Anything consumed on a regular basis in moderated quantities based on the requirement of our body is good for our health.
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This applies to cholesterol, as well. Avoiding cholesterol as a whole is never an option. Cholesterol is mandatory for the proper functioning of your body. But cholesterol can quickly become dangerous if its concentration in your blood becomes high. If so it can silently bring in the risk of heart disease in a person.
Here are a few prominent reasons that may increase your cholesterol level.
1. Diet
Consuming meat on a regular basis can increase your bad cholesterol (LDL). Increased consumption of saturated fat can increase your cholesterol level. Butter, milk, eggs, beef, veal and pork have a lot of saturated fat in them. Packed foods with increased saturation of palm oil, coconut oil and even cocoa butter may have saturated fat in them. Cookies, crisps, chips, crackers, vegetable shortening and similar snacks may also have a lot of saturated fat in them.
2. Obesity
Losing the extra fat around the belly can help you in a significant way when it comes to managing cholesterol. Being overweight or obese, your body might reduce the count of good cholesterol (HDL) and increase the count of triglycerides, which are not very healthy.
3. Lack of physical activity
Having a good appetite is not an issue as long as you are physically active enough to compensate that. In case, you do not have a physically active lifestyle that matches your food intake, it may lead to an increase in bad cholesterol (LDL) and bring down good cholesterol (HDL).
4. Age and gender
Once you cross 20 years of age, the cholesterol levels in your body begin to rise naturally. Cholesterol levels in men generally level off once they cross the age of 50. In the case of women, cholesterol levels keep a low profile until menopause, after which they hit the same levels as men.
5. Family history
An imbalance in your cholesterol can also be the result of your genes. In case both your parents and all your siblings have an issue managing their cholesterol, it is highly likely you will inherit it too.
6. Smoking
This might not come as much of a surprise. Cholesterol level imbalance is one of the several side effects of smoking.
7. Overall health
Make sure you take up a medical test annually to asses your entire body. Consult a doctor with the reports and look for signs of abnormalities that can cause the risk of diseases like diabetes and hypothyroidism since they can lead to an increase in your cholesterol level.
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