Nowhere is this more obvious than in controlling cholesterol. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in American men and women with high cholesterol being a major risk factor.
Options abound for lowering cholesterol through lifestyle, diet, supplements, and drugs.
Smoking and other stresses tend to increase LDL and decrease HDL levels, while regular aerobic exercise is associated with lower LDL and higher HDL levels. Excessive dietary saturated fat is the leading cause of elevated cholesterol. It fuels cholesterol production, and stalls its emission from the body. Unsaturated fat consumption enhances cholesterol elimination from the body, and its degradation into bile salts, lowering total cholesterol. The AHA notes that genetics play a crucial role.