LDL to build up and increase the risk of heart attack .

Triglycerides

Triglycerides always come into play when discussing cholesterol .

These are a form of fat that is found in food but is also made naturally in a persons body. The triglyceride level plays a vital role because the higher our triglyceride level the higher the bad cholesterol LDL and the lower the good cholesterol HDL .

As you age, you should check your levels regularly to make sure they are in a healthy range . Everyone’s health is affected to a large extent by cholesterol and you need to know when your LDL levels are too high, when your HDL levels are two low or when you have a combination of both. It just makes good sense to know whether your body is healthy or not .

Although you need to check your levels regularly since they can change quite dramatically rather quickly. If you were checked about a month ago it doesn’t mean you are still healthy today. That’s why it’s important to not only check but to understand how to regulate these levels with your diet .

This way you can stay on top of your health and know when you need to make the necessary lifestyle changes to prolong your life and reduce your risk of heart disease. You doctor can recommend the necessary lifestyle changes and medications that you may need if they find you have high or low levels.


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