What’s Good About Bad Cholesterol?

For starters it is what your body produces naturally and is a vital component to your health. Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) or bad cholesterol is part of a two part delivery system in your blood which supplies fat to the cells for energy. High-density lipoproteins (HDL) or “good cholesterol” is the second part of that system and its job is to carry away the excess fat left by the LDL cholesterol. The liver is the centralA�processing plant within your body and among other things the liver produces substances that break down fats and filters out harmful substances from the blood. The liver also naturally produces about 80% of the cholesterol in your body. Both LDL and HDL go through the liver; LDL cholesterol is carried to the cells from the liver while HDL cholesterol is being carried away from the cells back to the liver.

When bad cholesterol truly becomes bad is when the fat content in your blood is so high that the good cholesterol cannot effectively clear out the excess fat left behind.A� As a result fat deposits form in the arteries and the narrowed arteries also damage the blood platelets passing through the artery causing the blood to become sticky and that is how clots are formed. But what are some of the causes which lead to your bad cholesterol becoming, well bad. As mentioned earlier your liver produces most of the cholesterol in your body naturally but the foods you eat can impact that balance.A� Foods high in unsaturated fat or trans fat can increase you cholesterol levels.A� Additionally by not exercising you can’t burn the fat in your blood whether it got there naturally or consumedA�as that also causes the bad cholesterol to build up in the bloodstream. Lastly, LDL cholesterol can also be damaged by oxidation which is a result of free radicals in the air and in our bodies. Oxidized LDL can become trapped in the blood vessel by infection fighting white blood cells forming cholesterol deposits. When LDL cholesterol becomes too excessive the liver cannot properly process the fats in your body, in a sense it sends out the excess fat it can’t breakdown and overwhelms the good cholesterol putting your body out of balance.

LDL cholesterol needs to stay healthy for it to perform efficiently. LDL cholesterol also needs protection from oxidation. Antioxidants aid in keeping the LDL cholesterol protected from oxidation. Your diet is also essential to having healthy LDL cholesterol, by limiting the amount of fats you consume you can control your choleric intake thus helping your body retain the balance which is vital to your health. Exercising can use the energy stored in the fat in your body keeping the bad cholesterol from building up in the blood stream.A� Bad cholesterol has to be in balance with good cholesterol for it to be healthy for you. If you have issues with your cholesterol levels and you have not done so already, you must make a lifestyle change, there is no other way you can control your cholesterol or lower your cholesterol without re-thinking your diet and getting off the couch to exercise. Whether you choose to treat your condition with prescription medications or with natural supplements diet and exercise is a critical component in the fight against high cholesterol. No health care professional, alternative care practitioner or consultant will tell you otherwise. So bad cholesterol does not have to be “bad” for you in fact it is quite the opposite if you take care of yourself andA�allow your body function the way it was intended. Consider all of your alternatives and make the healthy choice to live longer and happier.