The presence of high cholesterol in the blood is a common phenomenon. Though cholesterol is a common thing but has a very negative and fatal effect on the body. Cholesterol is the main culprit behind the growing menace of heart diseases resulting into strokes and attacks.

If the World Health Organization (WHO) is to be believed then it says in one of its reports that cholesterol causes 20% of the strokes and 50% of the heart attacks. It is not that there is no ray of hope for the people who have been diagnosed with high cholesterol. High cholesterol is a phenomenon that can be reduced before the situation gets out of hand.

Cholesterol is much similar to fat and it is found in our blood. A little portion of the cholesterol present in our body is derived from the food that we eat and the rest is made in the body.

But the bulk of it is actually made in your own body, specifically in the liver. Cholesterol does have some good uses. It helps produce new cells and some hormones. But an excess of it in the bloodstream can lead to trouble.

There are two types of cholesterol -LDL and HDL. The LDL is also known as bad cholesterol and HDL is known as good fat. The higher the level of LDL in the blood the riskier is it for the body.

In order to escape from the menace of heart disease you need to get your cholesterols levels checked. If the level of blood cholesterol is high then you need to change your lifestyle before things get out of control. Blood cholesterol tends to increase due to unhealthy lifestyle like lack of exercise, gaining weight, eating junk foods, consumption of alcohol and smoking.

If you want to bring down the level of cholesterol in the body then you need to avoid eating saturated fats like meat, milk, egg and fat laced butter. These foods are high in cholesterol. Also try to avoid fast food or snacks which contain saturated fat and cholesterol.

Being overweight is also a matter of concern as it gives rise to bad cholesterol. It is imperative to lose weight if one wants to lower the level of blood cholesterol. So start doing spurts of exercise whenever there is some spare time. One can also opt to hit the gym because there one can reduce weight by following a specific exercise weight loss regimen.

One needs to be very active physically as it really helps in reducing the excess fat on the body. The excess fat is something that can be easily got rid off with a few simple exercises.

Also stop consumption of alcohol as it gives a rise to body fat and cholesterol. Smoking also leads to the stiffening of the heart muscles by increasing the cholesterol level of the blood.

These simple changes in the lifestyle can bring about a whole lot of change in the blood cholesterol levels and can do a world of good to the health of your body and heart.