What is Good and Bad Cholesterol

Most people understand the words good and bad, but they do not understand them when they are used in conjunction with lowering cholesterol. There are two types of cholesterol in a persons blood. LDL and HDL. The HDL cholesterol is good, and the LDL is bad. When the HDL levels of cholesterol are raised in a person’s blood that is good, but when the LDL levels are raised that is bad. A person does not want their LDL levels of cholesterol to be raised because that could put them at a greater risk for a heart attack. Cholesterol is raised by the type of foods that a person consumes. Foods that are high in trans fat will raise the LDL cholesterol levels, which would be bad. Foods that are high in fiber will raise the HDL cholesterol levels, and that is good. Trans fat foods are foods that contain hydrogenated oil. There are levels in hydrogenated oiled foods that can be more than others. Knowing the level of trans fat that a person should consume on a daily basis is crucial when understanding their health. If people eat foods every day that contain high levels of hydrogenated oils, they are creating a fire storm in their arteries and their heart.

A food chart will give a person a good indication on how high or low the cholesterol levels should be raised. If a person’s HDL and LDL cholesterol levels are at 240 or above that is considered high. If their levels are at 100, and up to 200 that is good. Anything in between 200 and 240 are bordering on high. When it comes to LDL levels of cholesterol in the blood, if the LDL is at 190 or above that is very bad. If they are at 100 or below that is very good. Anything in between 130 and 190 is bordering on high. When people go to their doctors for a check up, they should have their doctors check their cholesterol levels to ensure that they are both below 200. If they are above two hundred, then the person will need to start working on lowering their cholesterol. The LDL level should also be checked to make sure that they are not going over 190 because that is a dangerous level to be in.

People can use a goal tracker that will track a person’s cholesterol every time they visit the doctor, and have them checked. Every time they get their levels checked, they should enter the numbers into the goal tracker, so that they can track their progress. They will know when they are eating too many trans fat foods when their levels are getting too high.