Cholesterol is present in our organism. It is essential for the production of certain hormones and it is a constituent of cell walls. Part of our cholesterol comes directly from our diet and the rest is produced by the liver.
So, your cholesterol level is influenced by what you eat.
Cholesterol becomes dangerous for your arteries when it is present in large amounts. Cholesterol deposition accumulates on the artery walls and brings about a progressive obstruction or blockade of the artery. A blood test can determine your cholesterol levels (LDL and HDL, commonly known as bad and good cholesterol respectively) as well as your triglyceride level (another type of fat present in your blood). You can ask for your cholesterol results and compare them to the following:
- Total cholesterol: less than 5.2
- Bad cholesterol (LDL): less than 2.6
- Good cholesterol (HDL): greater than 1 for men, and 1.3 for women
- Triglycerides: less than 1.7
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