Cholesterol is essential for building healthy cells in the body, but too much can be detrimental to health. Excess cholesterol builds up in your arteries and forms a fatty plaque that narrows or can even block your arteries, preventing the flow of oxygen-rich blood to your brain and heart. When this happens, a heart attack or stroke occurs.
Watching Your Cholesterol
According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, you should have your blood cholesterol level checked every five years starting between ages 20 and 35; every year if you are diabetic, have heart disease, have had a stroke or have problems with blood flow to your legs or feet. A cholesterol test measures the total of your low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol.
LDL Cholesterol
Low-density lipoproteins transport cholesterol from your liver to the rest of your body. Cells in your body extract cholesterol and fat from these LDLs. Excess LDL cholesterol forms deposits in the arterial walls and narrows of the arteries, causing a condition known as atherosclerosis. LDL cholesterol is referred to as "bad" cholesterol.
High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Cholesterol
High-density lipoproteins take cholesterol from the bloodstream, LDLs and arterial walls and transport it to the liver for disposal. HDL cholesterol is the "good" or "protective" cholesterol.
Numbers to Strive For
To reduce your risk for heart disease, you want to always keep your HDL cholesterol levels high while keeping your LDL levels low. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a healthy adult should have an LDL cholesterol lower than 160 to 190 milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter of blood (mg/dL). If you are at a high risk for heart disease, your LDL should stay under 130mg/dL, and below 100mg/dL if you currently have heart disease or diabetes. HDL cholesterol should be above 40mg/dL for men, 50mg/dL for women.
Controlling Your Cholesterol
Maintaining a healthy weight, getting plenty of exercise and eating a healthy diet can help lower your cholesterol or keep it at a normal level. Eliminating trans and saturated fats, such as butter, margarine and whole-milk diary products from your diet can help lower your LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, including more monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats into your diet can improve cholesterol levels.
Good Fats
Of your total daily caloric intake, 8 to 10 percent should be from polyunsaturated fats and 10 to 25 percent from monounsaturated fats. Good sources of monounsaturated fats include avocados, olive, peanut and canola oil; nuts such as pecans, hazelnuts and almonds; and seeds such as sesame and pumpkin seeds. Polyunsaturated fats include walnuts, sunflower, corn, flaxseed and soybean oil and fish. Fish, canola and flaxseed oil are also excellent sources of omega-3 fatty acids, another polyunsaturated fat.
