Cholesterol is a type of fat called a lipid, it's found in body tissues and the blood plasma. In basic terms there are two types of cholesterol: the good and the bad, although this substance in itself is not harmful to the human body, but rather absolutely necessary to it. So that you understand the difference between these two kinds of cholesterol, at OneHowto we explain what is good cholesterol and bad cholesterol.
Good cholesterol
Cholesterol in the form of high-density lipoproteins (HDL) is considered good cholesterol because it collects unused cholesterol and returns it to the liver where it is eliminated. These occur naturally in our body and help to reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.
It is ideal to have a HDL level of above 60 mg/dL, although the more cholesterol of this type you have in the blood, the better. You can increase your good cholesterol with a diet rich in fibre and low in fat as well as through regular exercise. We suggest you take a look at our article on how to raise good cholesterol levels.
Bad cholesterol
The so-called bad cholesterol is low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and this is the one that builds up in the artery walls making it difficult for blood to circulate properly to the heart. Therefore, high levels of this type of cholesterol increase your risk of heart disease and so it is necessary to keep it under control.
It is recommended to keep your low-density cholesterol below 100 mg/dL and anything above 160 mg/dL is considered too high. For more information, read our article on what are normal cholesterol levels.
Smoking, drinking alcohol, eating fatty meats, a sedentary lifestyle, etc., are some of the causes of high LDL and, therefore, lack of HDL.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to What Is Good cholesterol and Bad Cholesterol, we recommend you visit our Family health category.