If you are worried about high cholesterol, it helps to know the main causes so you find the best way of combating them. Here are the main 5 causes of high cholesterol.

#1 Hereditary Factors

If you have a close relative who is under 65 years old and suffers from heart disease, you have an increased likelihood of high levels.

A rare condition that can run in a family and only affects about one in five hundred people is called familial hypercholesterolemia. This results in very high levels of the bad or LDL cholesterol while the other levels remain normal.

#2 Age and Gender

How old you are can determine your levels too. As a rule, your cholesterol levels increase as you age and men have a higher chance of being affected than women.

#3 Exercise

Getting regular exercise helps to lower your bad levels and raise your good ones. Most of us are guilty of not getting enough, so it pays to try and stick to something! Even a 30-40 minute brisk walk everyday or at least 4 times a week really helps.

You just need to raise your pulse-rate for at least 20 minutes at least 4 times a week to gain the benefits.

#4 Weight

If you are overweight, you have an increased chance of having dangerous levels. This is because being overweight results in lower HDL or good cholesterol and increases your bad LDL.

#5 Diet High in Saturated Fat

Unfortunately, most of the foods we like contain saturated and trans fats which lead to more bad cholesterol. Foods like dairy, margarines, sunflower oil, takeaway food, pastries and potato chips all contain high amounts.

It is important to distinguish between food that contains cholesterol and ones which have a lot of fat. Recent research show us that high cholesterol foods like eggs and liver do not increase your blood cholesterol very much at all.

However, saturated fats stimulate your liver to produce more LDL cholesterol and this leads to blocking of the arteries and potential heart disease.

If you try to eat more healthily and exercise more, you can help to keep your levels more in balance and to provide an even bigger boost, a natural cholesterol supplement can help.

These can help to reduce the overall production and increase the good HDL to maintain a natural and healthy balance.

These are the main 5 causes of high cholesterol, and if you feel you may have unhealthy levels, you should consult your doctor and get a test done. It is recommended to have one every five years if you are over thirty to ensure your levels are healthy.



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