What is cholesterol? Is it good for you or bad for you? Or both?

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance made in the body but also found in dairy products, eggs and meat. The body only needs small amount of cholesterol, using cholesterol to produce vitamin D, hormones, and bile acids.

Cholesterol is transported through the blood by proteins. These lipoproteins come in three flavors, high density (HDL), low density (LDL)or very low density (VLDL).

LDL cholesterol is called “bad” cholesterol and can cause buildup of plaqueo n artery walls, increasing your risk of heart disease.

HDL cholesterol is called “good” cholesterol and helps the body get rid of LDL (”bad”) cholesterol in the blood. Your risk of developing heart disease also increases if your HDL level is low.

VLDL cholesterol is considered “bad” cholesterol because elevated levels are associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease, and there is no simple, direct way to measure VLDL cholesterol. VLDL is usually calculated as a percentage of triglyceride levels.

To lower your cholesterol:

Eat foods low in cholesterol, saturated fats and trans fatty acids
Keep your weight down with exercise
Take cholesterol medications if prescribed by your doctor