What causes elevated LDL cholesterol and how can it be lowered?
LDL may be increased through exogenous (food) or endogenous (excessive production or insufficient elimination) mechanisms. If it is caused by food intake, it is treated through diet and physical activity; if it is caused by endogenous mechanisms, it is most often necessary to treat with medications, which are usually very effective and reasonably safe. Foods high in saturated fat (fatty meat and whole-milk dairy products) or hydrogenated vegetable oils (margarine, etc) raise LDL levels. Various commercially baked products, processed foods and nondairy creams may be classified as cholesterol free, yet still contain high amounts of saturated fat, which stimulates the bodys production of LDL. Cholesterol also exists naturally in various foods such as: • Red meat and its byproducts: cold cuts, sausage, offal/entrails • Whole-milk dairy products: lard, shortening, creams, cheese • Egg yolks: one egg yolk contains 71% of the recommended daily intake of cholesterol: 300 mg/day • Chicken skin,
