Health and Nutrition

Do you know What is Good Cholesterol?

Do you even care? Well having a high overall cholesterol level is a high risk health factor and not something that you’d necessarily be aware of if you did.

But cholesterol comes in two different types. LDL (low density lipoproteins) and HDL (High density lipoprotein) The HDL is something we want to be high as this is what is good cholesterol.

A healthy total cholesterol level is less than 200 mg/dL, but many people are walking around with levels much higher than this.

Which is very dangerous.

As this level increases above 200 mg/dL the risk for heart attack increases.

If high blood cholesterol levels goes untreated for an extended period of time, it could be fatal. According to the American Heart Association at www.americanheart.org, cholesterol levels in the blood between 200-239 are considered to be borderline high risk, and levels above 240 mg/dL are high risk.

It is recommended that people over the age of forty-five have their cholesterol level checked every five years or more to find out the total level and the ratio of HDL to LDL.

Now you know what is good cholesterol you need to start finding ways of increasing yours.

Heart disease is the number one killer among both men and women in the United States. In addition to maintaining proper weight, keeping physically fit and avoiding risk factors like smoking, food plays a crucial role in heart health. Though we all realize that eating nutrient-dense healthy foods help reduce the risk, we may not know which foods are the best choices to battle this deadly disease head on.

Read more: Heart Healthy Foods

You had no idea that cigarette smoking and heart disease were related right? Thought so. Most people think you die from lung cancer for smoking cigarettes, but that isn’t the whole truth. In fact, atherosclerosis and cigarette smoking is a deadly combination that adversely affects cholesterol and blood circulation. Many young people die from smoking induced heart diseases. Do your best to stay away from smoking and if you already do smoke, quit as soon as possible. Your health demands it!