Sources
American Heart Association. (December, 2012). Good vs. Bad Cholesterol. Retrieved from http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/Cholesterol/AboutCholesterol/Good-vs-Bad-Cholesterol_UCM_305561_Article.jsp
Mayo Clinic Staff. (September, 2012). Cholesterol Levels: What Numbers Should you aim for? Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-cholesterol/in-depth/cholesterol-levels/art-20048245
Tuesday, April 29, 2014
Vital Information on the two Types of Lipoproteins
LDL
The first type of cholesterol is LDL which stands for low-density lipoprotein and is known as the “bad” cholesterol to most people. When too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. This buildup with other substances, can form plaque. Plaque is a thick hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result so that is why doctors monitor LDL.
HDL
The second type is HDL which stands for high-density lipoprotein and is known as the “good” cholesterol. About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as "good" cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup. The side effects of having low or high HDL is why doctors monitor it.
Some Differences Between the Two
About 50 percent of the weight of a LDL particle is cholesterol and only 25 percent is protein. High-density lipoprotein particles, on the other hand, consist of 20 percent cholesterol by weight and 50 percent protein.. Low-density lipoproteins and high-density lipoproteins both transport cholesterol in the blood, but the main functional difference between the two is they deliver cholesterol to different parts of your body. Low-density lipoproteins -- the primary carriers of cholesterol -- bring cholesterol to cells throughout your body. High-density lipoproteins, on the other hand, can benefit your health because these particles carry cholesterol away from your heart and other organs and deliver it back to your liver.
Other Molecules in Blood
The other molecules that are monitored in a patient's blood along with LDL and HDL are triglycerides. Triglycerides come from fat. These levels are raised when fatty food is consumed. Triglycerides make up most of the fat that you eat and that travels through the bloodstream. As the body’s main vehicle for transporting fats to cells, triglycerides are important for good health, but an excess of triglycerides can be unhealthy.
List of Levels of LDL and HDL
LDL cholesterol
Below 70 mg/dL- Ideal for people at a very high risk of heart disease
Below 100 mg/dL- Ideal for people at risk of heart disease
100-129 mg/dL- Near Ideal
130-159 mg/dL-Borderline high
160-189 mg/dL- High
190 mg/dL and above-Very high
HDL cholesterol
Below 40 mg/dL (men)- Poor, increased risk of heart disease
Below 50 mg/dL (women)- Poor, increased risk of heart disease
40-49 mg/dL (men)- Better
50-59 mg/dL (women)-Better
60 mg/dL and above-Best
Ways to Change Levels
The best way to change your low density lipoprotein, or LDL, and high density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol levels is through diet and a regular aerobic fitness program. Exercise and diet will help you lose weight and keep HDL and LDL cholesterol levels at an optimal level. The end goal should be to lower LDL while increasing HDL.
Affect of Fats on Health
Saturated Fats
Eating good fats in place of saturated fat lowers the “bad” LDL cholesterol, and it improves the ratio of total cholesterol to “good” HDL cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease. Eating good fats in place of saturated fat can also help prevent insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
Cutting back on saturated fat will likely have no benefit, however, if people replace saturated fat with refined carbohydrates—white bread, white rice, mashed potatoes, and sugary drinks. Eating refined carbs in place of saturated fat does lower “bad” LDL cholesterol—but it also lowers the “good” HDL cholesterol and increases triglycerides.
Unsaturated Fats
Unsaturated fats are called good fats because they can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles. Unsaturated fats are predominantly found in foods from plants, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. They are liquids at room temperature.
Monounsaturated fats are found in high concentrations in olive, peanut, and canola oils; avocados; nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans; and seeds such as pumpkin and sesame seeds.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in high concentrations in sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils, and also in foods such as walnuts, flax seeds, and fish; canola oil, though higher in monounsaturated fat, is also a good source of polyunsaturated fat.
Trans Fats
Trans fats are worse for cholesterol levels than saturated fats because they raise bad LDL and lower good HDL. They also fire inflammation, an overactivity of the immune system that has been implicated in heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. And they contribute to insulin resistance. For every extra 2 percent of calories from trans fat daily, the risk of coronary heart disease increases by 23 percent. Eliminating industrial-produced trans fats from the U.S. food supply could prevent between 6 and 19 percent of heart attacks and related deaths, or more than 200,000 each year.
The first type of cholesterol is LDL which stands for low-density lipoprotein and is known as the “bad” cholesterol to most people. When too much LDL cholesterol circulates in the blood, it can slowly build up in the inner walls of the arteries that feed the heart and brain. This buildup with other substances, can form plaque. Plaque is a thick hard deposit that can narrow the arteries and make them less flexible. This condition is known as atherosclerosis. If a clot forms and blocks a narrowed artery, heart attack or stroke can result so that is why doctors monitor LDL.
HDL
The second type is HDL which stands for high-density lipoprotein and is known as the “good” cholesterol. About one-fourth to one-third of blood cholesterol is carried by high-density lipoprotein (HDL). HDL cholesterol is known as "good" cholesterol, because high levels of HDL seem to protect against heart attack. Some experts believe that HDL removes excess cholesterol from arterial plaque, slowing its buildup. The side effects of having low or high HDL is why doctors monitor it.
Some Differences Between the Two
About 50 percent of the weight of a LDL particle is cholesterol and only 25 percent is protein. High-density lipoprotein particles, on the other hand, consist of 20 percent cholesterol by weight and 50 percent protein.. Low-density lipoproteins and high-density lipoproteins both transport cholesterol in the blood, but the main functional difference between the two is they deliver cholesterol to different parts of your body. Low-density lipoproteins -- the primary carriers of cholesterol -- bring cholesterol to cells throughout your body. High-density lipoproteins, on the other hand, can benefit your health because these particles carry cholesterol away from your heart and other organs and deliver it back to your liver.
Other Molecules in Blood
The other molecules that are monitored in a patient's blood along with LDL and HDL are triglycerides. Triglycerides come from fat. These levels are raised when fatty food is consumed. Triglycerides make up most of the fat that you eat and that travels through the bloodstream. As the body’s main vehicle for transporting fats to cells, triglycerides are important for good health, but an excess of triglycerides can be unhealthy.
List of Levels of LDL and HDL
LDL cholesterol
Below 70 mg/dL- Ideal for people at a very high risk of heart disease
Below 100 mg/dL- Ideal for people at risk of heart disease
100-129 mg/dL- Near Ideal
130-159 mg/dL-Borderline high
160-189 mg/dL- High
190 mg/dL and above-Very high
HDL cholesterol
Below 40 mg/dL (men)- Poor, increased risk of heart disease
Below 50 mg/dL (women)- Poor, increased risk of heart disease
40-49 mg/dL (men)- Better
50-59 mg/dL (women)-Better
60 mg/dL and above-Best
Ways to Change Levels
The best way to change your low density lipoprotein, or LDL, and high density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol levels is through diet and a regular aerobic fitness program. Exercise and diet will help you lose weight and keep HDL and LDL cholesterol levels at an optimal level. The end goal should be to lower LDL while increasing HDL.
Affect of Fats on Health
Saturated Fats
Eating good fats in place of saturated fat lowers the “bad” LDL cholesterol, and it improves the ratio of total cholesterol to “good” HDL cholesterol, lowering the risk of heart disease. Eating good fats in place of saturated fat can also help prevent insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.
Cutting back on saturated fat will likely have no benefit, however, if people replace saturated fat with refined carbohydrates—white bread, white rice, mashed potatoes, and sugary drinks. Eating refined carbs in place of saturated fat does lower “bad” LDL cholesterol—but it also lowers the “good” HDL cholesterol and increases triglycerides.
Unsaturated Fats
Unsaturated fats are called good fats because they can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation, stabilize heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles. Unsaturated fats are predominantly found in foods from plants, such as vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds. They are liquids at room temperature.
Monounsaturated fats are found in high concentrations in olive, peanut, and canola oils; avocados; nuts such as almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans; and seeds such as pumpkin and sesame seeds.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in high concentrations in sunflower, corn, soybean, and flaxseed oils, and also in foods such as walnuts, flax seeds, and fish; canola oil, though higher in monounsaturated fat, is also a good source of polyunsaturated fat.
Trans Fats
Trans fats are worse for cholesterol levels than saturated fats because they raise bad LDL and lower good HDL. They also fire inflammation, an overactivity of the immune system that has been implicated in heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other chronic conditions. And they contribute to insulin resistance. For every extra 2 percent of calories from trans fat daily, the risk of coronary heart disease increases by 23 percent. Eliminating industrial-produced trans fats from the U.S. food supply could prevent between 6 and 19 percent of heart attacks and related deaths, or more than 200,000 each year.
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