It is important to keep your "bad" and "good" cholesterol levels in check as part of a healthy, balanced lifestyle, because high cholesterol is only one risk factor for developing heart disease.
Cholesterol is a type of fat produced by the liver. Essential to proper body function, it aids in hormone production, supports nerve and brain development, helps the liver digest fats and is the key substance in every cell of the body.
While cholesterol is important to your health, it is possible you can have too much of a good thing. Cholesterol travels to your cells through your bloodstream. Because it is a fat, it does not mix well with water or blood, and must be wrapped in protein. This is called lipoprotein cholesterol, which is categorized into two forms:
*
LDL, low density lipoprotein, called bad cholesterol
* HDL, high density lipoprotein, called good cholesterol
