Cardiovascular Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. There are a number of risk factors that contribute to heart health, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity. The more risk factors you have, the more likely you are to develop a heart condition.
Some factors are out of our control, such as gender, or family history. But, thankfully, we can take full command over the risks that result from our lifestyle choices, like diet and exercise. High cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease that we can manage through a healthy diet.
Cholesterol is in fact a naturally-made substance, located in all of the body's cells. The liver organically produces all the cholesterol required for the body to create various hormones and for the formation of cell membranes. However, we consume additional cholesterol whenever we eat animal products -- meats, eggs, and even dairy.
HDL, high-density lipoprotein, is known as "good cholesterol," because it removes cholesterol from the arteries, clearing a passageway, and curbing plaque buildup. But LDL, low-density lipoprotein, is "bad cholesterol" because, when combined with other substances, LDL creates the hard deposits that attach to coronary artery walls, clogging-up the blood supply to the heart.
