What exactly do cholesterol levels mean?

Cholesterol Question?

• I have a doctors appointment set up for the 20th, but I am a curious person and so I wanted your opinions or educated facts, whichever will help ;) I am a 24 year old overweight female. I try to work out at least 3 hours a week, I take care of my 4 year old son, and I try to eat healthier than I have in the past. I went to my general practitioner for a mole that changed shape, texture, size, and color and was itching like crazy. He tested my blood for everything, including cholesterol. My iron levels have always been really low (since birth), so I eat a high protein diet. I also love spinach, and can eat that stuff ALL day LOL When he got my results back, he was baffled by my cholesterol numbers. My total is 105. My HDL and LDL are in the 50's, and I can't remember how much my triglycerides were. I've been trying to look up online on what that could mean and if it's a problem, and am not having much luck at all. My doctor chuckled and said if he didn't notice my weight, he'd say I was malnutritioned. How...in the world? My father has high cholesterol, and yet...I don't? Does anyone have any information that might helped my poor confused self? Fat girl with low cholesterol just seems odd to me too! (Not that I'm complaining...buuuttt...) Is it TOO low? Should I bring this up at my next visit? How would I be able to get my good cholesterol up where it belongs? Anything is appreciated!

• Answer:

  It does well to note that one should not confuse fat with cholesterol since they are both totally different, and that cholesterol is labeled good or bad based on the function of the lipoprotein and not that there are really good or bad cholesterol. Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs or referred to as bad cholesterol) transport cholesterol from liver via bloodstream to various tissues of the body to be utilized by the cells. Excess remain in the bloodstream to be picked up by high-density lipoproteins (HDLs or referred to as good cholesterol) and be transported back to the liver where it is incorporated with the LDLs for delivery to the cells. And the cycle repeats itself. Cholesterol is a crystalline substance that is technically classified as a steroid. It is however calcified as a lipid because it is soluble in fats rather than in water. While we might obtain some of our cholesterol from our diet, 80% of our cholesterol is produced by the liver. Cholesterol most of our brain tissues are made up of cholesterol and it is necessary for metabolism, production of hormone, the production of vitamin D, and a lot more vital functions of the body. Fiber from fruits and vegetables helps to regulate cholesterol levels. In the following link, the posting that starts with "Ensuring that you have balanced diet will lower cholesterol naturally. (I rather to say "get your cholesterol in proper balance) A balance ..." will give you more details that might answer you question. http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApcDBd4MbbqPoPSSBxPTpWTsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20090126144143AAOlEzp The following link will give you some information on normal cholesterol reading and some of its functions. http://www.the-natural-path.com/normal-cholesterol-levels.html Here are two links you will find interesting. They highlight some health hazard, including depression, associated with very low cholesterol levels: http://www.ctds.info/low_cholesterol.html http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cholesterol-level/AN01394