What are High Cholesterol Symptoms & How to Reduce It?

Cholesterol is a fatty substance found in every cell of the human body. It is normally produced by our liver and intestines but it can also be ingested from animal-derived foods. Cholesterol is found in animal fat, which is consumed directly, or indirectly, as ingredients in food. Our body needs cholesterol, but not in a huge amount.

Cholesterol Functions

Cholesterol is an important building block for the nerves, brain cells, and certain hormones. This makes it indispensable for the human body. It is one of the factors involved in allowing the nerve cells (neurons) to communicate with each other and exchange electrical signals.

Cholesterol makes digestive bile acid  in the intestine. Synthesis of bile acid is a major route of cholesterol metabolism in most species other than humans. The body produces about 800 mg of cholesterol per day and about half of that is used for bile acid synthesis, which results in 400–600 mg daily. Human adults secrete between 12-18 g of bile acid into the intestine each day, mostly after meals.

There is a close connection in the body between Vitamin D and cholesterol. Most often the human body gets vitamin D from sunlight. Cholesterol is involved in the process of synthesizing vitamin D from sunlight, and without cholesterol this would be impossible.

Cholesterol also enables the body to make certain hormones. For example, steroid hormones, which help control metabolism, inflammation, mineral levels, blood pressure, libido, and immune functions, are generally synthesized from cholesterol.

Cholesterol Types

Cholesterol is divided into "good" HDL cholesterol and "bad" LDL cholesterol. HDL and LDL are actually the transporters of cholesterol in the blood, called lipoproteins.

HDL means “high-density lipoprotein” - this is the "good" cholesterol that helps keep cholesterol away from your arteries and remove any excess from arterial plaque, which may help to prevent heart disease.

LDL is for “low-density-lipoprotein” – this is the "bad" cholesterol that may build up in your arteries, forming plaque that narrows your arteries and makes it harder for the blood to get to your heart.

Since there is a lack of high cholesterol symptoms, many people find it hard to recognize if they have a problem. Actual diagnosis is by testing blood. Doctors recommend that everyone over the age of 20 should have their cholesterol levels checked once every four to six years.

High Cholesterol Risk

Elevated cholesterol levels are one of the risk factors for atherosclerosis and subsequent heart disease. On the other hand, having "normal" cholesterol numbers does not mean that you are safe from heart disease.

When cholesterol levels get higher, in most cases the liver is producing more cholesterol in response to a need somewhere else in the body. Therefore, it is essential to identify the factors that prompted your body to produce the excess cholesterol rather than rely on drugs to lower the cholesterol levels.

Cholesterol Levels

There are two recognized types of cholesterol: LDL cholesterol called "bad" cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol called "good" cholesterol. The fact is that LDL cholesterol is only dangerous when it becomes oxidized. The cholesterol blood test, however, does not provide levels of the oxidized LDL; therefore, further testing is needed to help determine an individual’s true heart disease risk.

Symptoms

As already mentioned, there are no direct symptoms for the elevated levels of cholesterol in most cases. Cholesterol surplus can cause a plaque buildup within the arteries. They become narrowed, which decreases the blood flow and affects the functioning of the cells and organs that rely on these blood vessels. If you have occasional chest pain, this may or may not be the case. If the blood supply to part of the heart or brain is completely cut off, the result is a heart attack or stroke. However, research studies confirm that 50% of people suffering from heart attacks have normal cholesterol numbers based on the standard testing.

Predisposition

There are groups of people who are likely to have a predisposition for high cholesterol levels. These are smokers, obese people, people with diabetes, and those who don’t exercise at all and have a poor diet. Hypercholesterolemia can also be inherited as a genetic condition.

It's always a good idea to keep a healthy diet and be physically active in order to stay on top of cholesterol control. Remember - it's never too late to make healthy lifestyle changes.

If you have just learned that you should reduce your cholesterol level, what will your first step be?

Cholesterol is found in all parts of the human body. It plays an essential role in the production of hormones and other functions. It is normally produced by the liver and intestines, but it can also be ingested from animal-derived foods. Cholesterol is found in animal fat, which may be consumed directly, or indirectly, as ingredients in food. Too much cholesterol may lead to a buildup of plaque inside the arteries, which is a risk factor for a heart attack or stroke. But, keep in mind that having high cholesterol numbers does not equate to having heart disease, and having normal cholesterol numbers does not necessarily mean there's no risk.

Let’s take a closer look at high cholesterol treatments and ways to prevent exacerbating your condition.

Watch Your Diet

To keep your heart healthy and lower you cholesterol levels you should limit the intake of saturated fats and trans fats. Without fats and oils our bodies would not function properly, but you need to get the balance right. Saturated fats raise the level of cholesterol in the blood and they occur naturally in many foods, in most cases they come from animal sources.

In North America and Europe, the normal diet is heavily based on animal foods, such as meat, egg yolks, poultry, seafood, and milk products. You should turn to fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and beans. Nuts like peanuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios, and walnuts are proven to lower the LDL cholesterol levels – just don’t pack these into your diet, since they are rich in calories. About one ounce of nuts daily is good. Limit red meat and pork; instead, choose lean meat and poultry without skin. Also fish rich in omega 3 fatty acids – like salmon and cod – are beneficial. Use vegetable oils, like olive oil and rapeseed oil, and it is better to avoid tropical oils. The saturated fatty acid-rich tropical oils, like coconut oil, hydrogenated coconut oil, and palm kernel oil, raise cholesterol levels. Palm oil, specifically, raises plasma cholesterol only when an excess of cholesterol is present in the diet.

The American Heart Association recommends aiming for a dietary pattern that achieves 5% to 6% of one’s total calories from saturated fat. So, with a diet of 2,000 calories a day, no more than 120 of them should come from saturated fats; that’s approximately 13 grams of saturated fats a day. Trans fats should also be avoided. The primary dietary source for trans fats in processed food is “partially hydrogenated oils." Avoid fried food like doughnuts, and baked goods, including cakes, pie crusts, biscuits, frozen pizza, cookies, and crackers. Stick margarines are not good either. Always read the package information for the amount of trans fats in a product.

Be Physically Active

Regular exercise also lowers bad cholesterol. You can start walking briskly, climbing stairs, and swimming. Choose an activity that boosts your heart rate, like aerobics. This could increase your good cholesterol by 5% in the first two months. In line with that, losing weight can help you reduce the levels of triglycerides, LDL, and total cholesterol. Shedding even a few pounds can also boost the levels of good cholesterol -- it tends to go up one point for every six pounds lost.

Reduce Stress

People with elevated stress tend to have lower levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. The amount of stress isn't as important as how you deal with it. So if you get angry, hostile, or blame yourself instead of solving the problem, it may result in higher blood pressure, higher blood glucose levels, and lower HDL cholesterol levels. The more hostile you are, the worse the LDL and triglyceride levels.