Guide to Causes of High LDL Cholesterol Levels

Cholesterol is in all different areas of your body, and it helps your body to be healthy. It helps your body to digest fat, and that is a really good thing. The problem though is if you have too much cholesterol in your body it could go into your arteries, and that can cause heart disease.

In order to check the cholesterol levels in a person's body a blood test is taken. This blood test measures both your LDL and your HDL levels. LDL is your bad cholesterol and HDL is your good cholesterol. LDL is your low-density lipoprotein. Any LDL level over 130 is not good. Here are some high LDL cholesterol causes:

Saturated Fat

Having a diet that is high in saturated fat is one cause of high LDL cholesterol levels. Saturated fat is found in certain high fat meats that a person eats and from fatty oils. Try using olive oils when cooking, and eating low fat meats like chicken and turkey without their skin to lower your saturated fat intake.

Genetic

High cholesterol can be genetic. It can run in your family. If you know that there is a family history of high cholesterol you should take active steps in preventing yourself from getting it by living a healthy lifestyle.

Trans-fatty Acids

Eating to many processed food can give you to much trans-fatty acids which can lead to high LDL cholesterol levels. So stop eating so much fast food and things like that to help bring your levels down. Eat healthy food instead.

Weight

If your weight is too high then you could be in danger of having high LDL cholesterol levels. Make sure your BMI, Body Mass Index, is less than 30 in order to be healthy. Eat healthy foods, and exercise a lot to lose weight if your Body Mass Index is too high.

Being Inactive

Not having enough exercise in your life can be dangerous for your cholesterol levels. When you are inactive your LDL cholesterol rises, but if you live an active life then your HDL will rise instead. So get off the couch, and go take a nice 30 minute walk around your neighborhood.

Diabetes

If you have diabetes make sure your sugar levels are always good. Check your sugar levels every day. Too much sugar in your blood can raise your LDL cholesterol levels.