By Reed Mangels, PhD, RD

A reader wrote to The Vegetarian Resource Group asking if the ideas we suggested in Vegan Journal about lowering LDL cholesterol would work for someone who has high cholesterol caused by genetics. We thought that was a great question and wanted to share our response.

Cholesterol is a fat-like substance that our bodies need for good health. It is produced by the liver and can also come from foods. Foods that are high in cholesterol include egg yolks, shellfish, and liver. Even if your diet does not contain cholesterol, your liver is able to make all the cholesterol that you need. Our bodies need cholesterol to make cell membranes and many hormones.

Cholesterol is transported in our blood by lipoproteins. Cholesterol that is transported by a low-density lipoprotein (LDL) is sometimes called “bad” cholesterol. High levels of LDL cholesterol can cause fatty deposits, called plaque, to build up in the arteries. This can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke. High LDL cholesterol is often due to unhealthy lifestyle habits such as eating excess saturated fat and not getting enough exercise. Genes inherited from your parents can also cause high LDL cholesterol and high total cholesterol.

There is a condition called familial hypercholesterolemia which is a genetic disorder that causes high LDL cholesterol levels and affects about 1 in 250 people. For those with familial hypercholesterolemia, diet and exercise are not likely to lower cholesterol in the blood to a healthy level. It’s still important to exercise and eat a healthy diet if you have familial hypercholesterolemia, but medications are typically needed to help control cholesterol levels according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). If you are wondering if you have familial hypercholesterolemia, you could have your LDL cholesterol level checked. According to the CDC, one of the main signs of familial hypercholesterolemia is LDL cholesterol levels over 190 mg/dL in adults.

Someone with familial hypercholesterolemia could be on a diet completely free of cholesterol but their body would continue to over-produce LDL cholesterol which would appear in the blood and would increase the risk of heart disease and stroke

To read more about cholesterol and heart health see:

How Much Cholesterol Do I Need?

Heart Healthy Diets: The Vegetarian Way

Puzzling Nutrition Information on Food Labels – Cholesterol in Vegan Foods?

Cholesterol in Plants?

The contents of this posting, our website, and our other publications, including Vegetarian Journal and Vegan Journal, are not intended to provide personal medical advice. Medical advice should be obtained from a qualified health professional. We often depend on product and ingredient information from company statements. It is impossible to be 100% sure about a statement, info can change, people have different views, and mistakes can be made. Please use your best judgment about whether a product is suitable for you. To be sure, do further research or confirmation on your own.