Heart-Disease: Understanding the Types of Cholesterol

While most people talk about “cholesterol levels” there is in fact
more than one type of cholesterol. In fact, there are several
different body functions and several different substances that make
up our understanding of “cholesterol.”

As with some fats, cholesterol cannot be dissolved in the blood.
Instead, molecules called lipoproteins carry cholesterol to and from
cells. Molecules are made from an outer layer of protein and an
inner core of both cholesterol and triglycerides, which is another
form of fat.

Lipoproteins equip the cholesterol to move around the body. The two
main types of lipoproteins are:

1) High Density Lipoproteins (HDL.)

• HDL transports cholesterol from cells back to the liver.

•HDL is either reused or converts to bile acids and disposed.