Cholesterol - Myths and Facts

By deblinab deblinab Updated: Mar 10, 2021, 15:17 IST

Whenever we hear of cholesterol, we assume it to be something bad for our body. Well, this is far from the truth. Before making any assumption about any health related term, one must do their research. You will find many sources of information that are not cross-checked and thus lead to misconceptions in the society. As a responsible member of the society, you must always stay away from such sources of information and believe only such data that has proof.

We are surrounded by myths all the time, regarding all topics. Similarly in the case of cholesterol, one is always surrounded by myths, making it difficult to find the actual facts. Differentiating myths from facts is important, so that you can take care of your health accordingly and do not make any mistakes by believing on some myths. Given below, is a list of myths, accompanied by the actual facts. Go through the list below, and learn the actual facts of cholesterol and its effects on your body.

Myths and Facts

  • Myth 1- Cholesterol levels cannot be changed.

  • Fact- a number of things can be done to change your cholesterol level to a desired level. Few of the main examples of the activities and habits that you can perform to improve your cholesterol levels are making healthy food choices, quit smoking and other tobacco products, talk to a doctor and consult what is best for you, learn about your family history, try to be as active as possible throughout the day.

  • Myth 2- Cholesterol can be managed through exercise and diet. There is no need for medicines.

  • Fact- yes, it is indeed possible to improve your cholesterol levels with the help of exercise and diet, but not for everyone. For some people it is not possible to improve the levels just by exercising and dieting, and they require statins or medicines to help them do so. Usually, the people who need medicines to cure their cholesterol levels are people with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, very high levels of cholesterol, etc.

  • Myth 3- Consuming food having high cholesterol levels does not affect your body’s cholesterol.

  • Fact- in simple terms, food containing high amounts of saturated fats is responsible for increasing your cholesterol levels. Food like meat, cheese and butter are the items that have high saturated fats, and thus do affect your body’s cholesterol levels.

  • Myth 4- If one has high cholesterol; they are always able to feel it.

  • Fact- this is a big misconception. In fact, high cholesterol levels show no symptoms on your body. Thus, people are often unaware that they have unhealthy levels of cholesterol. And by the time they find out, it is too late. Thus, it is usually advised to get your cholesterol levels checked every 5 years. This will make sure that you know whether the levels of cholesterol in your body are healthy or are taking an unhealthy turn. If so, you can always consult your doctor and get the right treatments for the same.