GOOD CHOLESTEROL. THE CLEANER OF ARTERIES.

Cholesterol is a necessary substance for our body to effectively synthesise hormones, vitamins, etc. However, this substance can become harmful when it is elevated in the blood. Nevertheless having elevated levels of cholesterol is not always a bad thing, as HDL, which is good for our body makes up part of it.

Studies conducted by researchers in Navarra (Spain) in 2017, have shown that just having normal levels of good cholesterol would reduce the risk of dying from any type of cardiovascular pathology by 54%, in comparison to those that had low levels of good cholesterol.

This type of cholesterol has been named as such, because it is connected to a transporting protein named HDL. This protein picks up all of the cholesterol that is present within the blood and transports it to the liver, where it is metabolized and eliminated. This is how arteries are cleared of fat, which is the main cause of arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases (heart attacks, ictuses, etc.)

The normal levels of good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol) are:

• Women: Equal to or higher than 50mg/dl (1.3 mmol/L)

• Men: Equal to or higher than 40mg/dl (1.0 mmol/L)

Levels from 60 to 70mg would be ideal for both men and women.

Oestrogen causes women to have higher levels of good cholesterol as it protects them during their fertile ages, however, as women get closer to menopause this protective effect is lost thereby causing women to have lower the levels of HDL and leading them to have the same high probability of suffering from cardiovascular pathologies as men.

FACTORS THAT INCREASE LEVELS OF GOOD CHOLESTEROL

PHYSICAL EXERCISE

Doing daily physical exercise, even if it is just walking for half an hour, five days a week increases our levels of good cholesterol.

WEIGHT MANAGEMENT

Levels of good cholesterol increase just by losing a small amount of weight when suffering from excess weight, especially if we reduce abdominal fat.

OLIVE OIL

Olive oil increases levels of good cholesterol due to its richness in monounsaturated fatty acids (good fatty acids). It is recommended that it is moderately used in cooking (four tablespoons per person, per day) so as to not contribute to the increase of our calorific intake.

SMOKING

Quitting smoking will also increase levels of HDL.

DECREASE OF HDL OR GOOD CHOLESTEROL

Decreasing the levels of HDL-C leads to cholesterol not metabolising within the liver, thereby causing in to increase within the arteries.

Factors that cause the decrease of HDL:

• Diabetes

• Metabolic Syndrome (Hypertension, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, etc.)

• Abdominal Fat

• Smoking

Modifying these risk factors with an adequate diet, would not only maintain our cholesterol at normal levels but would also increase them and would maintain our arteries clean.