Natural Treatments For High Cholesterol
In addition to lifestyle changes and medication, some foods and supplements can help reduce cholesterol levels, research shows. Its important to note that no natural food or supplement has been proven more effective than most cholesterol medications. Talk with your doctor before adding any supplement or alternative treatment to your routine.
Natural products that can be effective in lowering cholesterol include:
- Flaxseed, which studies show may help lower cholesterol when consumed as whole flaxseed or flaxseed lignans. Flaxseed oil has not been shown to have a significant effect on cholesterol levels. Pregnant women should avoid flaxseed as it may cause hormonal changes.
- Garlic supplements, which one study found lowered overall cholesterol and LDL cholesterol by 10% when taken for more than two months.
- Green tea, which may have moderate benefits for reducing overall cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels. However, studies have not shown any effect of green tea on increasing HDL cholesterol.
- Oats, which have consistently been shown to help lower total and LDL cholesterol, particularly in people who start with very high cholesterol levels.
- Soy foods, which have been shown to have a small effect on lowering cholesterol levels.
Honey For Bad Cholesterol
How to reduce bad cholesterol naturally with honey? Yes, Lets start with something sweet, and thats honey. With a sweet taste and easy availability, honey is a perfect home remedy for cholesterol.
Honey comes with loads of minerals and vitamins the antioxidants present in the honey make it the best fighter against cholesterol.
These antioxidants prevent cholesterol from coming out of the blood and entering into the blood vessels linings.
Easy steps
- Take honey and some drinkable water.
- Add one tablespoon of honey to the water.
- You can also add ten drops of apple cider vinegar to it.
- Drink this solution every morning to maintain the cholesterol level.
Alternatively,
- Take grinned cinnamon and a cup of boiled water.
- Now add one tablespoon of grinded cinnamon to the cup of boiled water and mix it.
- Cover it and leave it for thirty minutes.
- Now, strain this solution and add honey.
- Drink it every morning, empty stomach.
Cholesterol Heart Attack And Stroke:
Myth #1: LDL is the cause of plaque buildup.
In 2009, researchers at the University of California in Los Angeles analyzed the medical statistics of 136,905 heart attack patients from 541 hospitals across the U.S.
Incredibly, 75% of those who suffered a heart attack had an LDL cholesterol score below 130 mg/dl , and 50% had a score below 100 mg/dl
Only 25% of those who suffered a heart attack actually had high cholesterol.
So there must be another cause other than a bad LDL level.
Myth #2: Lowering your cholesterol with drugs will prevent heart attack.
Lowering your cholesterol level is not the goal clearing out your arteries is!As studies have proven, Cholestrol lowering drugs cause all kinds of side effects that are often more serious than heart attack and stroke. One of the most serious is . . . It have been proven to cause type 2 diabetes.
For the last 20 years, while cholestrol lowering’s drugs use has been on the rise, new cases of type 2 diabetes have more than doubled.
Here are a few more examples of the serious side effects :
- Nerve damage in the hands and feet
- Muscle aches and pains
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How Is High Cholesterol Diagnosed
All kids should have their cholesterol checked when they’re between 9 and 11 years old and again when they’re between 17 and 21.
Kids over 2 years old should be tested if they:
- have a parent or other close relative with a total cholesterol higher than 240 mg/dL
- have a family history of cardiovascular disease before age 55 in men and age 65 in women
- have some kinds of medical conditions
- are overweight or obese
- have diabetes, high blood pressure, or smoke cigarettes
Your doctor can order a blood test to check your child’s cholesterol. Your child may have to fast before the test.
According to the National Cholesterol Education Program guidelines, the ranges of total and LDL cholesterol for kids and teens 218 years old are:
| Category |
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mg/dL = milligrams per deciliter
Lifestyle Changes To Lower Cholesterol
Heart-healthy lifestyle changes that can help you lower or control your cholesterol include
- Heart-healthy eating. A heart-healthy eating plan limits the amount of saturated and trans fats that you eat. It recommends that you eat and drink only enough calories to stay at a healthy weight and avoid weight gain. It encourages you to choose a variety of nutritious foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats. Examples of eating plans that can lower your cholesterol include the Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes diet and the DASH eating plan.
- Weight Management. If you are overweight, losing weight can help lower your LDL cholesterol. This is especially important for people with metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a group of risk factors that includes high triglyceride levels, low HDL cholesterol levels, and being overweight with a large waist measurement .
- Physical Activity. Everyone should get regular physical activity .
- Managing stress. Research has shown that chronic stress can sometimes raise your LDL cholesterol and lower your HDL cholesterol.
- Quitting smoking.Quitting smoking can raise your HDL cholesterol. Since HDL helps to remove LDL cholesterol from your arteries, having more HDL can help to lower your LDL cholesterol.
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Regular Exercise Is One Of The Most Important Factors In Preventing Heart Disease And It Can Directly Improve Cholesterol Levels
Even just being physically active for a total of 30 minutes most days of the week can positively effect your cholesterol. If you also do at least 30 minutes of heart-rate-raising aerobic exercise 3-4 times a week, youll be strengthening your heart while your bad LDL cholesterol level goes down and your good HDL cholesterol level goes up.
What Is High Cholesterol
High cholesterol is when there’s too much bad cholesterol and/or not enough good cholesterol in your blood.
This picture shows what it looks like if you have low cholesterol, normal cholesterol and bad cholesterol levels.
Sometimes health professionals talk about the terms dyslipidaemia and hyperlipidaemia. Both are clinical terms that mean your levels of cholesterol are outside the normal range.
Symptoms of high cholesterol
You won’t know if you have high cholesterol because it doesn’t usually have symptoms. The only way to know is to have a blood test.
Why does high cholesterol matter?
When your cholesterol is too high it can build up as plaque in your arteries. If the plaque gets too big, or breaks off, it can cause a heart attack and stroke. This risk also increases when your triglycerides are too high.
Your doctor will use the results of your blood test and your other heart attack risk factors to decide whether you need medication to lower your cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
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Foods With Added Sterols And Stanols
Sterols and stanols are plant chemicals which are a similar size and shape to cholesterol. They are absorbed from the intestines into the blood stream and block some cholesterol from being absorbed, lowering the cholesterol in your blood.
We get a small amount of sterols from plant-based foods such as vegetable oils, nuts, seeds, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, but its not enough to lower cholesterol. So, food companies have developed foods with plant sterols or stanols added to them, such as mini yogurt drinks, fat spreads, milk and yogurts.
These fortified foods lower your cholesterol gradually, over a few weeks, and how much depends on the amount you eat. Some experts believe they are the most effective single food for lowering cholesterol.
Who should eat foods with sterols and stanols added?
Sterols and stanols have been thoroughly researched, so they can be added to foods and are safe to eat.
They are suitable for:
- People with high cholesterol theres no real benefit if you dont have high cholesterol.
- Children with inherited high cholesterol such as familial hypercholesterolaemia with support from a doctor or dietitian.
- People taking statins sterols and stanols will help to lower your cholesterol further because they work in a different way to the statin.
They are not suitable for:
Aim for: one to three servings of fortified foods a day. This will give you 1.5 to 3g of stanols and sterols.
Three servings of: OR
- 1 glass of milk
One product a day:
This Ingredient Is The Cause Of Your Cholesterol
Not all fats are created equal. Partially hydrogenated oils, or trans fats, are some of the unhealthiest fats you can eat. The worst type of fats are actually vegetable cooking oils, such as sunflower and safflower oils. Other oxidized oils are butter, coconut oil, olive oil, are almost impossible to oxidize.
Processed foods are also sources of oxidized cholesterol. These include:
My bad cholesterol level had dropped from over 200 to below 100, and my good cholesterol had spiked. All without medication! – Scott Davis
DISCLAIMER : Please note that the result of this program is not typical and will be vary between people. Always consult your physician before you start this program.
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How Can I Treat High Cholesterol
- Eat garlic. Garlic has been shown to decrease cholesterol levels by a few points. Be careful, however, there are some interactions with medications.
- Red yeast rice has been found to lower cholesterol.
- Fiber is a great way to lower cholesterol. Up your intake of veggies, fruits, legumes and unrefined grains to up your fiber intake.
- Soy beans and soy proteins have been shown to prevent coronary heart disease!
- Omega-3s, found in salmon, tuna, and other cold water fish help to decrease the rate at which the liver produces LDL cholesterol and triglycerides.
- Exercise regularly.
- Eat a healthy diet full of whole grains, veggies and fruits.
- Limit your intake of saturated fats.
- Eat nuts! Though theyre high in fat and calories, theyre high in good fats and help to fight against LDL.
- Take a glass of green tea a day to help lower LDL cholesterol.
- One to two glasses of alcohol a day may help to increase HDL or good cholesterol.
Symptoms Of High Cholesterol
Often, there are no specific symptoms of high cholesterol. You could have high cholesterol and not know it.
If you have high cholesterol, your body may store the extra cholesterol in your arteries. These are blood vessels that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body. A buildup of cholesterol in your arteries is known as plaque. Over time, plaque can become hard and make your arteries narrow. Large deposits of plaque can completely block an artery. Cholesterol plaques can also break apart, leading to formation of a blood clot that blocks the flow of blood.
A blocked artery to the heart can cause a heart attack. A blocked artery to your brain can cause a stroke.
Many people dont discover that they have high cholesterol until they suffer one of these life-threatening events. Some people find out through routine check-ups that include blood tests.
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If Lifestyle Changes Arent Enough
Take medications, if you need to, to lower your cholesterol into healthy ranges. Drugs like statins can be very effective, says Dr. Danine Fruge, MD, ABFP – Medical Director at the Pritikin Longevity Center, but do continue in your efforts to eat well and exercise because a healthy lifestyle can give you far, far more than drugs alone.
With a healthy living program like Pritikin, youre not only reducing cholesterol quickly, youre also creating changes throughout your body that can profoundly improve your overall well-being. Youre reducing blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Other heart disease risk factors like triglyceride fats are also dropping dramatically. Youre also reducing inflammatory factors that sicken arteries. Youre shedding excess weight. And, quite simply, youre feeling better, much better. Many of our guests at Pritikin tell us, I had no idea I could feel this good again.
Can any pill or combination of pills do all of the above? I highly doubt it. But a healthy lifestyle like Pritikin can.
Triglycerides In Your Blood
In addition to cholesterol, your blood also contains a type of fat called triglycerides, which are stored in your bodys fat deposits. Hormones release triglycerides to make energy between meals.
When you eat, your body converts any extra energy it doesnt need right away into triglycerides.
Like cholesterol, your body needs triglycerides to work properly. However, there is evidence to suggest that some people with high triglycerides are at increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
If you regularly eat more energy than you need, you may have high triglycerides .
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Eat A Variety Of Healthy Proteins
The best choices of protein are fish and seafood, legumes , nuts and seeds. You can eat smaller amounts of eggs and lean poultry but limit red meat to 1-3 times a week.
Flavour foods with herbs and spices rather than salt, and avoid processed foods as these contain a lot of salt too. Salt can lead to high blood pressure, which can increase your risk of heart disease.
Becoming More Physically Active
A sedentary lifestyle lowers HDL cholesterol. Less HDL means theres less good cholesterol to remove bad cholesterol from your arteries.
Physical activity is important. At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week is enough to lower both cholesterol and high blood pressure. And you have lots of options: brisk walking, swimming, bicycling or even yard work can fit the bill.
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Saturated And Unsaturated Fat
There are 2 main types of fat: saturated and unsaturated. Eating too many foods high in saturated fat can raise the level of cholesterol in your blood.
Most people in the UK eat too much saturated fat.
Foods high in saturated fat include:
- meat pies
- cakes and biscuits
- foods containing coconut or palm oil
Eating foods that contain unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat can actually help reduce cholesterol levels.
Try to replace foods containing saturated fats with small amounts of foods high in unsaturated fats, such as:
- oily fish such as mackerel and salmon
- nuts such as almonds and cashews
- seeds such as sunflower and pumpkin seeds
- avocados
- vegetable oils and spreads such as rapeseed or vegetable oil, sunflower, olive, corn and walnut oils
What Is The Difference Between Good Cholesterol And Bad Cholesterol
Good cholesterol is known as high-density lipoprotein . It removes cholesterol from the bloodstream. Low-density lipoprotein is the bad cholesterol.
If your total cholesterol level is high because of a high LDL level, you may be at higher risk of heart disease or stroke. But, if your total cholesterol level is high only because of a high HDL level, youre probably not at higher risk.
Triglycerides are another type of fat in your blood. When you eat more calories than your body can use, it turns the extra calories into triglycerides.
Changing your lifestyle can improve your cholesterol levels, lower LDL and triglycerides, and raise HDL.
Your ideal cholesterol level will depend on your risk for heart disease.
- Total cholesterol level less than 200 is best, but it depends on your HDL and LDL levels.
- LDL cholesterol levels less than 130 is best, but this depends on your risk for heart disease.
- HDL cholesterol levels 60 or higher reduces your risk for heart disease.
- Triglycerides less than 150 milligrams per deciliter is best.
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How Is Cholesterol Measured
Most people with high cholesterol feel perfectly well and often have no symptoms. The best way to find out if your cholesterol is high is to have a blood test .
Visit your GP to determine whether you need to lower your cholesterol level and what action to take.
GPs can also do a heart health check, that calculates your heart disease and stroke risk.
Apple For Bad Cholesterol
Can apples help lower cholesterol? Full of flavonoids, apple is one of the best simple home remedies for high cholesterol levels. You can keep enjoying this fruit and keep your lungs healthy. This fruit is rich in pectin and contains natural antioxidants known as flavonoids. Also, The skin of an apple is full of fiber.
I suggest eating fruits with their skin. Other fruits like grapes, pomegranate oranges also decrease cholesterol levels in our body as they are enriched with fibers.
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Will Stopping Smoking Lower My Cholesterol
If you’re a smoker you might already know you should stop if you have high cholesterol. Smoking increases bad cholesterol and lowers good cholesterol, increasing your risk of heart attacks and stroke.
- If youre struggling to stop smoking, talking to your GP is a great first step, or if youre in England you can call the NHS Stop Smoking Service on 0300 123 1044.
- There are also free services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
These services will be able to give you useful advice on how to deal with cravings and gradually stop smoking.
Find out more about what smoking does to your body.
Coconut Oil For Bad Cholesterol
Even though being a saturated fat, coconut oil is considered a working remedy for controlling cholesterol levels. Coconut oil is enriched with lauric acid, which helps increase the HDL or good cholesterol level.
There is no particular step for using coconut oil to decrease the cholesterol level add organic coconut oil to your diet. This will help you manage your cholesterol.
Note- Dont use refined coconut oil.
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