We all know that there are 2 kinds of cholesterol that we should try to balance: good and bad. Keep the good HDL cholesterol high and keep the bad LDL cholesterol low.
Recently, though, scientists have been discussing a third kind of cholesterol that is worse than bad. In fact, it is downright ugly.
A study from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark looked at the health and diet of over 70,000 Danes.
They found that for an overwhelming majority of instances, “ugly” cholesterol was actually the culprit in causing heart-killing plaque to build up.
Also called remnant cholesterol, it differs from LDL in that it is mainly triglycerides.
This Very Low Density Lipoprotein, or VLDL cholesterol, is inversely connected to HDL (the good cholesterol). When VLDL rises, HDL drops as a result.
It is manufactured by your liver and having high levels is even thought to be the result of widespread inflammation. This type of inflammation is caused by fatty, fried food and most processed foods as well.
For those who have a very high ratio of VLDL to HDL in the blood, they are found to have the highest risk of developing coronary artery disease and wind up as the most likely to die of heart attack.
Trying to beat cholesterol? You can, in under 30 days without drugs here…
High blood pressure? Learn 3 easy exercises that drop your blood pressure below 120/80…
The comments about high VLDL triglyceride being linked to inflammation caused by fatty fried foods doesn’t really scan. I am on a high fat low carb diet and have been for some time and my VLDL, LDL, HDL levels at my last blood test are as follows:
serum triglyceride levels 0.53 mmol/L (normal reference level 0.84-1.94)
serum LDL level 2.90 mmol/L (healthy level less than 3.0)
serum HDL level 1.66 mmol/L (normal reference level 0.91-1.42)
Although my LDL level is close to safe max the others are very healthy above and below the usual to a degree which makes me happy.
Also, high HDL and low VLDL is associated with pattern A LDL all of which is unlikely to cause clotting of the arteries according to some very high authorities.
However, the more information we are given on this subject the more we can understand it all. So thanks.
“Good cholesterol”,”bad cholesterol” – what a load of nonsense! It’s “good” when your cholesterol levels are adequate and it’s downright serious (“bad”?) when they’re too low. I was on a low cholesterol diet and my cholesterol readings were “normal” (according to my GP) but this didn’t stop me having a massive heart attack six years ago, followed by a quintuple bypass op. After three months in hospital (seven weeks in ICU) I was discharged on a cocktail of ten prescription drugs, including a high dosage statin. My recovery was pitifully slow and I suffered terrible pain in my arms and shoulders, partial paralysis in my left arm and nerve damage in my toes, which were without feeling. I stopped taking the statin after a few months and got off the rest of the drugs, with my GP’s guidance, as soon as possible. I sought advice on natural remedies and proceeded in this direction. I am now back to normal (except for partial numbness in three toes) and my GP has confirmed that my damaged heart now appears to be fully healed (it took six years but it DID heal)and my vital signs are as would be expected for a fit 70 yr old. I feel as well as I’ve ever felt. Ironically, my cholesterol readings are now “elevated”. That can only be beneficial at my age. My MI was apparently caused by inflammation, so why did the hospital cardiologist start dosing me with Lipitor? The medical establishment needs to completely reject the current insane “religion” surrounding cholesterol and start studying nutrition, a subject about which most of its practitioners are woefully ignorant.
Les Ryan Hear Hear, when does a doctor ask about your diet, exept if you are a diabetic? My brother has been a naturopath for over forty yrs. I was a nurse. I used to ignore his warnings to me about diet, because I was impregnated with the ‘take a pill for it’ mentality. So sorry now I didn’t listen to him. All my health problems are diet related. He is 8 yrs older (68,) and as fit as a fiddle. I can hardly get up each day.