Why Is My Cholesterol High Even Though I Hardly Eat Oily Food? Cardiologist Lists Out Reasons

It is believed that eating oily, fatty, and processed food causes high cholesterol. But what if someone follows a clean diet and yet is diagnosed with high cholesterol?

The answer is that high cholesterol is not simply caused by eating oily food. Your body makes most of its cholesterol itself, mainly in the liver. Diet is important, but several other factors can raise cholesterol, including genetics, age, body weight, physical activity and certain health conditions.

Understanding these factors can help explain why your cholesterol may be high despite eating relatively little oily food.

It Is Not Just About How Much Oil You Eat

When people think about cholesterol, they often think about fried food and visible oil. However, the type of fat in your diet matters more than whether food looks oily.

Explaining further, Dr Deebanshu Gupta, Interventional Cardiologist at Sarvodya Hospital, Jalandhar, says, “Saturated fat can raise LDL cholesterol, often called ‘bad’ cholesterol. It is found in foods such as butter, ghee, cheese, fatty meat, sausages, cream and some biscuits, cakes and pastries. Coconut and palm oil are also high in saturated fat.”

This means you could eat very little fried food but still consume a significant amount of saturated fat.

For example, a diet containing plenty of cheese, full-fat dairy products, butter or processed meat may affect cholesterol even if you rarely eat chips or fried snacks.

Your Liver Makes Cholesterol Naturally

Here is the part many people do not realise: your body needs cholesterol.

Cholesterol is used by your cells and is involved in making hormones, vitamin D and bile. Your liver produces cholesterol and also helps remove excess cholesterol from your blood.

Therefore, eating less oily food does not automatically mean your blood cholesterol will be low.

Your cholesterol level reflects a combination of what your body produces, how efficiently it removes cholesterol, and other factors affecting your metabolism.

Also Read: Why Is Cholesterol Higher After Age 40?

Genetics Can Play a Major Role

Sometimes, high cholesterol has little to do with your lifestyle.

One important inherited condition is familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). People with FH have a genetic change that makes it harder for the liver to remove LDL cholesterol from the blood. As a result, LDL levels can be very high, often from an early age.

According to a study published in the American Heart Association Journal, FH affects around 1 in 250 people in the UK, although many people do not know they have it.

You may need to discuss inherited cholesterol with your doctor if your cholesterol is particularly high, especially if close relatives have had heart attacks or strokes at a relatively young age.

A Healthy Diet Does Not Cancel Out Other Risk Factors

Your cholesterol can also be influenced by factors that are not directly related to oily food.

Getting older can increase cholesterol levels. Being physically inactive, having excess weight, particularly around the waist, and smoking can also contribute to an unhealthy cholesterol profile. Men are more likely to develop high cholesterol at a younger age, while cholesterol risk can increase after the menopause.

This does not mean that being slim, active or a non-smoker guarantees healthy cholesterol. It simply means that cholesterol is affected by several different factors.

Also Read: Can Garlic Reduce Cholesterol Naturally? Know What a Dietitian Says

Certain Health Conditions Can Raise Cholesterol

High cholesterol can sometimes be a sign of another health problem.

Conditions associated with raised cholesterol include an underactive thyroid, type 2 diabetes, kidney disease and liver disease.

If your cholesterol is high despite a healthy lifestyle, your doctor may consider whether an underlying condition could be contributing to the result.

This is one reason it is important not to assume that you simply need to remove more oil from your diet.

Are Sugar and Carbohydrates Also Important?

Yes, particularly when it comes to triglycerides, another type of fat measured in a blood test.

A diet high in sugary foods and drinks and refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, white rice, pastries and low-fibre cereals, can contribute to unhealthy blood fat levels. Excess weight and too much alcohol can also raise triglycerides.

So looking only at the amount of oil you eat may give you an incomplete picture of your diet.

What Should You Do If Your Cholesterol Is High?

Instead of simply trying to eat a completely fat-free diet, focus on the type of fat you eat. We have curated this list as per the guidelines shared by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH).

• Try replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats. For example, use vegetable or olive oil instead of butter, choose lower-fat dairy products and include foods such as nuts, seeds, vegetables, wholegrains, beans and oily fish.
• Increasing fibre, particularly from foods such as oats, barley, beans, fruit and vegetables, can also help lower cholesterol.
• Regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight and not smoking can also help improve your overall heart health.

However, lifestyle changes are not always enough. Some people need cholesterol-lowering medicine, particularly when their cholesterol is very high, they have an inherited condition, or their overall risk of heart disease or stroke is high. Statins are the most commonly used cholesterol-lowering medicines.

Final Word

High cholesterol does not necessarily mean you are eating too much oily food. Your body makes cholesterol naturally, while genetics, saturated fat, age, activity levels, weight and certain medical conditions can all influence your blood results. If your cholesterol remains high despite making healthy choices, do not blame yourself or simply cut out more oil. Instead, ask your doctor to look at your full cholesterol profile and overall cardiovascular risk. If necessary, they can also investigate possible underlying conditions or inherited high cholesterol.