Cholesterol may cause you concern because high cholesterol levels increase the risk of heart disease. However, your body contains good and bad cholesterol. The body itself produces cholesterol to manufacture hormones, digestive substances and vitamin A, the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute notes. Problems arise when excess cholesterol develops in the bloodstream. Low levels of bad cholesterol and high levels of good cholesterol reduce your risk of heart disease.
Blockage
Low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, represents the bad cholesterol. Excess amounts of LDL can accumulate on the inner walls of the arteries and form plaques that partially block blood vessels, robbing the heart of oxygen-rich blood. This can lead to heart disease. In severe cases, the plaques can burst and completely block the arteries, causing a heart attack from blockage to the heart and stroke from blockage to the brain.
Cleansing
High-density lipoprotein, or HDL, picks up LDL cholesterol that clogs the arteries. This good cholesterol delivers the excess cholesterol to the liver, which treats it as waste for removal from the body. High levels of HDL block out the effects of bad cholesterol to help normalize your cholesterol levels. Low levels of HDL allow LDL cholesterol to continue to build up, blocking out the healthy action of HDL.
Check Levels
High cholesterol has no symptoms. You need to visit your doctor regularly for up-to-date cholesterol counts. LDL levels should remain below 130mg per deciliter, or mg/dL, according to MayoClinic.com. If you have a heart disease risk, such as family history or being obese, aim for levels below 100mg/dL. People with diabetes or who have already had a heart attack target levels below 70mg/dL.
Activity
HDL levels should be higher than 40mg/dL for men and above 50mg/dL for women, according to the American Heart Association. Regular physical activity helps raise HDL levels. Exercising 30 to 60 minutes a day on most days of the week improves HDL. Vigorous exercise helps, but physical activities can include brisk walking, bike riding or doing yard work. A balanced, nutritious diet also improves HDL levels.
Heart Healthy Diet
A heart healthy diet helps lower bad cholesterol levels. Consume plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, MayoClinic.com advises. Eat more whole-grain bread, cereal and pasta, oatmeal and brown rice with your meals. Avoid foods high in saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. Enjoy lean meat and skinless poultry, but eat more fish as a meat replacement. If diet and exercise do not get your cholesterol count down to acceptable levels, your doctor can prescribe cholesterol-lowering medication that can improve LDL and HDL levels.
