How To Lower Your Cholesterol And Triglycerides

Choose Healthy Fats Over Saturated Fats

Another way to lower triglycerides and cholesterol naturally is by eating healthy fats. Omega-3 fatty acids lower triglycerides and bad cholesterol by increasing fat metabolism, according to the AHA. Omega-3 fatty acids are found in oily fish, such as salmon and herring, olive oil, and dietary supplements. For people with high triglycerides, the AHA recommends prescription-strength omega-3 fatty acid supplements at a dose of 4 grams per day, although its still best to get it from foods. Saturated fats, which come mainly from meat sources, should be limited to no more than 5 to 6 percent of your total daily calories, and your daily intake of cholesterol should be no more than 300 mg, according to the AHA.

Add More Fiber To Your Diet

Fiber is the part of your food that isnt digested, and its important because it helps you feel full. According to a study published in February 2019 in the journal Current Developments in Nutrition, dietary fiber can reduce the risk of high triglycerides in young to middle-aged adults who are overweight or obese. In general, fiber-rich foods also have carbohydrate content that is more complex and can lead to more gradual absorption by the body, which can also help temper the triglyceride increase that occurs after meals, says Michael Wesley Milks, MD, a cardiologist and assistant professor of clinical medicine at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. Fiber is found in whole grains and nutrient-rich foods such as fruits and vegetables.

Get Your Fill Of Fiber

Reduce LDL Cholesterol Naturally !!!

Ideally, you should be getting 25 to 35 grams of fiber a day, says Dr. Cho. Fiber binds to cholesterol and eliminates it from your body. To increase your fiber intake, eat more whole grains, legumes like beans and lentils, vegetables and fruits. You should be getting a good mix of both soluble fibers, which are more beneficial for cholesterol, and insoluble fibers, which are better for your gut health. Getting enough fiber also reduces your risk of diseases, prevents constipation and keeps you feeling full for longer.

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You Can Begin Lowering Cholesterol Naturally Today

Sound like a lot to take on? Dont be intimidated. Bringing down your high cholesterol doesnt have to mean changing your life completely. Rather, start with changing your mindset. Instead of thinking of it as moving away from things, youre moving toward new habits that will help you create a healthier and more enjoyable future.

Now is always the right time to start taking care of your heart health. If you need a little support, lean on friends and family. And dont forget that your doctor is always there for you with advice, motivation and encouragement so you can reach your goals and live healthier.

Dont delay getting the heart care and answers you need

Reduce Your Intake Of Saturated And Trans Fats

Adopt and follow a healthy diet thats low in saturated and trans fats. A diet high in these fats can raise levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Saturated fat is usually solid at room temperature. Its found in animal products such as meat and dairy, but also in palm oil, coconut oil and full-cream milk. Read more about saturated fat-rich foods here.

Trans fats are found in store-bought baked goods, snack foods and deep-fried foods. There is strong evidence that trans fats increase levels of LDL cholesterol in the blood, while decreasing levels of HDL cholesterol.

Some foods contain cholesterol . Foods that contain cholesterol include liver, pate, kidneys, prawns and egg yolks. These types of food are not usually eaten in large quantities, so its OK to include them in your diet in small amounts.

Foods that contain saturated fats have a greater effect on blood cholesterol levels than foods that contain dietary cholesterol.

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Understanding The Highs And Lows Of Cholesterol

You know that too much is dangerous. But what is cholesterol, anyway? Where does it come from? And is it all bad?

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that is found in every cell in the body. Its either made by the body or absorbed from food. Your body needs cholesterol to make important steroid hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and vitamin D. Its also used to make bile acids in the liver these absorb fat during digestion.

So some cholesterol is necessary but bad cholesterol is something you can do without. Excess bad cholesterol in the bloodstream can deposit into the bodys arteries. These deposits are called plaques and result in atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries. This is the major cause of heart attacks, strokes and other vascular problems.

Your total cholesterol level is a measure of the total amount of cholesterol circulating in your bloodstream, which includes several components:

• LDL cholesterol: LDL stands for low-density lipoprotein. This is known as the bad cholesterol, which directly contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries. Very low density lipoprotein, or VLDL cholesterol, is another type, which is a precursor to LDL.
• Total cholesterol is VLDL cholesterol plus LDL cholesterol plus HDL cholesterol.
• HDL cholesterol: HDL stands for high-density lipoprotein. Experts think at optimal levels it might help the body get rid of LDL cholesterol.

And guess what? This buildup can start as early as your 20s.

Tips To Cut Your Cholesterol Fast

If you have high cholesterol, youâre also at higher risk for heart disease. But the good news is, itâs a risk you can control. You can lower your âbadâ LDL cholesterol and raise your âgoodâ HDL cholesterol. You just have to make some simple changes.

âI tell patients that you have to start somewhere and just keep going,â says Suzanne Steinbaum, DO, an attending cardiologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. âAs you adopt lifestyle changes, everything starts shifting, and the improvements you see at 6 weeks often increase by 3 months.â

Lifestyle isn’t everything — your genes matter, too. You still may need to take medicine to get your cholesterol back on track. But your daily habits do help. if you make just a few simple changes, you might be able to lower your medication dose and chance of side effects.

Follow these tips to cut your cholesterol and improve your health.

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Consult A Doctor For Your Ldl Hdl Ratio Problem

High LDL HDL ratio and low Triglycerides can be caused by a lot of reasons. If you take LDL HDL ratio and Triglycerides blood tests and the results are higher than 3 Ratio for LDL HDL ratio and lower than 0 mg/dL for Triglycerides, your physician may recommend more tests to figure out the problem. You might also get these tests if your physician thinks you have some other disease.

What About The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean diet is an eating plan that improves cholesterol and lowers your risk of dying early. A big change for most people is to use olive oil instead of other fats and oils. Other parts of the Mediterranean diet include:

• Eating less red meat, dairy products, eggs, and poultry

• Eating more fish, tree nuts, vegetables, and whole grains

• Drinking wine in moderation.

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How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally In 28 Simple Steps

By Rachael Link, MS, RD

There are tons of natural remedies out there for how to lower cholesterol levels, often promising quick results with next to no effort required on your part. But while its true that there are tons of options to keep cholesterol levels in check, it can actually be as simple as swapping out a few foods in your diet for healthier options, switching up your workout routine or adding a supplement or two into the mix.

Ready to get started? Lets take a look at 28 simple methods for how to lower cholesterol and how it can impact your health.

Why Do I Have To Fast

Nutrients in food and drinks go into your bloodstream and can change things measured by the tests, skewing your results.

For instance, if you eat or drink before a fasting blood glucose test, your blood sugar probably will be higher than if you hadn’t had anything. When you’re fasting, doctors get a baseline result so tests can be compared to give a true picture of your sugar levels over time.

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Healthy Fats Can Help Lower Cholesterol

Replace unhealthy fats, such as saturated and trans fats, with monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. To eat more omega-3 fats, include fatty fish, flaxseed or ground flax, and walnuts in your eating plan. The oils that contain omega-3 fats are olive and canola oils. The ADA recommends eating two servings of omega-3-rich fish per week as part of a heart-healthy diet. The oils high in omega-6 fats are corn, soybean, and sunflower oils.

Eat less of these unhealthful fats:

— Saturated fat: The biggest food contributor to elevated LDL cholesterol is saturated fat. To remedy the cause-and-effect relationship between saturated fat and LDL, the ADA recommends limiting saturated-fat intake to less than 7 percent of your daily calories. So if you’re trying to eat no more than 2,000 calories a day, that would mean eating no more than 140 calories from saturated fat daily, or 15 grams of saturated fat.

— Trans fat: The ADA also recommends avoiding foods that contain trans fat. Although many restaurants and manufacturers advertise products as having zero trans fat, if the ingredients include shortening, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, or hydrogenated vegetable oil, the food likely contains trans fat. Labels are not required to list trans fat if the total is less than 0.5 grams per serving. Eating multiple servings of such foods means trans-fat intake can add up.

Why Lowering High Triglyceride Levels Matters

The national guidelines for fasting triglyceride levels in healthy adults are:

• Normal: Under 150 milligrams per deciliter .
• Borderline High: 151200 mg/dl.
• High: 201499 mg/dl.
• Very High: 500 mg/dl or higher.

When your triglyceride levels are high and you have a high amount of LDL cholesterol or a low amount of HDL cholesterol, all of this could contribute to the development of fatty buildups within the artery walls of the heart. The buildup can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke.

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What Are The Benefits Of Consuming Cholesterol

Cholesterol-lowering snacks are rich in fiber, which helps lower cholesterol levels. They are also low in saturated fat and contain healthy unsaturated fats instead. This helps reduce heart disease risk. They are filled with nutrient-dense ingredients, such as vegetables, whole grains, and beans, which protect heart health in general (

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Natural Ways To Lower Your Cholesterol Levels

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Cholesterol is made in your liver and has many important functions. For example, it helps keep the walls of your cells flexible and is needed to make several hormones.

However, like anything in the body, too much cholesterol creates concerns.

Like fat, cholesterol does not dissolve in water. Instead, to move around the body, it depends on molecules called lipoproteins. These carry cholesterol, fat, and fat-soluble vitamins in your blood.

Different kinds of lipoproteins have different effects on health. For example, high levels of low-density lipoprotein results in cholesterol deposits in blood vessel walls, which can lead to (

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How To Lower Triglycerides And Cholesterol Naturally

Your genes, diet, and lifestyle all affect your triglyceride and cholesterol levels. Some people naturally produce more triglycerides and cholesterol than others. This is based on their genetics and family history. Still, these levels are just part of your overall lipid levels, and lifestyle changes are one of the best ways to keep your numbers within a healthy range.

First Things First: Know Your Numbers

One tricky thing about high cholesterol: It doesnt come with symptoms. So youll miss it if youre not looking for it.

People should expect that they may have high cholesterol, no matter the age, and should have a blood test to check cholesterol, says Connie Newman, M.D., an endocrinologist and adjunct professor of medicine at NYUs Grossman School of Medicine.

Your annual exam is a great time to check these levels. If you have diabetes, or if it turns out that your cholesterol is too high, youll likely need to get tested more often.

Ask your primary care physician to run a full lipid profile. This tests for a few things, including the two different types of cholesterol low-density lipoprotein , or bad cholesterol, which can lead to plaque buildup in the arteries and high-density lipoprotein , or good cholesterol, which helps your liver get rid of cholesterol and can actually lower your risk for heart attack and stroke. The blood test will also check your triglycerides a type of fat in the blood that your body uses for energy and your total cholesterol.

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Even when they have a controlled diet, they see that theres just this natural tendency … not by a lot, you know, maybe 5 percent. But it could be noticeable.

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Mediterranean Breakfast Burrata Platter

This unique breakfast recipe has everything you could want for a cholesterol-lowering meal. The fiber from the whole grain bread, as well as the nutrients from the pumpkin seeds, butternut squash, and microgreens, make for an extremely healthy and fun morning option.

Get our recipe for this Burrata Platter.

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What Is A Good Tg: Hdl Ratio

A lower TG/HDL is better. In the discussion of science, studies, and treatment, there has been a tendency to go with higher ratios to show the largest impact on CV disease risk and death.

Here are the typical cut points for risk :

• In US less than 2 is ideal above 4 is too high
• In Europe less than 0.87 is ideal above 1.74 is too high

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Substitute Healthy Oils In Place Of Butter And Margarine

Of course, its not always realistic to avoid fats when youre whipping up a tasty meal. When you do need to add fat for cooking, baking or pan frying, use healthy oils instead of solid fats, like butter, margarine, shortening and lard.

Solid fats are high in saturated fats, but oils are high in unsaturated fats, which remember are better for you. The American Heart Association recommends using oils that have less than 4 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon .

Many times, its easy to swap a solid fat to a healthier one. Try using olive oil, sunflower oil or grapeseed oil in place of a solid fat.

For example, if youd rather use olive oil than butter, substitute three quarters the amount of butter in a recipe with olive oil. You might also bring out some new, surprising, subtle flavors, too.

The Effects Of Alcohol On Triglycerides And Ldl

Moderate alcohol intake can increase HDL cholesterol, and that’s a plus. It also might increase insulin sensitivity and cause other positive health responses. The recommendation for alcohol use is mild or moderate consumption. Using alcohol in moderation is considered one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.

Note: The beneficial effects of alcohol are not great enough to endorse the use of alcohol if you do not already drink. Talk with your health care provider about the pluses and minuses of alcohol for you and your health.

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Which Foods To Avoid

Avoid alcohol, added sugars, refined carbohydrates and saturated fat. Alcohol is known to increase triglyceride levels which can lead to cardiovascular disease . Added sugars are also high in calories and cause insulin resistance, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease . Refined carbs and saturated fats both contribute to higher blood triglyceride levels which over time will contribute to plaque buildup in the circulatory system and heart disease.

Filtered Coffee Is A Better Choice

A study published in 2018 tracked how much coffee people 18 to 24 drank in the course of a week and compared it to their cholesterol levels. The researchers found that the more espresso-based drinks the participants drank, the higher their cholesterol.

Espresso is brewed by having hot water shot directly into fine coffee grounds, rather than dripping slowly through a filter the way most household coffee makers do it. The result is coffee that has higher levels of the two cholesterol-raising compounds. Other similar methods where grinds and water come in direct contact include boiled coffee, coffee made from French-presses, Turkish coffee, and the increasingly popular pour-over method.

On the other hand, filters like the kind used in your local diner or your house in the morning reduce the amount of those oils in the coffee. The researchers concluded that their results are important, given how much coffee Americans enjoy, and that more research needs to be done. Commenting on the research, experts recommended that those folks who want to lower or prevent high cholesterol stick to filtered coffee.

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