Don’t be puzzled ! Like two sides of a coin there is an angel and a devil in cholesterol too! Read on to know more…

What is Good and Bad Cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fat like substance in the body that circulates in blood. It is essential for several functions and is mostly made by the liver from triglycerides, which is found in body fats or fatty foods. It is of two types HDL Cholesterol (good cholesterol) and LDL Cholesterol (bad cholesterol).

Lipoproteins (Substances made of fat and protein)

Cholesterol needs to be transported from liver to different parts of the body and, lipoprotein helps them for this purpose. These lipoproteins are of two types: High density lipoproteins (HDL) and Low density lipoproteins (LDL).

HDL (Good Cholesterol)

It helps in transporting cholesterol back to the liver so that it can be expelled from the body. HDL helps your body by getting rid of excessive cholesterol which can cause heart diseases like chest pain or heart attack. 

High levels of HDL cholesterol lowers the risk of these diseases due to which it is also called good cholesterol.

LDL (BAD Cholesterol)

It transports cholesterol from the liver to rest of the body. Its high levels in the body can cause blockage of arteries (blood vessels taking blood from heart to the body) causing high risks of blood clots.

This may leads to increased risk of heart diseases like chest pain, heart attack and others. Thus, for this reason it is known as bad cholesterol.

Different factors like high fat diet, obesity, diabetes, liver disease, genetics, alcoholism and smoking can cause elevation in LDL cholesterol levels. In contrast to this, low fat diet or diet rich in fibers like oatmeal, whole grains, barley, beans, fruits, green leafy vegetables, nuts among various others can help in lowering the LDL cholesterol levels.

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