Good vs Bad Cholesterol

Nowadays, more and more people are watching what they eat. Although many of these people do so in order for them to lose weight and look great, a huge majority is paying closer attention to what they eat for health reasons. Nutritionists and medical professionals have stressed that having a high level of cholesterol in the body can lead to a variety of cardiovascular diseases, so much so, that many people are wary about taking in anything that may contain cholesterol.

The thing is, there are two kinds of cholesterol. There is the bad type of cholesterol that does cause a variety of illnesses and diseases, and then there is the good type of cholesterol, which actually helps improve our overall health. This guide will help you learn more about the differences between good and bad cholesterol.

Cholesterol is basically a type of fat, also referred to as lipids, which is naturally produced by the body. It is also taken into the body by consuming a variety of animal products, such as dairy products and meat. Cholesterol is essential to the body, since it binds with proteins, and allows them to be carried to the different cells of the body through the bloodstream. When this happens, they are called lipoproteins.

Good cholesterol is also called high-density lipoprotein. This particular type of cholesterol contains more proteins than lipids. Due to the fact that it contains more proteins than lipids, it tends to bind with additional lipids found in the blood stream, allowing it to be brought into the liver for processing, and then naturally used and expelled by the body.

On the other hand, bad cholesterol is called low-density lipoprotein. It is the complete opposite of good cholesterol in its composition. This means that there are more lipids found in each low-density lipoprotein molecule, as compared to high-density lipoproteins. These molecules are responsible for carrying lipoproteins from the liver to the blood stream. In turn, it causes these cholesterol molecules to accumulate in the veins and the arteries, causing a thickening of the vein and artery walls. Eventually, the cholesterol will also end up making its way to the blood vessels around the heart. This thickening of the walls of the blood vessels will not only restrict blood flow, but also cause the heart to work harder than usual. This is the cause of cardiac arrest, high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular diseases.

Summary:

1. Good and bad cholesterol are made out of molecules that are comprised of both fats, or lipids, and proteins.

2. Good cholesterol, also known as high-density lipoprotein, contains more proteins than fat molecules. On the other hand, bad cholesterol, also known as low-density lipoprotein, contains more fat molecules than protein molecules.

3. Good cholesterol binds with lipids found within the bloodstream, and brings them to the liver, lowering the chances of these lipids to get stored along the walls of the blood vessels. On the other hand, because bad cholesterol contains high levels of lipids, these lipids eventually line the blood vessels, thickening them, and eventually causing a number of cardiovascular diseases.