HDL vs LDL Cholesterol
So your doctor has ordered a set of blood tests for you and has come up with some distressing news! He looks at you
grimly and tells you that you have too much of LDL and too little of HDL! What is he talking about? Both HDL and LDL cholesterol refer to lipoproteins present in the blood stream. So what is the difference between LDL and HDL?
HDL refers to high density lipoproteins. Lipoproteins refer to a combination of lipid and proteins. They are very essential for the body to restore tissues and cell membranes. High density lipoproteins move very comfortably throughout the blood. They do not get stuck in it. This is the primary difference between LDL and HDL. LDL or low density lipoproteins are those lipoproteins that tend to move clumsily through the blood. They are thicker and stickier in nature and often stick to the arteries through which they are being transported. When they accumulate in the arteries, they can choke off the blood supply. This leads to atherosclerosis or even heart attacks.
Cholesterol has a number of health benefits for the human body. However, you need to have the right amount of the good cholesterol or HDL in the blood. In fact, an important function of HDL is that it removes some of the LDL and therefore reduces the chances of a heart attack.
You can get HDL from foods which contains omega 3 fatty acids. These include fish oil, olive oil and nuts.
LDL cholesterol occurs in the body due to 2 important reasons. Some people are genetically programmed to produce more of this cholesterol in their bodies. So, no matter what they eat, they will still have LDL in excessive amounts in the body. These people need medication to bring their LDL down. The other group have brought it upon themselves. Excessive dietary fats, for e.g. eggs, milk, fish and poultry, lack of exercise and Trans fats in the diets have been linked with higher LDL levels.
The levels of HDL or the good cholesterol in the body can be increased by taking in foods rich in these cholesterols. LDL can only be reduced if the consumption of the foods is restricted and the patient is put on an exercise regimen. If these fail to control the condition, he may be put on medication.
Summary:
1. HDL is good cholesterol that keeps the heart and arteries safe and healthy. LDL is bad cholesterol that clogs up arteries and can lead to heart problems.
2. We get HDL from nuts, fish oils and olive oil. LDL is derived from eggs, fatty fish, poultry and trans fats present in packaged chips, soups and other processed food.