Can alcohol cause high cholesterol?

Alcohol: Alcohol will not raise your cholesterol but can affect your liver.

Sometimes: Actually, low doses of alcohol (1-2 drinks/day in men, 1 drink/day in women), and especially if the drink is red wine, actually raises the good cholesterol. If the good cholesterol (HDL) goes way up, that can raise total cholesterol, but if the bad cholesterol (ldl) remains less than 180 or so, the overall effect on health is positive. Exercise and health eating is a better way raise hdl.

Mostly triglycerides: While modest amounts of alcohol are ok (1 drink per day for women and 1-2 drinks per day for men), larger quantities should not be consumed. These modest amounts of alcohol can raise HDL (good) cholesterol but these amounts, and certainly higher quantities, can raise the level of triglycerides. There is also a substantial caloric penalty with alcohol consumption so be careful. Best of luck!