Cholesterol comes from two sources – your own body and the foods you eat. When you need to lower cholesterol because a blood test has shown it is too high, you need to lower cholesterol from one or both of these sources. The food source is the easiest because you have control over the foods you eat. It is much more difficult to control the amount of cholesterol produced by your body, because much of how cholesterol is produced and tolerated by the body is hereditary.
To lower cholesterol, first take a look at the types of foods you are eating. About 15% of the average person’s cholesterol comes from their dietary choices. If you find that you are eating several foods that are high in cholesterol, then work to reduce or eliminate the intake of these foods.
The remaining 85% of the cholesterol floating in the blood stream is produced by the body. If we were to eat a diet that contained no cholesterol at all, the body would still produce all that it needs for the production of cells and the transportation through the blood stream of specific nutrients. (more…)
