Understanding the Causes of High Cholesterol

Many factors, including exercise, genetic predisposition, gender and other components of the power influences how the body processes cholesterol. Some people can consume large quantities and still get to keep cholesterol levels in the blood, while others eat very little, but have a high level of cholesterol in the blood.


To check levels of blood cholesterol, the doctor first measures the total amount present in a deciliter of blood, and any acceptable amount below 200 milligrams per deciliter.


Health agencies recommend changes in dietary habits of people who have a total cholesterol above 200 mg. The reduction in consumption of saturated fats is the most effective method. A diet that restricts fat intake to 20% or less of total calories and limiting saturated fats to 7% or less, can lower total blood cholesterol by about 14%.

His doctor asked a survey and you discovered that your cholesterol is higher than it should? Well, the bad news is that you will have a huge job to re-educate your eating habits. The good is that it is not as difficult as it seems for most people.


First of all, you need to understand what is cholesterol. We can say, in popular terms that cholesterol is the "fat" in the blood. It is very important for the functioning of the organism. But like everything else in the world, it is harmful in excess.


You have probably heard about good cholesterol and bad. These are HDL and LDL, respectively. About 70% of cholesterol in our body is produced by the liver and is found mostly in the bile.

HDL is high density as LDL, has a low density. That's where the difference is crucial: the good cholesterol is not absorbed by the cells, and also helps remove excess thereof. Already LDL outbreak the reverse effect and are extremely dangerous.

The early symptoms may start as early as 5 years old, while the child grows up and the condition is accumulating quietly in the veins. Most of the time, the exact symptoms are only given prognosis after the onset of heart attack or stroke, which is already too late for the patient. The attack of silent killers may not cause death but chances are it can lead to lifetime disability.

It is debilitating to imagine how high levels of bad cholesterol can cause serious consequences to the body. When most people may appear healthy all the time, cholesterols can only be checked through lab tests. Sometimes it surprises people to find out how high their cholesterol build-up has soared for the past years.

There is no mystery behind the strengthening of bad cholesterol other than high consumption of saturated fats in the diet. In the advent of labels or guides in processed foods like canned goods and other packed products in the groceries, it is easy to see the amount of cholesterol a food has. This is just a small matter on how to grasp the essence of being cholesterol conscious.

The major way to lower down cholesterol levels in the body is to understand how it metabolizes in the body. Cholesterol doe not actually come from diet alone. It is a whole process within where diet is just one of the contributing factor. Good cholesterol aids in the body's biochemical functioning like producing bile, regulating of vitamins that are fat soluble such as A, K, D, and E.

It also has impact on the synthesis of the body hormone. After cholesterol has been utilized in the body, it excretes as excess lipids in the liver and gall bladder as crystal particles. Because cholesterol is not water soluble, it circulates over and over and gets converted to bad cholesterol (low density lipoproteins). For normal individuals with healthy metabolism, bad cholesterol is minimal and comes in as large quantities. The harmful ones are those that come in many number of small sizes trapped in the veins as accumulated clogs.

When it comes to lowering high cholesterol, basically there is nothing to ponder about genetic weaknesses, the key is watching over food intake. Cholesterol is highly present in animal meats and fats, especially pork and beef. It is easy to watch fatty foods with all the precautions available today. But it takes discipline to live a life with less cholesterol consumption.