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What Causes Excessive Blood Cholesterol Levels?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance found in every cell of your body. It is used by your body to build healthy cells as well as vital hormones, according to the Mayo Clinic. If your cholesterol is too high, you will develop fatty deposits in your blood vessels, making it difficult for enough blood to flow through your arteries. There are two types of cholesterol; one is considered good and the other is bad.

  1. Good and Bad Cholesterol

    • Good cholesterol is also referred to as high density lipoprotein. HDL prevents arterial disease. It takes cholesterol away from the cells and back to the liver, where it is broken down, or it is expelled from the body.

      Bad cholesterol, referred to as low density lipoprotein, carries cholesterol from the liver to the cells. If too much cholesterol is carried to the cells it will build up and the risk of heart disease is increased.

    Nutrition

    • Saturated fats are the No. 1 culprit to raise your blood cholesterol. Some of these foods include red meat, sausages, hard cheeses, cakes, cream, butter and pastries. There are specific foods that contain cholesterol such as eggs, seafood and kidneys. These foods do not have as much of an impact on raising cholesterol levels as other foods that are high in saturated fats.

    Lifestyle

    • Lifestyle can be a major factor in raising cholesterol levels. If you typically are sedentary, your risk is great of having high levels of cholesterol. The lack of exercise could be instrumental in raising your LDL levels. If you do not smoke, don't start, and if you already are a smoker try to quit, as smoking could be another factor in raising cholesterol levels.

    Body Weight

    • Keeping your body weight down is also a factor in measuring your cholesterol. If you are overweight, you are far more likely to have higher LDL levels and lower HDL levels compared to those who are within normal weight parameters.

    Stress and Alcohol

    • If you are under stress a good deal of the time, your cholesterol levels could rise. Another factor in high cholesterol is the consumption of alcohol. If you enjoy an occasional glass of red wine, that typically is good for your health. But overdoing it with heavy drinking daily will raise your LDL and and lower your HDL.

    Solutions

    • There are many things you can do to keep your cholesterol at a normal level. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and make an effort to limit your saturated fat intake. Get eight hours of sleep each night. If you are under stress, find ways to cope; yoga and meditation can be very helpful. Your physician may want to start you on medication to lower your cholesterol, but this should not stop you from making healthy changes in your life.

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