A Quick Guide to Normal Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol levels are determined by a blood test that shows how much good and bad cholesterol are in your bloodstream. The normal cholesterol levels will depend on your age, sex, and the country you reside in.

What’s considered a good level for a child would be considered off for an adult and vice versa. Some countries measure cholesterol using a different grading (such as the metric system) than other countries.

The standard is to check the levels in milligrams. You might see a reading that shows 160 mg/dL on your results. That means that your cholesterol is at 160 milligrams in a liter of blood.

High Cholesterol in Children

Because of the abundance of fast food and sedentary lifestyles, even young children can have high cholesterol. While some cases are passed through the family genes, usually, when a child’s weight creeps up to an unhealthy level, they get the same health risks for their heart and other organs that an adult does.

The damage done to the heart in childhood can cause problems once they grow up. Lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise, are recommended to treat this condition in children.

Normal Cholesterol Levels

If your doctor orders a complete blood count (CBC) blood test, you’ll see it listed as a lipoprotein measure. Cholesterol levels are viewed as a whole (known as total cholesterol) and then broken down by high-density lipoproteins (HDL), low-density lipoproteins (LDL), very low density (VLDL), and triglycerides.

Your total cholesterol should not be above 200 mg/dL. If it is and it hovers in the 200-239 range, that means you have some mild health risks. Once the range reaches greater than 240, you have what’s considered high cholesterol and are at serious risk for heart problems.

By breaking down the cholesterol test into portions, your HDL should be a minimum of 60 mg/dL. If your reading is below 40 mg/dL, then you don’t have enough HDL in your body to help fight against the LDL cholesterol.

The LDL level should be below 100 mg/dL. If it’s below 130, your doctor won’t be too concerned, but if it starts to go above 160, that’s considered high. Your VDL cholesterol should not be above 30 mg/dL. If your triglycerides show that your reading is below 150 mg/dL, then you’re doing well. It’s considered a high reading when the level hits any number over 200 mg/dL.

Lowering (Or Increasing) Your Cholesterol

Getting an abnormal reading for your cholesterol levels doesn’t mean that you’re stuck there. You can take steps to lower (or raise) your levels by being proactive with your health and reducing your risk of heart attack or other related diseases.

Changing your diet and adding a regular exercise routine is a great way to lower your risks. However, if your levels are already much too high, then you want to take vigorous steps to get those levels down as quickly as possible. A great step to take to lower your cholesterol levels and boost your overall health is to take Nutri Noni Mix Juice from Orgaanics.