If they haven't, these 5 basic facts about cholesterol are important for you:



1. Cholesterol Levels

There are actually five different ways that you can use in order to get a complete reading on your own cholesterol levels and they are: total cholesterol levels, HDL, LDL, total/HDL ratio, LDL/HDL ratio.

Measurement units for checking your cholesterol are conducted as milligrams per deciliter.

Your overall desired level should be below 200 mg/dL, 200 to 240 for a borderline level and total risk above level 240.

2. HDL Level

HDL stands for High Density Lipoproteins. It is actually just a section of your overall cholesterol.

The normal range of HDL level for men about 40 to 50 mg/dL, and for women 50 to 60 mg/dL.

The higher it is the better. Their role in our body is to carry cholesterol away from the body as soon as LDL has brought it. They're the ones that help you reduce the risk of heart disease and cardiac problems.

3. LDL Level

LDL stands for Low Density Lipoproteins. When it comes to LDL, you prefer the level to be low. Why? Because they can clog arteries and kill us. That's why they are called bad cholesterol.

Yet, the balance between HDL and LDL is what gives us general health.

4. How to Lower Your Cholesterol

The alternatives to using drugs are natural cholesterol reducers which could also be found in many whole foods.

One of them is garlic. Garlic is considered a natural reducer because it acts as an inhibitor. The other one is omega 3. Fish oils with their omega-3-fatty acids are also known to reduce heart disease by at least 40%.

5. Risk Factors for High Cholesterol

There are some risk factors that might cause high cholesterol that you'd better avoid.

Fast foods, chips, soft drinks, candy bars, refined sugars, butter cream, fried cheese, fried dough, and cotton candy are foods that we've been enjoying since we were kids. But, they are the foods that can contribute to your high cholesterol.

They taste delicious in our mouth but they are harmful for our health. Don't let a little joy hurt you. Diabetes, kidney disease, liver disease, hyperthyroidism are just some of the dangers that these foods can cause; high cholesterol is just another side effect.

However, this above basic knowledge will be easier to apply if you have decided to lead a healthy lifestyle. Make sure that you won't suffer from any disease only because of your ignorance of health.