High Cholesterol Causes

Causes Of High Cholesterol

Types of Cholesterol

When most people think of cholesterol, they usually think of it only as a bad thing. But not all cholesterol is bad for your body. Cholesterol is important to health, but when there's too much cholesterol in the bloodstream it can be unhealthy. Cholesterol, a fatty substance (a lipid) that resides in the bloodstream, has two sources; it is either produced by the body or consumed from food products. Since the body will naturally produce all the cholesterol it needs, it does not need to be a part of the diet.

There are two types of cholesterol, one that is beneficial to your body and one that is harmful to your body. The good cholesterol, referred to as "HDL" (high density lipoproteins), is naturally produced by your body and is important for good health. The bad cholesterol, called "LDL" (low density lipoproteins), is harmful to your body; it can clog arteries and increase the risk of having a stroke or heart attack . The goal of cholesterol management in the body, is to have a high level of HDL and a low level of LDL cholesterol.

The body needs good cholesterol and will naturally produce what is needs to function properly. The body's liver will either manufacture and secrete cholesterol into the bloodstream as needed, or it will remove cholesterol from the blood circulation after a meal is eaten. Cholesterol is necessary for building cell membranes, for the formation of hormones and regulating body metabolism, for making bile acid which helps to digest fat, and for vitamin D. Cholesterol is present in all parts of the body, including the heart, muscle, skin, liver, intestines, and nervous system. Good cholesterol also helps to carry away bad cholesterol from the arteries.

The danger of cholesterol is having too much bad cholesterol in the bloodstream. The LDL leaves cholesterol deposits on the artery walls, which causes the formation of a hard, thick substance known as cholesterol plaque. With time, cholesterol plaque causes the artery walls to thicken and the artery openings to become narrow, a process called atherosclerosis. The decreased blood flow can lead to a stroke or heart attack and increase the risk of heart disease. There is usually no signs or symptoms associated with high levels of LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream, so it is important to have your cholesterol levels checked by a medical professional.

High Cholesterol Levels

High levels of bad cholesterol in the bloodstream is often a result of dietary intake. Cholesterol is found in animal sources of food, it is not found in plant sources of foods. Dietary cholesterol is found in meat, fish, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, and is especially high in organ meats such as liver, egg yolks, and dairy fats. Bad cholesterol levels also increase as a result of eating foods high in saturated fats and trans fats. Foods with saturated fats include meat, butter, and cream, and trans fats are found in cookies, pastries, cakes, and fast food.

While an unhealthy diet is a leading cause of high cholesterol, other risk factors include family history, smoking, lack of physical activity, and obesity. While being overweight increases the risk of having high cholesterol, high cholesterol can affect anyone, overweight or not. It is important to have your cholesterol levels checked at least every five years if you are over the age of 20. High cholesterol does not show any outward signs or symptoms and can lead to other diseases and conditions, so it is beneficial to good health to monitor cholesterol levels in the body.