Cholesterol: Types, Levels and Everything You Need to Know

Rujuta Diwekar a nutritionist shares a video on Instagram and talks about the types and levels of cholesterol.

Rujuta Diwekar shares on Instagram the necessary information on cholesterol and breaking the myths. A lot of people have linked gaining fat and weight or losing weight with cholesterol. Cholesterol is also known as Lipoprotein which is also a synonym for fats and proteins. Cholesterol is divided into three categories known as good, bad and very bad cholesterol.

What is Cholesterol? What are the Types?

Good cholesterol or High-Density Lipoprotein(HDL) is good for health as it has more protein and less fat. This is considered to be healthy than Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL). LDL also has more fat as compared to HDL. She says,” This is why it is called bad cholesterol but we are now learning that it is not as bad as it was made out to be. It has many roles such as making your hormones, synthesising vitamin D, has antioxidant qualities and helps in creating energy.”

Very bad cholesterol is also called Very Low-Density Lipoprotein (VLDL). The lower the cholesterol level is, the better it is for people. Similarly, triglycerides which are pure fat should also be lower, says Rujtua.

VLDL and triglyceride are highly injurious to health. A person should focus on improving HDL levels. Rujuta says, “When values are haphazard, it can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes in the long run.”

Check out the Instagram Video:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rujuta Diwekar (@rujuta.diwekar)

What is the Right Food to Consume?

Food is always considered a matter of immense importance and major concern. Naturally, fatty food like eggs, milk and meat is not an issue. She says,” Eat as your grandmother would. If you are eating an egg, eat it whole. If you are a meat-eater, you can have it thrice a week and not every day.”

However, she adds that peanuts, cashew nuts and coconuts should not be paired with alcohol as that is not healthy. Consuming them alone will not be an issue. Even air frying and deep frying has not much of a difference. She rightly pointed out that what matters is the quantity.
According to Rujuta, cooking oil depends on the region where the person belongs to. Age, gender, exercise, smoking, alcohol, genetic factors determine the role of cholesterol in the body. Diets that cut out fats, carbohydrates and long fast hours can lead to an increase in cholesterol level, she said.

Packed food is highly dangerous for a person and worsens the cholesterol level. Exercise is highly important and a person should practise it everyday for two to three hours. This helps a person stay active and strengthens the body. High levels of stress and lack of sleep can result in heart failure and liver issues.

One can stay healthy only if one is healthy both physically as well as mentally. Rujuta said,” The focus is on not looking fit from the outside, but being fit on the inside.”