Top 7 Causes of High Cholesterol
Cholesterol can be found in your blood vessels and within your cells. Our livers already make most of the cholesterol in our bodies and the rest comes from what we eat. High cholesterol levels are associated with many health problems, especially heart problems. Here are the top 7 causes of high cholesterol to understand it better.
7. Eating Saturated Foods
Saturated fats found mostly in animal-based products such as cheese, milk, butter, and steak can elevate LDL, the bad cholesterol in your blood. Even some plant-based oils such as coconut oil are loaded with saturated fats. (1, 2, 3)
6. Eating Trans Fats
Trans fats are more dangerous than saturated fats since they don’t only elevate your LDL levels but also lower your HDL levels. Some of these fats are found in animal products but most of them are found in processed foods such as potato chips. (4, 5, 6)
5. Lack of Exercise
4. Smoking
3. Genetics
Most risk factors are hereditary. For example, if hypertension runs in your family, you will more likely be hypertensive too. The same thing happens to cholesterol. If your family suffers from high cholesterol levels, the risk of having high cholesterol level increases significantly. (12, 13, 14)
2. Medications
Certain medications such as diuretics are associated with increased cholesterol levels. Before taking any medications, you should inform your doctor about your high cholesterol. It is recommended to have a complete lipid profile if you going to take any medications. (15, 16, 17)
1. Certain Health Problems
Many health conditions are associated with high cholesterol levels such as diabetes, hyperthyroidism, metabolic syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and kidney problems. You should be aware of your lipid profile if you have one of these conditions. (18, 19, 20,