7 Surprising Reasons Why Your Cholesterol Is High

Produced by your liver, cholesterol is something your body needs to make cell membranes, vitamin D, and more. However, too much cholesterol has a negative effect, posing a danger to your health, particularly over the long term.

If you have more than 200 milligrams of cholesterol per deciliter (mg/dL), you have high cholesterol.

There are a number of obvious causes of high cholesterol, but there are also a few causes that not a lot of people know about.  

1. Trendy Diets

Certain diets have been linked to high cholesterol, including the keto diet. Basically, any high-fat, low-carb diet has the potential to cause high cholesterol. If you want to lose weight and keep your cholesterol at a healthy level, a plant-based diet is recommended. And if giving up meat is not an option, opt for lean meats such as fish and chicken.

2. Your Medication

Another reason why your cholesterol might be high is because of the medication you’re taking. If you’re currently on birth control, you may want to speak to your doctor about an alternative if cholesterol has become a problem. Other drugs such as retinoids and steroids have also been linked to high cholesterol.

3. Speaking of Medication…

If you’re currently taking medication for high cholesterol but aren’t making any other lifestyle changes, this might be why you can’t get your cholesterol back to healthy levels. Eating better and exercising more often is essential if you want to maintain your health and wellbeing.

4. You’ve Lost A Lot of Weight

Losing weight rapidly is said to be another cause of high cholesterol. Research suggests it’s due to the severe metabolic changes and the body’s reaction to these sudden changes. If you are on a weight-loss journey, it’s essential to do it in a healthy way if you want to keep your cholesterol levels healthy.

5. Coffee

You may already know that caffeine causes spikes in blood pressure, but what you might not know is that coffee can also affect your cholesterol. A 2018 study showed that four espressos a day were enough to spike bad cholesterol levels. This is said to be linked to the oils in coffee, espresso and filtered coffee in particular.

6. Sitting Down

If you spend a lot of time sitting down, it could be the reason for your high cholesterol. When you spend most of your day sitting down, the enzyme that converts harmful cholesterol into good cholesterol drops significantly. Whenever you can, make a point of standing up and walking around.

7. Pregnancy

Because it’s essential for the growth of the fetus, one of the effects of pregnancy is an increase in blood cholesterol. This increase in cholesterol is also often linked to estrogen and progesterone. When cholesterol increases too much during pregnancy, it’s referred to as gestational hypercholesterolemia. Dietary changes and medication can help lower cholesterol during pregnancy.

In Closing

High cholesterol levels are not sustainable and if your cholesterol is currently higher than 200 mg/dL, it’s important to identify the cause so that you can take the necessary steps.

If your cholesterol is lower than 200 mg/dL, it’s still important to lead a healthy lifestyle to maintain a healthy level.

If you want to get tested or find out whether your medication might affect your cholesterol, make an appointment with your GP as soon as possible.