When trying to lose weight and improve their health, many people choose to try a low-carb diet. If you end up eating a lot of saturated fat, that can raise your LDL cholesterol levels. MacKenna adds that people with less body fat more commonly experience high increases in LDL cholesterol while following a low-carb diet. That sparks the release of adipocyte free fatty acids, a type of fat that can raise LDL cholesterol, MacKenna says. How to navigate a low-carb diet if you’re predisposed to high cholesterolIt’s still possible to follow a low-carb diet if high cholesterol is in your genes, Dr. Daibes says.