Getting The Facts About Good Cholesterol Levels | ArticlesBase.com
For years the waxy substance known as cholesterol was considered to be irrelevant or perhaps a minor concern in a persons overall health. Im sure many of you can remember your grandparents eating tasty food combinations cooked with cholesterol laden recipes, that would put even the healthiest person a risk of heart attack or stroke. But thanks to advancement in research techniques we now better understand the risk of a high cholesterol diet and the potential health benefits of achieving good cholesterol levels.
Doctors measure an individuals cholesterol levels with a simple blood test that measures LDL (bad), HDL (good), and total cholesterol levels. Lets take a look what benchmarks identify good cholesterol levels, borderline, and high levels in the above three categories.
*A total blood cholesterol of:
Less than 200 is ideal; 200 to 239 is borderline high; 240 or above is high.
*A low density lipoprotein (LDL) level of:
Less than 100 is ideal; 100 to 129 is slightly elevated; 130 to 159 is borderline high; 160 or above is high.
*A high density lipoprotein (HDL) level of:
60 or above is healthy; 40 to 59 is slightly low; less than 40 is too low.
So establishing good cholesterol levels means having overall cholesterol below 200 with LDL below 100 and HDL above 60. While most people tend to look at the overall cholesterol number, many doctors consider the ratio between high and low density lipoproteins the key parameter in determining good cholesterol levels. To better understand why this is important we must first understand the role of these two important players.
The waxy substance we know as cholesterol doesnt float freely in the bloodstream, but is attached to special carriers called lipoproteins. The two most important carriers are low density lipoproteins (LDL) and high density lipoproteins (HDL). LDL is like the stupid brother who is always screwing things up where HDL is the wiz kid that always gets things right. If the wiz kid is on vacation and the stupid brother is allowed to run the show for too long big trouble is normally on the horizon. When HDL returns from vacation he will do his best to clean up the mess, but sometimes the damage is simply too great, leading to atherosclerosis, heart attack, or stroke.
There are a number of risk factors that can impact good cholesterol levels that should be discussed with your doctor. These would include, but not be limited to, a family history of coronary artery disease, being as little as 20 percent overweight, and circulatory problems in your neck, legs, or aorta, and age.
Looking forward! Lowering cholesterol, in most cases, is about changing old habits, adopting new healthier habits, and enlisting the help of convention medications such as statins or natural cholesterol reducing remedies if needed. Put simply, this basically means finding ways to increase HDL (good cholesterol) and decreasing LDL (bad cholesterol levels). The label warnings of statin medications have made natural cholesterol reduction supplements containing such beneficial ingredients as lecithin oil, pumpkin seem oil, D-limonene, phytosterols, and antioxidants such as selenium, theaflavin, and tea catechins an alternative treatment option worth considering.
Hopefully, this article has provided you with a starting point for achieving goods cholesterol levels and placing you on the road to a happy, healthy, heart attack free way of life for many years to come.
About the Author:
Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of natural health products and natural living with over 10 years experience in the field. Learn more about natural remedies and natural health at Purchase Remedies.com
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