A lot of people have the perception that the term
“cholesterol” is negative.
With that perception come other wrong ideas about cholesterol that
people have because they have chosen not to really know anything about it. In addition, they also hear things such as
good cholesterol and ways on how to
increase your HDL. Let us dispel all
those fallacies about cholesterol so that we can properly cope with any health
problem associated with it.
For one, cholesterol isn’t soluble in blood. It is transported in
the body from one cell to the next by lipoproteins. These lipoproteins are what people should
know about cholesterol, as there are two types of them: low-density
lipoprotein, otherwise known as LDL, is what is referred to as âbadâ
cholesterol. Its opposite is high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, which is reputed
as âgoodâ cholesterol. With triglycerides and Lp(a) cholesterol, HDL and LDL
compose a person’s total cholesterol count.
LDL or bad cholesterol should be the one people should watch out
for because it is said to cause ailments, particularly in the heart. LDL tends to stick in the arteries’ walls,
which usually accumulate, much to the disadvantage of the blood. Of course, when LDL deposits pile up together
with other substances in the arteries called plaque, there would be no space
for blood to flow, which would mean difficulty for organs, especially the brain
and heart, to function properly.
Additionally, the plaque deposits in the arteries would also cause the
arteries to harden, causing a condition known as atherosclerosis. Cloths forming because of plaque-blocked
arteries result in strokes and heart attacks.
On the other hand, HDL is termed “good” cholesterol
because most health experts agree that HDL tends to “push” the LDL
away from the arteries and to the liver, where the LDL is regarded as waste
product and out of the body. Thus,
high-density lipoprotein in high levels can actually decrease a person’s
chances of having a heart attack. Thus,
if you are a health-conscious person, you should be finding the most effective
ways on how to increase your HDL.
A
lot of people have been recommending exercise.
Some people’s cholesterol levels improve when they make a programmed
effort to increase physical activity. The amount of exercise needed to really
impact the levels of HDL, LDL and triglyceride levels is about 120 minutes
every week. Furthermore, different
exercises offer different results.
Resistance training does raise a person’s metabolic rate among others,
but studies show that aerobic training is more effective in changing in a
personâs cholesterol profile. Thus, on how to increase your HDL through exercise, engaging in
aerobic exercises for at least two hours a week is recommended.