Cholesterol

High cholesterol levels can be seen in the blood testing of an individual. There are two basic cholesterol levels which need to be monitored, namely, LDL and HDL. LDL is often called the bad cholesterol while HDL is called good cholesterol. The causes of high cholesterol levels in an individual are not as many as one may think although one of the main causes of high cholesterol in a person is the food that one ingests. Food contributes mainly to the cholesterol that the body manufactures for its use. The kind of food that a person eats also greatly affects the levels of cholesterol in a person. Eating fatty, greasy foods rich in saturated fats and trans fats can contribute to an elevation of LDL levels in an individual.

Other Causes Of High Cholesterol

There are other factors that can be considered as causes of high cholesterol and these are a person’s genes, age, gender and lifestyle. Genes are what we inherit from our ancestors no matter how much we like to or not. These are blueprints of a person’s mind and body which are handed down from generation to generation. The person’s age is also another cause of high cholesterol as well as his or her gender. Studies have shown that women who have not had menopause usually have lower levels of cholesterol compared to men but may overtake men in this aspect as women get past the age of 50.

Lifestyle is a major cause of high cholesterol since this has many different aspects which can affect one’s health. A sedentary lifestyle generally means that the person may be overweight and lack exercise which are two of the major causes of high cholesterol levels. People who are generally overweight may suffer from high cholesterol due to the fact that they eat excessive amounts of fatty and greasy foods. The lack of exercise also shows that the person does not burn the fats that he or she takes in which is supposed to help reduce cholesterol levels. Other causes of high cholesterol which stem from lifestyle choices are smoking and alcohol intake.

The causes of high cholesterol are often easy to reverse and may easily respond to several forms of high cholesterol treatment. Certain causes of high cholesterol are also avoidable and easy to prevent as long as the person is willing and determined to become healthy. Starting program to reduce cholesterol levels may be difficult for some but the benefits are longer and healthier lives.