What is Bad Cholesterol and How Do I Get It?

Many people are unsure what cholesterol is and why high levels are not good for the body. Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like material that is made in the liver and found in certain foods like dairy products, eggs and meat. What causes cholesterol levels to increase and what are the risks of high cholesterol? These are some questions many people may have when confronted with high cholesterol.

In actuality, the body needs cholesterol in order for it to function properly. Cholesterol is vital for the body to be able to produce hormones, vitamin D, and the bile acids that help to digest fat. But, the body only needs a certain amount of cholesterol to function properly so when too much cholesterol is present within the body, problems like heart disease can develop. The goal is to lower your LDL, also called "bad" cholesterol which is what causes the buildup of plaque on the walls of arteries, and raise your HDL, your "good" cholesterol. Having HDL in the body at healthy levels helps the body to get rid of unhealthy cholesterol like LDLs.

There are two basic ways when attempting to lower your cholesterol. One way to lower your cholesterol is to change your diet. A low-cholesterol diet is a diet that is low in fat. I know it can be difficult when changing your diet but try it. It's good for you. Less than 300mg of cholesterol should be eaten daily according to the American Heart Association. If you already have heart disease, you should limit your daily intake to less than two hundred milligrams a day. Foods that are high in saturated fat and have large amounts of dietary cholesterol in them should be avoided or eaten in low amounts.

The other main way to lower your cholesterol is to take cholesterol-lowering drugs prescribed by a doctor. By assessing the number of risk factors you have for heart disease, your doctor will determine if these types of medications are right for you. You can increase your risk of heart disease by using tobacco products and physical inactivity. People who have known heart disease and/or diabetes may have no other alternative but to take cholesterol-lowering medications to control their cholesterol levels. If you are like me and hate to take medications for anything, changing your lifestyle to lower your cholesterol is your best bet. It is a good idea to change your diet. Smoking is part of your daily lifestyle. Another lifestyle change that you can make is to stop smoking. Your HDL or "good" cholesterol levels are decreased by smoking. If you stop smoking, these levels will begin to improve. Exercise is another simple lifestyle change you can make to lower your cholesterol level naturally. Exercise increases the good cholesterol in some people. Even moderate-intensity activities that are done daily can help you to control your weight, diabetes, and high blood pressure which are all risk factors for heart disease.

Heart disease and high cholesterol can run in families. If your parents or siblings have been diagnosed with high cholesterol, you should be tested by a physician. Your physician will have your blood drawn to evaluate whether or not you are at risk for heart disease. During your appointment your doctor will give you some helpful advice or refer you to another health practitioner on how to keep your cholesterol levels within healthy ranges.


Todd Peterson has done extensive research on nutrition and heart health for many years and he is now researching the adverse effect of long term use of cholesterol-lowering drugs. For more great tips on
how lower cholesterol,
Visit his website on maintaining healthy cholesterol, levels the natural and healthy way.