High cholesterol may result from your diet or lack of physical activity. Eating too much saturated fats, trans fats or dietary cholesterol can contribute to rising cholesterol levels. High cholesterol may also run in families. You may have to pay special attention to the foods you eat and make certain lifestyle modifications to improve your cholesterol levels. Your doctor can help you make healthy adjustments.
LDL Increases
Although changing your diet and getting more exercise can help improve cholesterol, age plays a factor in rising cholesterol. As you age, your levels of low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, cholesterol rise. LDL, called the "bad" cholesterol, accumulates in the bloodstream and forms plaques in the arteries. This can slow down blood flow to the heart, leading to atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, and heart disease.
Weight Gain
Being overweight can also cause cholesterol levels to rise. Excess pounds increase LDL cholesterol and also lower high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, cholesterol. HDL, the "good" cholesterol, protects you from high cholesterol by gathering excess cholesterol in the bloodstream and delivering it to the liver for disposal. Eating too much unhealthy fat and lack of regular physical activity can result in weight gain that results in the rise of harmful cholesterol.
Dietary Changes
Whether rising LDL cholesterol levels come from your unhealthy activities or from inherited high cholesterol, you can help control your levels through a low-fat, nutritious diet. Reduce your intake of saturated fats by eating lean meats, poultry without skin, fish and low-fat or nonfat dairy products. Limit your consumption of dietary cholesterol by eating egg whites or egg substitutes. Eat smaller portions of meat, poultry and fish while adding more low-fat, high-fiber fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your meals. Avoid chocolate, which is high in saturated fat. Eliminate trans fat from your diet. Trans fats are found in many commercially baked goods and fried foods in restaurants. Trans fats raise LDL and lower healthy HDL.
Exercise
Improve your LDL and HDL levels through regular physical activity at least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week. Exercise may include walking, running, bike riding or regular yard work or activities around the house. Regular exercise results in weight loss. Excess weight contributes to high cholesterol. Quit smoking if you smoke. In some cases, cholesterol-lowering medications help improve cholesterol when lifestyle changes alone do not help enough.
