Will drinking alcohol raise my cholesterol levels?

If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels you may be
wondering if some foods and beverages can increase them more than
others, and if so whether you should include or exclude them from your
diet. Many people are of the impression that alcohol can raise
cholesterol levels and impact a person’s health in a number of ways.
The good news is, however, that moderate drinking appears to have no
effect on cholesterol levels.

If you drink alcohol in moderate amounts – generally defined as one
drink a day for a woman and two for a man (is there no justice?) – you
will statistically exhibit no change in cholesterol levels, whereas
people drinking in excess of these levels have been shown to exhibit
an increase in cholesterol as well as triglycerides.

Alcohol can produce an increase in the good (HDL) cholesterol in the
blood, but drinking as little as 3 to 5 alcoholic drinks per day can
be associated with negative health effects. HDL cholesterol is more
protein than fat, and this helps clear the bad cholesterol from your
blood so it does not clog your arteries. A high level of HDL
cholesterol can therefore reduce the risk of suffering from a heart
attack, and one of the best ways to lower cholesterol naturally is to
make certain dietary changes.

To read more about the effects of alcohol on your cholesterol levels visit Low Cholesterol Foods.