What are good and bad cholesterol?
What are good and bad cholesterol? What are normal cholesterol levels? How can one lower them? Are natural capsules good for cholesterol?
There are lots of questions that come to mind when we talk about the dreaded cholesterol. Therefore, in Probelte Pharma’s therapeutic nutrition blog we’re going to explain what it is and what types of cholesterol there are.
The first thing to do is define cholesterol. It is a naturally occurring fatty substance found in every cell of your body. It is therefore necessary for your body to function. The vast majority of cholesterol is produced in the liver, but it also comes from eating certain foods.
What types of cholesterol are there?
The so-called good cholesterol is HDL (high-density lipoprotein), whose function is to “collect” the excess cholesterol not used by the body and return it to the liver so that it can be naturally eliminated by the body.
Meanwhile, bad cholesterol is LDL (low-density lipoprotein), which carries cholesterol from the liver to body tissues. The problem arises when the level of this type of cholesterol is high, as it builds up in the walls of the blood vessels, causing them to narrow and increasing the risk of coronary heart disease.
What is the right level of cholesterol?
For good cholesterol (HDL), the level should be above 60 mg/dL.
However, for bad cholesterol (LDL), it should be below 100 mg/dL, and anything above 160 mg/dL is considered too high.
How can you lower LDL cholesterol?
One of the most important factors to consider for lowering cholesterol is diet. Insofar as possible, you should reduce your intake of refined sugars (sweets, pastries, etc.), foods high in animal protein (sausages, ham, red meat, etc.) and carbohydrates (bread, rice, pasta, cereals, potatoes, etc.).
On the other hand, remaining on the topic of food, oily fish is highly recommended, as it is high in omega-3 fatty acids. This type of food reduces triglyceride levels.
One dietary supplement you can include in your diet are natural capsules for cholesterol, which control the level of this substance in your body and prevent major risks. But bear in mind that these types of food supplements or natural capsules for cholesterol are not intended to replace a healthy and balanced diet, as they should always be taken to supplement and not serve as the basis of your diet.
Physical exercise is another key factor, as including 30 minutes of physical exercise in your daily activity will lower your cholesterol levels, prevent cardiovascular diseases and much more.
In terms of stress, being stressed can raise cholesterol levels, so a good way to prevent it from increasing is to lead a calm life, avoiding overly stressful situations.
These are the most important points you should know about cholesterol and, above all: of the two types of cholesterol, it is LDL that you need to keep a close eye on. Now it’s time to put these tips into practice and say goodbye to bad cholesterol. Think you’re up to it?
