Find Out What Causes High Cholesterol

Factors that Cause It

Knowing what causes high cholesterol is necessary to keep your body healthy. If you know what causes high cholesterol, you will be able to avoid it. Hence, you will have a fitter body and a better lifestyle. But what is cholesterol and what causes high cholesterol? Cholesterol is a fat lipid that is necessary for building and maintaining cell membranes, determining which molecules can and cannot pass into the cell membrane, producing estrogens and androgens, producing hormones that are released by the adrenal glands, and insulating nerve fibers.

Cholesterol is naturally produced by the liver. However, it can also be acquired through the food that you eat. Fatty food is what causes high cholesterol. So, make sure that you watch your diet if you want to keep your cholesterol levels at bay. Keep in mind that there are bad and good cholesterols. Low density lipoproteins (LDL) are bad cholesterols. They carry cholesterol from your liver to cells; but if too much cholesterol is carried, there could be a dangerous LDL buildup. This could increase the risk for arterial diseases.

On the other hand, high density lipoproteins (HDL) are considered as the good cholesterols. They help prevent arterial diseases. They take the cholesterol from the cells and bring it back to the liver. As a result, the cholesterol is broken down by the liver or expelled out of the body as waste. Finding out what causes high cholesterol will help you increase your HLD and lower your LDL. You should see to it that you keep your HDL high and your LDL low if you want an active and healthy body.

Food

Food is what causes high cholesterol among many people. As you know, having a high bad cholesterol level is not a good sign. According to the Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, half a million Americans die from heart ailments and over one million suffer from heart attack each year. Heart disease is a serious condition, and cholesterol plays a huge role in it. So, you should avoid what causes high cholesterol such as fast food and processed meats. You should also consume eggs, caviar, shrimp, butter, and cheeses in moderation.

Always remember that too much of anything is not good. Eating foods high in cholesterol such as products that are fatty and oily may seem fine once in a while. After all, it is not wrong to eat sardines, shellfish, prawns, and liver. You just have to take them in moderation for they are what causes high cholesterol. Control serving portions and eat as much fruits and vegetables as possible. Meat is mostly what causes high cholesterol; so see to it that you also eat fruits and vegetables. You do not have to be a vegetarian, though. You just have to balance your diet.

Genetics

Then again, genetics is also what causes high cholesterol. According to studies, heredity has something to do with the high levels of cholesterol found in the body of a person as genes may influence the way his body metabolizes LDL. One inherited form of high cholesterol is familial hypercholesterolemia. Your DNA contains the code that makes your body produce protein; and because not everyone has exactly the same DNA, the metabolism of blood cholesterol can vary from one person to another.

Weight

Weight is also what causes high cholesterol. Fatter and heavier people usually have a higher LDL level. This is why exercising and engaging in physical activities is crucial if you want to maintain normal cholesterol levels. If you become fit, you will lose weight; eventually increasing your HDL while lowering your LDL. Alcohol intake is what causes high cholesterol too. While drinking alcoholic beverages is not prohibited, you should always try to limit your alcohol consumption. If you drink too much, your heart muscle and liver may get damaged. As a result, you will be at risk of high blood pressure. Your triglyceride levels will also rise.

Stress

In addition, stress is what causes high cholesterol. According to studies, stress can raise the levels of blood cholesterol over the years. Stress may affect your habits; so if you become stressed, you tend to eat fatty food and their cholesterol and saturated fat becomes detrimental to your health. Symptoms of high cholesterol may not be visible, so you should get your blood tested if you want to know your cholesterol level. Once you know what causes high cholesterol, you will be able to make changes with your lifestyle.

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