Causes High Cholesterol
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What Causes High Cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a fatty, wax like substance that is present in our cells and blood steam. Cholesterol plays an important part in our body by producing cell membranes and contributing to a number of hormones as well. Why then are we told to avoid high levels of cholesterol and what causes it?
Two Types of Cholesterol
There are two types of cholesterol. One is good (HDL or high density cholesterol) and the other is bad (LDL or low density cholesterol). The good cholesterol should be in levels of minimum 40md/dL or more and the bad cholesterol should be less than 200mg/dL.
The bad cholesterol is responsible for causing clogged arteries and thus provoking coronary heart disease.
The Cause of High Cholesterol
The cause of high cholesterol is primarily due to eating an excess of food products which contain trans fat and saturated fats as well as cholesterol. This increases the levels of cholesterol in the blood stream. There is more than one cause of high cholesterol however, such as excess weight, genes, gender and age.
Obesity
Excess weight plays a big role in the cause of high cholesterol as it occurs when the body mass is mostly made up of fat which in turn contains cholesterol. Therefore, it is important to keep your weight under control at all times and should you have some pre-existing conditions which might lead to obesity you should consult a doctor for alternate options in order to control your cholesterol levels.
Heredity
Your family�s health history is transmitted to you in the genes so if anyone in your family has suffered from high cholesterol you may have a predisposition to the same. This situation can be controlled through medication as well but only under a doctor�s supervision.
Age
Men have been found to be prone to high levels of cholesterol in their teens and women after menopause. Both men and women can control and maintain a normal level of cholesterol if they act in time and with the right life style changes.
Preventing High Cholesterol
Mostly the cause of high cholesterol is our own negligence and therefore, if we pay more attention to what we eat as well as to how much exercise we actually do everyday we can prevent and improve the levels of bad cholesterol we have as well as maintain it at the right level. Start taking charge of your cholesterol levels today. Eat right, exercise and check your cholesterol level regularly.
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