According to the American Heart Association, high cholesterol affects one in every three Americans. Many factors play a role in a person’s cholesterol levels, including family history, type of diet and exercise levels. To find out more about cholesterol, and how we can keep cholesterol levels in a healthy range, read on.

Cholesterol is Made in the Body

While the body needs a certain amount of cholesterol to build cells, too much cholesterol narrows and stiffens our arteries.  This makes circulation difficult can eventually lead to clogged arteries, blood clots and strokes.

Produced by the liver, cholesterol is a waxy substance that is always circulating in our bloodstream. “Because of genetic and lifestyle differences, some people make more cholesterol than others,” says Luke Laffin, MD, a cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. The Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL), “bad cholesterol” increases plaque buildup in our veins.  High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL), or “good cholesterol” carries cholesterol molecules from the bloodstream back to the liver, {then} disposed.

Cholesterol is Found in Food

Animals, like humans, produce cholesterol.  When we eat meat, eggs or milk we also eat the cholesterol that is present in the animal. Most plants don’t contain cholesterol, the exceptions being coconut and palm oil.

In addition to eating vegetables to keep cholesterol out of our bodies, fiber is a great food to eat to remove cholesterol from our bodies.  Fiber moves through our body, and grabs cholesterol molecules and removes the cholesterol from our body.   

Dr. Laffin suggests: “We know that about 70 to 80 percent of cholesterol is produced in the liver, and we really don’t have a lot of control over that,” he adds. “But the other 20 to 30 percent can certainly be related to diet, and that can really vary from person to person.”

The best advice seems to be to monitor your cholesterol numbers with your physician, know your family history and focus on eating a diet with a lot of plant-based and fiber-filled foods.  As with most health issues, the key lies in making reasonable, healthy choices the majority of the time, and, (there’s no escaping it…) exercising!

About the author

Kimberly Distilli

Kimberly Distilli, R.N. and founder of Wellness Balance, has spent almost three decades in the medical field. Kimberly devoted her life to taking care of others but it wasn’t until she became seriously ill with breast cancer that she discovered the impact of alternative, non-invasive therapies such as cold laser therapy, alkaline water, cellular cleansing and neurotoxin release.