Get to know what causes high cholesterol

Basically, foods rich in saturated fats, such as egg yolk, beef, milk and its products like cheese, margarine, and butter are important culprits for high cholesterol.

What is more, although these kind of foods do not influence on your HDL cholesterol level, they play a major role in raising LDL levels.

Another fat type which causes high cholesterol is trans-fatty acids. They are found basically in hydrogenated oils. They can lower HDL levels and increase LDL levels and total cholesterol.

Keep en eye on them and try to consider omega-3 fatty acids, which balance the blood levels of your LDL, HDL and triglycerides. In this way, they regulate your blood cholesterol levels. Basically, omega-3 fatty acids are found in olive oils.

If you are overweight (obesity), this causes you not only high blood cholesterol, but also other body problems. Also your LDL levels will be raised and your HDL cholesterol levels will lower.

This is not a good condition for your body, especially when high blood sugar levels will be present. That’s why it is very important to keep your body weight under control. A good dietary strategy can help together with simple exercises.

Having a sedentary life, with no activity at all will lead to overweight and obesity. These two cause high cholesterol. Thus, indirectly, a sedentary life takes you to high cholesterol problems.

On contrary, if you pay only 30 minutes of walking every day to your body, that will keep you safe from cholesterol problems and other body problems like diabetes. You will see yourself how well you may feel after walking and breathing fresh air.

Oxidative stress, the one which make your LDL cholesterol turn to oxidized state, is increased if you follow a sedentary life. Even simple walking can fight oxidative stress and related problems.

Tobacco lowers HDL “good cholesterol” level in your blood. If you are aware of, high HDL levels protect your heart. If you still say “yes” to a tobacco, I’m asking you: What are you waiting to stop smoking? A stroke?< /p>

I’m not telling this to frighten you, but to make you conscious of the consequences of such a unworthy habit.

Another category for what causes high cholesterol includes some special body conditions related to certain diseases. So,

Uncontrolled diabetes and high cholesterol are related. If you have diabetes for a long time, high blood sugar levels will lead to high cholesterol.

There are certain medications which raise your cholesterol levels. For example, beta-blockers, steroids and some types of diuretics can have this effect. Do not use these drugs if you have high cholesterol and have not discussed with your physician.

The last categories of what causes high cholesterol, include the factors that you cannot take control of. They are as below:

If you do have any close relative, for example parents, brother, sister or uncle, aunts with high cholesterol problems, most probably you will face these problems sooner or later. If you do regular check-ups and take the right precautions, you will be safe.

Age is also an important factor for hypercholesterolemia (high blood cholesterol). With the passing of years, 50 and above, your risk of having high cholesterol is raised too. This is because as the time passes, your body is not fresh any more. Your body balances and mechanisms are “getting older” too. Thus, many problems come with elderly.

Being a male of female depends not on you. Preventing high cholesterol for happening, this is something depended on you. So, if yeou are a male of 50 years and above, chances are that you will face hypercholesterolemia. However, if you are a male, you have high risk to develop hypercholesterolemia during all your lifetime.

Meanwhile, if you are a female, you are protected all your life till menopause comes. Due to hormonal changes in this period, you may face high cholesterol problems.

Although you can’t change being a male or female or can’t stop time running, you can stop hypercholesterolemia developing. Preventive dietary strategies and other lifestyle strategies can give you a hand on it.

The last thing I want to remind on what causes high cholesterol: Do regular check-ups, although you might be healthy. Annual complete check-up and regular visits to your doctor are two important factors which help in the early diagnosis of any coronary heart disease. Other diseases influencing blood cholesterol level, like certain liver or kidney diseases as well as hypothyroidism may be early diagnosed too.