High cholesterol develops over time, so you are more likely to face cholesterol worries when you're 60 than when you're 30. Still, you should begin tracking your cholesterol in your 20s and get tested every five years. You can use the results to guide you toward making any necessary lifestyle changes. If you eat unhealthy fat or weigh more than you should, you could develop high cholesterol.
Family History and Cholesterol
Your genetics play a role in whether you develop high cholesterol. If your parents or grandparents developed high cholesterol, you may prove especially vulnerable. If anyone in your family suffered a heart attack or stroke, you should keep a close tab on your cholesterol levels. If your total cholesterol measures higher than 240 mg/dl, this puts you at high risk for cardiovascular disease. You can help protect yourself by keeping your total cholesterol below 200 mg/dl and by eating less saturated fat and trans fat.
Saturated Fat
Whole fat dairy products and fatty meat contain saturated fat that can accumulate in your bloodstream and create unhealthy amounts of low-density lipoprotein, LDL cholesterol -- the "bad" cholesterol -- can clog your arteries and increase your risk of heart disease. Drinking an occasional milk shake or eating prime rib once a month won't hurt you. But if you regularly consume more saturated fat than your body can eliminate, the walls of your arteries may harden, making it difficult for blood to flow to your heart and other vital organs. Most major health organizations recommend that you include no more than 16 to 22 g of saturated fat in your diet each day. A half-pound hamburger with cheese contains 19 g of saturated fat.
Trans Fat
Your consumption of trans fat can also contribute to high cholesterol. Trans fat especially affects your triglycerides, one of three types of body fat that makes up your total cholesterol levels. Trans fat consumption can also harm your HDL cholesterol, or high-density lipoproteins -- the "good" cholesterol that helps to flush more damaging forms of cholesterol from your system. To avoid developing high cholesterol, avoid margarine and shortening. Commercial baked goods, French fries and doughnuts may contain trans fat. Include no more than 2 g of trans fat in your diet each day.
Foods to Reduce High Cholesterol
Including certain foods in your diet may prevent the development of high cholesterol. Healthy cooking oils such as olive and canola can help push saturated fats out of your system. The oils in seeds, nuts, avocados and fish such as salmon and mackerel can help prevent or lower high cholesterol. You can also protect yourself against developing high cholesterol by including more fiber in your diet. Soluble fiber, plentiful in whole grains such as oatmeal and bran, in legumes such as kidney and black beans and in fruits such as unpeeled apples and pears, can help lower cholesterol.
