We have often heard the phrase- practice moderation in all things. This applies to almost everything in our lives. If you have a sweet tooth, eat sweets in moderation, if you love alcohol, drink in moderation, et al. The same concept applies when one thinks of cholesterol. Our body needs cholesterol to perform a variety of bodily functions. However, even your cholesterol has to be in moderation. People usually associate the word “cholesterol” with a serious ailment.

Cholesterol, at normal levels is an indispensable part of our body since it aids in a lot of important functions such as it helps in building the structure of the cell wall, it makes the digestive bile acids in the intestines, it enables the body to produce vitamin D, and finally it helps our body create hormones. But, this is what your good cholesterol does. Your bad cholesterol is something you have to watch out for. But what causes bad cholesterol? Keep reading.

• Diabetes- If you are highly diabetic, chances are high that you might suffer from cholesterol as well. The high sugar content in your blood lowers the good cholesterol and adds to the number of bad cholesterol. Also, high sugar levels in the blood can damage the arteries.
• Smoking- Smoking is known to affect all the major functions of the body and can cause irreversible damage in the long run. Smoking affects the walls of the arteries and weakens it. This gives the perfect opportunity for fatty deposits to plague the walls. Also, smoking is known to reduce the good cholesterol.
• Obesity- Obesity is one of the biggest causes of cholesterol. A high body mass index (BMI), that of 30 or above, makes you more prone to cholesterol. Obesity does not allow you to maintain normal cholesterol levels.
• A poor diet- A diet that reeks of all kinds of fats, saturated or trans fat, is responsible for your high cholesterol levels. If you are a fast-food lover and your breakfast consists of a hot dog or tacos, then you are sending out invitations to all the bad cholesterol in the world.

Cholesterol is omnipresent and the key to living a healthy life is learning how to sustain normal cholesterol levels. If you suffer from high cholesterol, a change in lifestyle and ardently following the same would help you lower your cholesterol levels, and then the onus will be on you to manage your now normal cholesterol level.