Seasonal changes may have effects on cholesterol. Studies have shown that with the changing of the seasons, cholesterol levels have a correlation.
The University of Massachusetts Medical Center conducted a report in which they studied 517 men and women over the course of a year. The report revealed that cholesterol levels were higher in the winter season and lower in the summer season.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like compound that belongs to a class of molecules called steroids. Cholesterol forms and maintains cell membranes and is used in the formation of sex hormones. Cholesterol is also used to digest food.
The American Heart Association recommends that a person limit their intake of cholesterol to 300 milligrams per day. A person’s body will make the necessary cholesterol to survive, approximately 85 percent. The other 15 percent comes from diet.
Within the report from the University of Massachusetts, warmer weather in the summer months contributes to more activity among the general population, which in turn will lower cholesterol.
High Cholesterol is responsible for 70 percent of heart disease and is the leading killer of both men and women after the age of 45.
Factors that contribute to cholesterol include diet, age, weight, gender, genetics, diseases, and lifestyle. It is quite possible for a person with a healthy diet to have high cholesterol due to their genetic makeup. Likewise it is possible for a person with an unhealthy diet to maintain a low cholesterol level. There are many variables that factor into a person’s cholesterol level.
Posted to the web by Lauren Joseph
