Cholesterol is good for the body. But before any confusion arises, there are actually two types of cholesterol. There is the LDL (the bad cholesterol) and the HDL (the good cholesterol). The HDL is very important, whereas the LDL is not.
LDL is that fatty and waxy substance that gets piled up inside the arteries. If it piles up too much, it can cause a blockage. This makes it very difficult for the blood to flow to other parts of the body. Of course, blockage in the arteries will cause serious conditions such as cardiovascular disease. It can even result in fatal occurrences of heart attack and stroke. These occurrences can kill a person in just a few seconds. Because LDL is bad for the health, people should look for ways to reduce it. This can be done by eliminating fatty foods from the diet. Foods such as red meat and various dairy products are full of saturated fats .
One the other hand, HDL is the type of cholesterol that people really need. In fact, it is known as the good cholesterol. But why is it so important? HDL is responsible for cleaning the blood of saturated fats. It binds these harmful substances and sends them to the liver where they will be processed. Aside from that, the good cholesterol is also responsible for cleaning the artery walls. Since saturated fats are sticky, they sometimes get stuck in the arteries. The good cholesterol scrubs them off from the interior walls so that they will not pile up to become plaque. If the HDL number is higher than the LDL number, people should not have anything to worry about. A huge amount of HDL in the body is ideal. Exercises and healthy foods can increase the amount of HDL.
