The good and bad of cholesterol – what you need to know

Heart Research UK Healthy Heart Tip, written by the Health Promotion and Education Team at Heart Research UK

Healthy Heart Tip: The good and bad of cholesterol – what you need to know

Did you know that more than two in five people in England have high cholesterol? High cholesterol often goes untreated due to its lack of noticeable symptoms, which leads to it going undiagnosed.

Even if you feel fit and healthy, make sure that you get your cholesterol levels checked at least every five years. Cholesterol can be influenced by lifestyle factors, but genetics also play a role. Without getting it checked you won’t know your results.

Here we explain cholesterol and give you some ideas on how you can maintain healthy levels:

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a type of fat in the blood that is made in your liver. Additional cholesterol comes from the foods you eat, particularly those rich in fats.

Your body needs certain levels of cholesterol to be able to perform important jobs such as supporting the production of cell membranes, vitamin D and certain hormones. It is measured in millimole per litre or mmol/L. With total cholesterol levels of below 5 mmol/L being healthy.

Non-HDL cholesterol

Non-HDL cholesterol is often referred to as the bad cholesterol within your blood. Its role is to transport all fat molecules around your body. However, when there’s too much of it, it can build up in your arteries, causing them to harden and narrow.

This causes atherosclerosis and can lead to heart disease. High levels of non-HDL cholesterol are typically linked to diets rich in saturated fats (fatty foods) such as pastries, cakes and processed foods. Healthy levels of non-HDL cholesterol are below 4 mmol/L.

HDL cholesterol

HDL cholesterol or the good cholesterol in your blood picks up any excess cholesterol and takes it back to your liver to be broken down and removed from your body. Higher levels of HDL cholesterol reduce your risk of heart disease, while lower levels increase it.

To boost HDL levels, incorporate unsaturated fats into your diet such as olive oil, nuts and seeds, oily fish and avocados. Healthy levels of HDL cholesterol are more than or equal to 1 mmol/L.

How to keep your cholesterol levels healthy

Regular exercise and meeting the guidelines of 150 minutes of physical activity each week will help to keep your cholesterol levels healthy.

Maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking and drinking limited amounts of alcohol also favourably impact your cholesterol levels. As well as eating a healthy balanced diet that includes oily fish, wholegrains, nuts and seeds, fruit and vegetables and limited amounts of processed foods.