The American Heart Association has established that healthy cholesterol levels are 200mg/dl of blood or below, the recommended levels are between 170-190mg/dl. The risk of heart disease, or strokes rise sharply when levels exceed this amount. Most people do not realize that plaques that block arteries begin to build up as early as in your 20's, especially if anyone in you family has a history of heart disease. A simple blood test can determine what your cholesterol level is as well as what your ratio of HDL and LDL cholesterol. LDL and HDL stand for Low Density Lipoproteins and HDL stands for High Density Lipoproteins. LDL increases your risk of having a heart attack and HDL actually binds with LDL to prevent it from building up on your artery walls and actually lowers your risk of serious cardiac events like heart attacks or strokes.

Can it be treated?

Yes. In a very small amount of the cases high cholesterol can be genetic, and medications might be necessary. In the rest of the situations, lifestyle change, and diet can really help reduce your cholesterol levels and risk factors. Ironically most of the remedies for high cholesterol ARE natural. Fiber is a cholesterol buster; a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can significantly lower cholesterol levels. Garlic, ginger and fenugreek are all herbs that help lower cholesterol by 10- 15% in just a few short weeks. All of these natural remedies are much easier on the body than the cholesterol blocking medications that can have ramifications on your liver. 

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