What's the big deal with cholesterol? What's the difference between ‘good’ cholesterol and ‘bad’ cholesterol?
- Jerry S. Hixson, TN

Cholesterol is often considered one of the enemies of healthy living. However, the truth is that your body needs some cholesterol to function. The soft fat-like substance is part of all cell membranes, is found in body tissues, and can be made into different types of hormones. Your liver produces most of the cholesterol found in your body, and the rest comes from your diet. Most meat and dairy products contain cholesterol, while fruits, veggies, grains nuts and seeds do not. In fact, many fruits, seeds, nuts and veggies actually reduce blood cholesterol.

HDL (High Density Lipoprotein) is considered to be the ‘good’ cholesterol. HDL cholesterol has very little cholesterol in its core, and helps to carry the ‘bad’ artery-clogging cholesterols to the liver where they are recycled or removed from the body.

LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein) is the opposite of HDL, containing lots of cholesterol in its core. LDL can build up in the bloodstream, attaching to the artery walls and interacting with other substances to form a sort of plaque that can clog blood vessels.

Triglyceride is a form of fat found in food, body fat and blood as part of the lipoprotein particles. Triglycerides are also produced by the breakdown of certain sugars in your diet. When you are overweight, your body stores the extra calories you take as triglycerides in fat cells. High triglyceride levels often mean lower HDL (‘good’ cholesterol) levels, a condition which is considered by many experts to be associated with an increased risk of heart disease.

Get more information on cholesterol and what it means for you. Ask your doctor, or call TriStar Medline at 423-622-6848 to find a Parkridge physician who can help.