Cholesterol is, broadly speaking, a lipid found in the tissues and blood plasma of all vertebrates, mainly in the liver, pancreas, brain, and spinal cord. The main function of cholesterol is to regulate the entry and exit of substances into the cell. However, despite its important function, the truth is that its consumption or presence in large quantities can be harmful to health. Mainly because it can cause physiological malfunctions and cause, among other things, serious health problems such as heart attacks, clogged arteries, high blood pressure and diabetes. That is why one of the best recommendations is to maintain a balanced and good diet, thanks to the fact that cholesterol is found mainly in fats of animal origin.
However, sometimes there is talk of good cholesterol. This type of cholesterol, thanks to its chemical structure, provides certain advantages to those who consume it. Mainly it helps to have a good cellular function and to carry out basic functions of the organism in a better way. Despite this, it is best not to abuse any type of cholesterol since, as we said before, that can bring us health problems. For its part, the classification of the different types of cholesterol that exist is based on their chemical composition.
Types of cholesterol, LDL
Types of cholesterol:
DHL cholesterol: this type of cholesterol, which stands for high-density lopiproteins, is associated with low-density lipoproteins. This cholesterol is what is popularly known as “good” cholesterol, since the liver can easily dispose of it naturally. In this case, cholesterol is removed from the blood thanks to lipoproteins. The “good” cholesterol is found mainly in products of plant origin, but also in some animals. For example, fiber, vegetables and some fruits, as well as fish meat such as salmon, contain cholesterol of this type.
LDL cholesterol: this cholesterol is known, for its acronym in English, as low density lopiproteins. Therefore, this type of cholesterol has characteristics opposite to the one previously mentioned. In this way, said cholesterol is not removed from the blood. On the contrary, it can accumulate there, forming dangerous layers of fat that can cause, among other things, heart attacks and clogged arteries. This type of cholesterol is commonly known as “bad” cholesterol and is the one found in various products of animal origin, especially fats. This type of cholesterol is contained in foods such as cheeses, sausages in general, and mainly beef and pork.
