Dr Amir Khan

So when we're looking at cholesterol and fats per se and the things that make up cholesterol, we look at the types of cholesterol in your blood.

And we do kind of divide them in really simple terms as good fats and bad fats.

And that is simple, but it is helpful to think of them like this.

So when we're looking at cholesterol, we're looking at something called HDLs, which are high density lipoproteins and LDLs, which are low density lipoproteins.

They're just types of cholesterol.

Bear with me.

Right.

So low density.

So many questions.

Cholesterol is there's different types of cholesterol.

So we're looking at these HDLs and LDLs.

Low-density lipoproteins, LDLs, are the bad ones, so to say.

And I'm doing air quotes if anyone can't see me.

Now, the reason they are bad is because they can take fat or cholesterol from your liver into your blood, and that's where it can collect inside of your arteries as plaques and narrow your arteries.

So that is a problem because it can raise your blood pressure.

HDLs, high density lipoproteins, are the good fats.

That's what we want more of.

They are the ones that take that bad fat out of your blood, take it to your liver, and your liver will process it and excrete it out.

So that is why there is a difference between these good fats and the bad fats.

And our food contains different levels of those good fats and bad fats as well, which is why food is important for that component of your cholesterol that you can control.