Cholesterol is a waxy substance produced by your liver that’s needed to build healthy cells. However, high cholesterol means you have too much LDL cholesterol in your blood. This is the harmful type that can clog up your arteries, thereby hiking your risk of heart disease.
How to lower high cholesterol levels
If you’re formally diagnosed with high cholesterol, you’ll usually be advised to make lifestyle changes to lower high levels.
One of the first-line defences against high cholesterol is to reduce your saturated fat intake.
“Saturated fats, found primarily in red meat and full-fat dairy products, raise your total cholesterol,” warns the Mayo Clinic.
“Decreasing your consumption of saturated fats can reduce your low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — the ‘bad’ cholesterol.”
Being active is also a major part of looking after your cholesterol levels and keeping your heart healthy.
According to Heart UK, exercise raises your HDL cholesterol levels – the good cholesterol which removes fat from your arteries.
Adults are advised to do at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of intense activity every week.
“If you can do more, that’s even better,” notes Heart UK.