top of page

The Good, The Bad and Everything about Cholesterol

Cholesterol is an essential part of our life. Sometimes bad sometimes good still, very important for our heart. Cholesterol is a type of fat or lipid that our body needs to work at the optimum level. It is produced by our liver in the form of a waxy fat-like substance. It travels throughout the bloodstream and is needed by our body to produce new cells. There are two types of cholesterol:


  • LDL (low-density lipoprotein) or Bad Cholesterol

  • HDL (high-density lipoprotein) or Good Cholesterol


Although, Cholesterol does a lot of good work for our body, but an excess of cholesterol in our body can be a problem. Our bad lifestyle and bad diet habits can increase the level of LDL or Low-Density Lipoprotein in the bloodstream which is a serious issue. The bad cholesterol gets stored inside our arteries which makes them narrow and disrupts the blood flow and leads to various heart diseases and even strokes.


On the other side, HDL or High-Density Cholesterol control the bad cholesterol and drives it away from the arteries and takes it to the liver. The liver processes our cholesterol and breaks it down to produce energy. This is the reason why you should always try to lower your LDL (bad cholesterol) and keep your HDL (good cholesterol) high.


Triglycerides are another important component that plays an essential role in our cholesterol health. Their work is very neutral with both types of cholesterols that are storing excess fats from our diet. So, from here we can conclude that high level of triglycerides and high LDL in the body can be a serious issue as the fat will get stored in the body and even the arteries due to the LDL or Bad Cholesterol. It is important to keep our HDL level high so that it can flush out all the bad cholesterol from the body and also lower down the triglyceride level.


If you have high cholesterol or you’re on the verge of getting that disastrous disease, you should totally start taking these measures to control your bad cholesterol level and produce lots and lost of good cholesterol in the body.


  1. Many studies have shown that trans fats can increase LDL levels in the body and lead to certain heart diseases. A high amount of trans fat is found in the hydrogenated oils, and that's why you should try to avoid processed vegetable oils or corn oils. You can substitute these harmful oils with Home Made Ghee or sunflower oil or olive oil.

  2. You should also try to control your dairy consumption. A lot of high-fat milk and dairy products contain fatty acids and saturated trans fats which can have a negative impact on our cholesterol level and increases the LDL in our body.

  3. A lot of products with added sugars are associated with high LDL levels in the body. Sweetened and carbonated drinks such as cola or packed fruit juices contain harmful sugars that increase inflammation and also the risk of heart disease.

  4. Processed meats such as bacon and deli meat are often found to be high in saturated trans fats and sodium which works as a major injury for our cholesterol and effects our cardiovascular health.

  5. Refined grain products and other kinds of refined carbohydrates can also have negative consequences on our cardiovascular health as it increases the LDL levels in the body. Not only this, but it also stops the HDLs to be produced inside our body.

Take all the proper measures and maintain your cholesterol level. Make sure you get your cholesterol checked at least twice a year. This will help you keep track of your health and can also control your bad food habits.


Now, drop down a comment and tell what do you think can be better options to lower down the cholesterol levels!


 

Need a personal guidance on diet management for managing the cholesterol better? Head on to chat with Dt. Ankita Gupta Sehgal for the most effective, easy and effective diet consultation: Click to WhatsApp Now.



168 views
bottom of page