It was said previously that cholesterol can only adhere to the inner lining of the artery if it has been damaged. How does that harm come about? Evidence points to free radical damage as being one of the causes of arterial wall damage. Free radicals are found all around us. They are highly reactive substances like polluted air, radiation, tobacco smoke, herbicides, and also naturally within our own bodies as an offshoot of common metabolic processes.

Free radicals attack and harm cells altering ordinary cell activity. You see it surrounding you each day causing metal to rust and fruit to go bad. This is why we take anti-oxidants like vitamins c, e, beta-carotene and selenium, to counter the attack of free radicals.

Heredity additionally plays a part in high cholesterol. Your genes can influence your ldl by affecting how rapid it is made and removed from your blood. There is one specific form of inherited high cholesterol that will frequently lead to premature heart disease. It is called familial