The Facts About Cholesterol Levels

Many people think of cholesterol levels as being one three-digit number. But in reality, there are several types of cholesterol that get measured when your doctor orders lab tests.

It’s important to understand what each type means and how it affects your health.

Total cholesterol is the main number that people use to describe their cholesterol. All in all, it’s recommended that your cholesterol levels be below 200.

But this is only a piece of the total picture of your heart health. In order to understand your cholesterol completely, you need to know about each type.

LDL (low density lipoprotein) is the cholesterol that is often referred to as bad cholesterol. This comes from eating foods high in saturated fat (from animal products). It clogs your arteries and causes a dangerous build up of plaque.

Your doctor would like to see your LDL level below 100. Anything above 130 is considered high. You can lower this number through eating a healthy diet and consuming many plant-based foods. You can also purchase supplements such as fish oil and coenzyme Q10 to help reduce it.

HDL (high density lipoprotein) is the cholesterol that is called good cholesterol. This actually helps to keep your heart healthy. You need this number to be at least 60 in order to supply your body with what it needs.

Many people find that their LDL is too high and their HDL is too low. If your HDL is low, there are several things you can do to help raise it.

First, adding exercise to your routine can help to raise your HDL. Quitting smoking can also help to raise it as much as 10%.

You may want to look at nicotine replacement products if you smoke more than a pack a day to aid in quitting.

Niacin is another supplement you can add to your diet to help raise HDL. It’s important to discuss supplements with your doctor as they can sometimes interfere with medications and other health conditions.

Triglycerides are another measure of cholesterol levels. This number should be less than 150. Lowering the amount of carbohydrates in your diet can help you with lowering your triglyceride numbers.

Supplements that lower LDL are also effective for triglycerides.

It’s important to know your own cholesterol numbers and it’s important to understand what they mean.

Not all cholesterol is bad for your body and understanding your various cholesterol levels can help you to make healthy choices and prevent heart disease.

Learn more about your health online when you read the rest of our information here about: Cholesterol and cardiovascular health

** Further reading through our articles on health issues will give you a body of information that will help you decide what options you have to deal with the underlying causes of your problem through giving your body the nutrition products that will assist you body to heal from the inside out.

You can visit our health food products page here: Herbalife Health Nutrition Supplements and learn more about our core nutrition program, the Cellular Nutrition Advanced Program and also check out these targeted products, Florafiber to replace your healthy flora and Aloe Vera Juice to help cleanse your system.

We wish you well in your search for solutions to this problem and your movement towards better health in all areas.

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