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Fat, Food and Your Health
The Truth About The Dreaded F-Word
By Lisamarie Sanders
HDL, or high-density lipoprotein, is the good cholesterol. Dr. Hayes teaches his students at Brandeis University that the H is for Helpful and Healthful.
How do these two types of cholesterol work together? "Think of Mardi Gras or some other big party," says Dr. Hayes. The LDL is the litter; the HDL are the cleaners. The bigger the party, that is, the more fat you eat, and the more litter you have in the streets, or arteries. The cleaners come through and sweep the streets, clearing them to allow normal transport. "Oftentimes, the HDL is overworked and underpaid, which leads to more and more clutter in the streets," says Dr. Hayes. Eventually, it gets so clogged that no traffic can get through at all – which is bad news for cars, and blood.
Different fats affect the production of cholesterol in different ways. Here is a breakdown of the good, the bad and the ugly.
