Cholesterol – The Three Types Present In Your Body

Heart disease is by far the biggest killer in the United States when it comes to health problems. Fortunately, there are a number of predictors that can tell you whether you are at risk for such problems. Your cholesterol levels are definitely predictors you need to look at. In this article, we take a look at the three cholesterol levels present in your body.

How many types of cholesterol do we each have? Most would say two – good and bad cholesterol. In truth, we have three different levels. Let’s take a closer look at each and what they mean.

LDL Cholesterol – Low density lipoprotein cholesterol is known as the “bad” cholesterol. These proteins are produced by the liver. They carry fats to various parts of the bodies where they are used as part of the normal bodily function. The problem is not the presences of these proteins, but the amount. When levels are above 100, problems start occurring. If you keep an eye on any one thing regarding your health, your LDL cholesterol level is the one to watch.

HDL Cholesterol – High density lipoprotein cholesterol is known as the “good” cholesterol. This protein is also produced by the liver, but does something much different than its evil twin. Instead of taking fats to the rest of the body, it brings them back to the liver for processing. Essentially, the HDL takes the trash out and the higher your level of this form of cholesterol, the better.

VLDL Cholesterol – Very low density lipoprotein cholesterol is a dozy on the body. It works just like LDL, but is much more dense and is known to cause atherosclerosis. You can approximate your level of this protein by dividing your triglyceride levels by five. Obviously, you want this one to be as low as possible.

Understanding the three levels of cholesterol in your body is critical to monitoring your health. Know that you know them, remember to focus on keeping your HDL levels high and everything else low.