What Is the Cause of High Cholesterol?
In order to understand what causes high cholesterol you need to understand what it actually is. Many people think that cholesterol is a yucky plaque-like substance that blocks arteries, but this is only partially true.
Cholesterol
Cholesterol is from the lipid family. Lipids cannot be fully broken down by the body. They are made up of a combination of cholesterol and proteins. The ratio of protein to cholesterol is what determines what type of cholesterol it is.
There are two types of cholesterol. One is considered to be a health risk. This is often referred to as the “bad” cholesterol. It has a higher cholesterol percentage than protein percentage. Medically, this combination is called LDL, or low density lipoprotein.
The other kind is actually healthy or “good” cholesterol. This is made up of a higher percentage of protein. Medically this combination is called HDL, or high density lipoprotein.
Your body makes cholesterol because it needs it in order to function properly. So on a whole cholesterol isn’t “bad”, but necessary. It helps your system to create bile, stomach acid, and repair cells. The problem is that when you eat too much cholesterol in your diet your body gets overrun with it. Since it can’t ever fully break it down, the LDL get stuck in your arteries. This type of cholesterol will sit there and grab on to other slow moving LDLs as they float by. This can lead to blocked arteries, stroke, heart attack, and heart disease.
What is the cause of high cholesterol?
So as you can see, if you are eating foods that are higher in cholesterol, your body will soon be overrun by the bad one. You will be setting yourself up for serious health problems. On the other hand if you eat a diet that is high in foods that have good cholesterol you will be helping your body and will most likely have fewer problems as you age.
But eating the wrong foods isn’t the only thing what is the cause of high cholesterol. Your family health history also has a big part in what your cholesterol future will be. If your parents or grand-parents had problems with high cholesterol levels, there is a higher chance that you will too. Hereditary plays a huge role in your health. Having the information on your family’s cholesterol history can help you to make better choices when it comes to food and supplements when you are younger.
There are many natural things that you can do to keep your these levels in a healthy range. And if you are armed with your family history you can make those adjustments to your diet earlier and that will help you to stay healthy and live into a ripe old age. When it comes to what is the cause of high cholesterol, there really isn’t a simple answer, but there are simple thing that you can do about it.