What Makes Your Blood Cholesterol High or Low

People with heart disease or those who are at high risk for developing it typically have too much LDL-cholesterol in their blood. Many factors help determine whether your LDL-cholesterol level is high or low. The following factors are the most important.

Your blood cholesterol level is affected not only by what you eat but also by how quickly your body makes LDL-cholesterol and disposes of it. In fact, your body makes all the cholesterol it needs, and it is not necessary to take in any additional cholesterol from the foods you eat. Patients with heart disease or those who are at high risk for developing it typically have too much LDL-cholesterol in their blood. Many factors help determine whether your LDL-cholesterol level is high or low. The following factors are the most important.

Heredity. Your genes influence how high your LDL-cholesterol is by affecting how fast LDL is made and removed from the blood. One specific form of inherited high cholesterol that affects 1 in 500 people is familial hypercholesterolemia, which often leads to early heart disease. But even if you do not have a specific genetic form of high cholesterol, genes play a role in influencing your LDL-cholesterol level.

What you eat. Two main nutrients in the foods you eat make your LDL-cholesterol level go up: saturated fat, a type of fat found mostly in foods that come from animals; and cholesterol, which comes only from animal products. Saturated fat raises your LDL-cholesterol level more than anything else in the diet. Eating too much saturated fat and cholesterol is the main reason for high levels of cholesterol and a high rate of heart attacks in the United States. Reducing the amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat is a very important step in reducing your blood cholesterol levels.

Weight. Excess weight tends to increase your LDL-cholesterol level. If you are overweight and have a high LDL-cholesterol level, losing weight may help you lower it. Weight loss also helps to lower triglycerides and raise HDL.

Physical activity/exercise. Regular physical activity may lower LDL-cholesterol and raise HDL-cholesterol levels.

Age and sex. Before menopause, women usually have total cholesterol levels that are lower than those of men the same age. As women and men get older, their blood cholesterol levels rise until about 60 to 65 years of age. In women, menopause often causes an increase in their LDL-cholesterol and a decrease in their HDL- cholesterol level, and after the age of 50, women often have higher total cholesterol levels than men of the same age.

Alcohol. Alcohol intake increases HDL-cholesterol but does not lower LDL-cholesterol. Doctors don't know for certain whether alcohol also reduces the risk of heart disease. Drinking too much alcohol can damage the liver and heart muscle, lead to high blood pressure, and raise triglycerides. Because of the risks, alcoholic beverages should not be used as a way to prevent heart disease.

Stress. Stress over the long term has been shown in several studies to raise blood cholesterol levels. One way that stress may do this is by affecting your habits. For example, when some people are under stress, they console themselves by eating fatty foods. The saturated fat and cholesterol in these foods contribute to higher levels of blood cholesterol.

Kim Beardsmore is a weight loss consultant whose business operates across 60 countries. This world renowned, medically approved program will give you results you'll love and all the support you need! Estimate your healthy body weight, tons of recipes, articles, ezine and more information on how to lower your cholesterol at http://weight-loss-health.com.au

In The News:

Over 1,000 elephants in Thailand could be facing starvation as the coronavirus pandemic has greatly impacted revenue generated from tourism in the country.

Hippos that were brought to Colombia decades ago by Pablo Escobar, the notorious cocaine kingpin, are now thriving in the country's river ecosystems. Scientists even suspect that river habitats may benefit from the presence of these non-native hippos, with the large herbivores filling an ecological niche that has been vacant in the region for thousands of years.

Before World War II, the iron lung was the most common type of mechanical ventilator, but advancements in breathing devices for fighter pilots near the end of the war paved the way for the modern ventilator.

A magnitude-6.5 earthquake – Idaho’s largest in nearly 40 years – hit the state Tuesday evening

The first participants have been enrolled by Illinois-based Northwestern Medicine in a new clinical drug trial that aims to tackle coronavirus.

Are we moving a bit closer to the day when machines can read our minds?

Coronavirus is making it harder to eradicate gigantic locust swarms that are wreaking havoc in East Africa.

Skywatchers are in for a treat in April when the super pink moon, the biggest supermoon of 2020, lights up the night sky.

An MIT researcher has warned that coronavirus droplets could travel up to 27 feet, which could have major implications for social distancing.

Currently, there is no known cure for the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the globe, but researchers have identified a potential new drug target, mapping two critical proteins, as the world looks for a cure for COVID-19.

What Makes Your Blood Cholesterol High or Low

Weight Loss Weight Loss