Cholesterol is a Waxy, Fat – like substance made naturally by your body which can also be gotten from the foods we eat. Too much LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) can lead to heart disease and put you at risk for other chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes, stroke, hypertension, etc. Low-Density is the bad cholesterol that is 70% of the time the root of all cardiovascular problems. Bad cholesterol is a silent killer! It builds up in the blood vessels causing them to narrow.
Your body makes all of the cholesterol it needs, therefore eating lots of foods high in saturated fat and trans fat may contribute to high cholesterol. Foods high in mono and poly-saturated fats are healthy to consume.
CHOLESTEROL RANGE
- Total Cholesterol – below 200mg/dL
- LDL Cholesterol – less than 100 mg/dL
- HDL Cholesterol – above 40mg/dL
Your cholesterol can be high for a number of reasons ranging from genetics or due to an under–active thyroid. In most cases, eating food that contains mono or poly-saturated fat is one of the best ways to lower your cholesterol. People with other risk factors for heart disease may need to get their cholesterol checked more frequently. These risk factors include:
- Obesity
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- High blood pressure
- Family history of heart disease or high blood cholesterol
- Previous history of having had cholesterol
