Your blood cholesterol level is affected not only by what you eat but also by how quickly your body makes LDL-cholesterol and disposes of it. In fact, your body makes all
cholesterol it needs, and it is not necessary to take in any additional cholesterol from foods you eat.People with heart disease or those who are at high risk for developing it typically have too much LDL-cholesterol in their blood. Many factors help determine whether your LDL-cholesterol level is high or low. The following factors are most important.
Your blood cholesterol level is affected not only by what you eat but also by how quickly your body makes LDL-cholesterol and disposes of it. In fact, your body makes all cholesterol it needs, and it is not necessary to take in any additional cholesterol from foods you eat. Patients with heart disease or those who are at high risk for developing it typically have too much LDL-cholesterol in their blood. Many factors help determine whether your LDL-cholesterol level is high or low. The following factors are most important.
Heredity. Your genes influence how high your LDL-cholesterol is by affecting how fast LDL is made and removed from blood. One specific form of inherited high cholesterol that affects 1 in 500 people is familial hypercholesterolemia, which often leads to early heart disease. But even if you do not have a specific genetic form of high cholesterol, genes play a role in influencing your LDL-cholesterol level.
What you eat. Two main nutrients in foods you eat make your LDL-cholesterol level go up: saturated fat, a type of fat found mostly in foods that come from animals; and cholesterol, which comes only from animal products. Saturated fat raises your LDL-cholesterol level more than anything else in diet. Eating too much saturated fat and cholesterol is main reason for high levels of cholesterol and a high rate of heart attacks in United States. Reducing amount of saturated fat and cholesterol you eat is a very important step in reducing your blood cholesterol levels.
