Cholesterol floats freely though your blood stream guided along by the lipoproteins LDL (bad) and HDL (good). Elevated levels of this waxy, fat like substance have been linked with an increased risk of atherosclerosis, a condition in which blood vessels are narrowed by fat deposits, ultimately impeding blood flow to vital organs. Over time the accumulation or arterial cholesterol (plaque) may be sufficient to produce a heart attack or stroke. Now that we have laid a little ground work let's get down to business and discover the 5 causes of high cholesterol that everyone should be aware of?

*Saturated fat: Saturated fat is the boogey man in the world of high cholesterol and perhaps the single most important of the 5 causes of high cholesterol. Saturated fat is found in large amounts in organ meats, coconuts, sweetbreads, high fat dairy, processed meats, chicken and turkey skin, along with many other popular foods. According to the American Heart Association saturated fat should account for no more than 10 percent of total calories.

*Diabetes: Diabetes have blood insulin levels, the hormone produced by the pancreas and used to digest food. You are saying to yourself that can't be right, I have heard the opposite. Let me explain, while it is true that diabetics do produce less insulin than healthy people their cells simply don't process it efficiently, thus leaving it circulate in the blood until it is excreted from the body. This cycle produces very high blood cholesterol levels that could be double the number considered to be high risk!

*Being Overweight: There most recent research revealed that being as little as 20 percent overweight raises a person's bad cholesterol (LDL) while lowering your good cholesterol (HDL). Not a good combination.

*Age: Well as we get older our bodies simply don't work as well. That free floating cholesterol that should be processed and sent on its way is allowed to hang around and ultimately accumulates in the arteries. While there is no magic number for elevated cholesterol it is not uncommon to see high cholesterol in men over the age of 45, and women over the age of 55.

*Inactivity: Oh boy, here we go again on this exercise kick. But let's face it when a person is inactive a myriad of health problems can arise including increased lipid cholesterol readings. You don't have to be a marathon runner to achieve cholesterol reducing results. Sports like golf, tennis, and even ping-pong can prove helpful. Walking is also great. On the other hand, shuffle board, curling, and dusting the lamps really won't do the trick. Now walking while carrying a dust wand or a curling ball might be something worth considering.

In this article we have covered 5 causes of high cholesterol. While we have tried to pick the top 5 causes of cholesterol there are others that didn't make the list including smoking, hypertension, genetics, and gender. Nevertheless the above information is a good starting point for bringing those stubbornly high cholesterol levels back into a healthy range. Along those lines many natural health minded people have found that by combining lifestyle modification with natural cholesterol reducing remedies they have been able to achieve remarkable results in a relatively short period of time. Natural cholesterol reduction remedies are not for everyone, but for some they are a viable alternative to prescription medications worth considering.



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