I Don't Eat Red Meat, So Why Is My Cholesterol High

You don't eat red meat. You cook at home and you exercise. And your LDL still came back high. Did you do something wrong? Probably not. The cholesterol in your blood doesn't come only from the food on your plate. In this episode of the Daily Brief, Dr. Albert Takem explains why a healthy diet doesn't guarantee a normal cholesterol level, where the cholesterol in your bloodstream actually comes from, and how clinicians look at high LDL without turning it into a judgment about what you ate. Your liver makes cholesterol, and your LDL level is shaped by your genetics, your age and your metabolic health as well as your diet. Some people inherit a tendency toward very high LDL, as in familial hypercholesterolemia, and a family history of early heart attacks, strokes or very high cholesterol can change how results are interpreted. An LDL around 190 mg/dL or higher deserves attention even in people who are thin, active and eat well. Diet still matters. Saturated fat can raise LDL in many people, replacing it with unsaturated fats and eating more soluble fiber can help, and the overall dietary pattern counts for more than cutting out a single food such as eggs or red meat. Weight loss, including with GLP1 medicines, can improve cardiometabolic health, but cholesterol should be measured, not assumed to have improved. Questions for Dr. Takem and the team 💡 Start your journey today with Maryland Primary Care & Wellness Book your consultation: https://www.maryland-primarycare.com/