When people around here in Africa talk about cholesterol, you will mostly hear the same thing
Don’t eat cholesterol, it is very bad for your health
Some will even tell you it is the number one reason people have heart problems. Now, I am not saying they don’t mean well, they actually do, but the truth is that many of them are ignorant about what cholesterol really is. And like people always say, what you don’t know is bigger than you
The truth is this: not all cholesterol is bad. In fact, your body needs cholesterol to survive. Without it, your body cannot function properly. The problem is when you don’t understand the different types and just throw everything into one basket. So, let’s look at them one after the other, in a simple way
We have three major types: HDL (High Density Lipoprotein), LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) and VLDL (Very Low Density Lipoprotein)
HDL: The Good Cholesterol, it is often called the good cholesterol because of the work it does in your body. What it does is to help carry cholesterol away from your blood vessels back to the liver. The liver then breaks it down and removes it from the body. This is a good thing because when cholesterol stays too much in your blood vessels, it can block them, and that is when people start having heart attack or stroke
Think of HDL like a cleaner, it moves around in your blood, collecting the excess cholesterol and taking it away before it causes harm. So, when someone has high HDL levels, it is usually seen as a healthy sign
LDL: The Bad Cholesterol, this is the one most people are talking about when they say “cholesterol is bad.” LDL carries cholesterol from the liver and takes it to different parts of the body. The problem is, if you have too much LDL, it starts to build up in the walls of your arteries. Over time, this buildup becomes something called plaque, which makes the arteries narrow and hard. That is when blood cannot flow well, and this can lead to heart disease
So yes, LDL is the one you should be careful of. But it doesn’t mean you should fear cholesterol completely. What matters is having balance between the good (HDL) and the bad (LDL)
VLDL: The Lesser Known One, this one, VLDL, is not talked about as much but it is also important. VLDL carries something called triglycerides this is a type of fat in your blood like LDL, when there is too much of it, it can also cause buildup in your arteries. Doctors sometimes don’t measure VLDL directly but instead look at triglyceride levels in your blood to know if it is high or not
So, you see, it is not that cholesterol itself is your enemy, it is just about which type is in excess
Cholesterol is not something to fear blindly. Your body needs it for things like making hormones, building cells, and even helping your digestion. The problem only comes when you eat in excess and don’t watch your lifestyle. Too much fried foods, lack of exercise, smoking, and too much alcohol, all these can push your LDL and VLDL higher while lowering your HDL
Instead of just saying, Don’t eat cholesterol at all what we should really be talking about is balance. Eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, and also exercise regularly. That way, you can keep the bad cholesterol low and the good one high
So, next time someone says cholesterol is bad you can smile and know that the story is not complete. Not all cholesterol is bad, and without it, we cannot live
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