The nuts and bolts of cholesterol
Posted: Mar 6th 2008 11:28AM by Maggie Vink
Filed under: Fitness, Food and Nutrition, General Health
Did you know your liver can produce all the cholesterol your body needs? But, a resourceful little organ, when we have
cholesterol in our body from foods that we eat, the liver creates little bundles of fat and protein called "lipoproteins." There are two kinds of lipoproteins:
- High Density Lipoproteins (HDL). Think "H" for Healthy. HDL's are considered beneficial to the body because they carry excess cholesterol from the bloodstream back to the liver for removal. Your HDL should be greater than 40 mg/dl for men and greater than 0 mg/dl for women.
- Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL). Think "L" for Lousy. LDL's can clog up your arteries and inhibit blood flow. Keeping your LDL lower than 100 mg/dl is optimal.
- Triglycerides are another form of fat that circulates in your blood. Tri-Gs are deposited in muscles for energy or are stored in fat cells. Your triglycerides should be lower than 150 mg/dl.
Your total cholesterol should be less that 200 mg/dl. Eating healthy foods and staying active can help keep your cholesterol in control. To learn more check out the American Heart Association's
common misconceptions about cholesterol.Tags: cholesterol, HDL, high cholesterol, HighCholesterol, LDL, total cholesterol, TotalCholesterol, Triglycerides
.jpg)
_thumbnail.jpg)
Cooking for one: Healthy advice for solo suppers_thumbnail.jpg)
Men vs. Women: The truth about our bodies
What to do when a craving hits
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-07-2008 @ 5:16AM
jim frick said...
Resveratrol Supplements can help you control your cholesterol naturally,
many doctors are now recommending resveratrol for cholesterol control.
According to Wikipedia, Consumer Lab, an independent dietary
supplement and over the counter products evaluation organization,
published a report on 13 November 2007 on the popular resveratrol
supplements. The organization reported that there exists a wide range
in quality, dose, and price among the 13 resveratrol products
evaluated. The actual amount of resveratrol contained in the
different brands range from 2.2mg for Revatrol, which claimed to have
400mg of "Red Wine Grape Complex", to 500mg for Biotivia.com Transmax,
which is consistent with the amount claimed on the product's label.
Prices per 100mg of resveratrol ranged from less than $.30 for
products made by Biotivia.com, jarrow, and country life, to a high of
$45.27 for the Revatrol brand. None of the products tested were found
to have significant levels of heavy metals or other contaminants.
Reply