What Can You Take Naturally To Lower Your Cholesterol

How To Lower Cholesterol

The best way to lower cholesterol is naturally, otherwise you will depend on a pill to regulate cholesterol your whole life.

Cholesterol is a fat that the body needs to function properly, thats why our own body makes it.;It is known as;endogenous cholesterol;.;All that cholesterol that we ingest through our diet is;exogenous cholesterol;.;But too much cholesterol can make you more likely to get heart disease, stroke, and other problems.

The medical term for high blood cholesterol levels is lipid disorder, hyperlipidemia, or;hypercholesterolemia;.

To lower cholesterol there must be a change in habits, the first thing to change is diet, these changes in diet always manage to lower cholesterol levels naturally, if for some reason these changes fail to lower cholesterol ideally It is to evaluate you with a cardiologist who will decide whether or not you should take medications for its control.

Having high blood cholesterol levels is something more common every day.;Maybe not at extreme levels but above 200 mg / dL, which is the maximum recommended for good cardiovascular health.;It should be noted that this value corresponds to total cholesterol and that within this we must differentiate between;good cholesterol;or HDL and;;bad cholesterol;or LDL, whose recommended levels are:

5;Conclusion

Guide For Lowering Cholesterol Naturally

The complete Pritikin Program for lowering cholesterol with little or no medication. Includes recipes and 5-day meal plan. The Ultimate Guide for Lowering LDL Cholesterol Naturally

If your LDL levels are still too high after trying these 6 nutrition-based approaches, talk to your doctor about cholesterol-lowering medications like statins, but give these 6 tips your best shot, encourages Dr. Danine Fruge, MD, ABFP, Medical Director at the Pritikin Longevity Center. The right eating plan, like Pritikin, can be powerfully beneficial and there are no adverse side effects.

How To Incorporate More Walking Into Your Routine And Lower Cholesterol

• Make exercise part of your normal routine. Ditch the car, and walk, cycle, or take public transport, when you can.
• If you need to drive, park further away and walk a bit further to your final destination.
• Dont sit at the computer for hours on end get up once an hour and move, for example, go up and down the stairs 10 times.
• Have meetings standing up. When you take phone calls, stand up and walk up and down instead of sitting still.
• Walk in your lunch break dont just sit at your desk or on the sofa.
• Take 2 or 3 short walks per day, maybe 10 minutes before breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• Join up with a friend for a walk, or maybe join a walking group. Make walking fun.
• Sign up for a walking charitable event and get in training.
• Walk a dog.
• Get a pedometer and aim for a minimum of 10,000 steps per day.;

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How Long Does It Take To Lower Cholesterol

Everyones path to lower cholesterol may end up slightly different, so it should come as no surprise to learn that the amount of time it takes to see a decrease in LDL and total cholesterol can vary from person to person. Diet and exercise can take three to six months to achieve lasting results, though they have additional benefits that can kick in much sooner.

Some people may see lower cholesterol levels in just a matter of weeks. The common thread here is that it wont happen overnight, but its also a journey that wont take years to complete, and like all factors in heart health under your control, its one well worth starting at any time.

How To Lower Cholesterol By Losing Weight

It can be confusing as there are so many weight-loss diets to choose from, but the key to success is to realise that changing your diet to lose weight needs to be a permanent way of life, not just following a fad diet for a few weeks. One option is the Mediterranean Diet.

Medical studies have shown that following the Mediterranean Diet will reduce LDL cholesterol by 10% and raise HDL cholesterol by 5%. Some studies also show reductions in triglycerides and total cholesterol.

The Mediterranean Diet is a well balanced, varied, nutritious, delicious diet, full of fresh fruit and vegetables, lean meat, fish, healthy unsaturated fats, nuts, and seeds. In studies of those who are obese, following the Mediterranean Diet has been shown to lower BMI and reduce visceral fat.

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Increase Your Intake Of Vitamin C

Vitamin is an antioxidant that is naturally present in some foods. Notable among the numerous benefits of Vitamin C are helping to repair and regenerate tissues, protecting against heart diseases and decreasing bad cholesterol. Vitamin C helps protect the arteries against damage. As an antioxidant, it can also help to reduce inflammation. You should consider taking the following sources of vitamin C on a daily basis;

• Citrus fruits e.g oranges, lemons, grapefruit etc
• Strawberries
• Papaya

How To Swap Unhealthy Fats For Healthy Fats

• Choose to buy foods containing healthy fats such as olive oil, or other unsaturated fats.
• Read the product labels. Green and amber colour codes are used for low and medium saturated fat content.
• What is low fat? For each 100g of food, low fat is 3 g or less. Low saturated fat is 1.5 g or less.
• What is high fat? For each 100g of fat, 17.5 g or more is high-fat. 5g or more is high-saturated fat.
• Cook with small amounts of healthy fat such as 1-calorie olive oil cooking spray.
• Boil, bake, steam, or grill, using small amounts of healthy fat only.
• Cut the fat off meat before you cook it and get rid of the skin. Use the best quality, leanest meat you can find. If you use cooking oil from a bottle, measure out your cooking oil so you use no more than a teaspoon.
• Bulk-out recipes with vegetables, beans, and pulses.
• Look for healthy alternatives. You can swap standard chocolate brownies for example for healthy chocolate and avocado brownies, made with avocado instead of butter.
• Use plant-based spreads on bread rather than butter.
• Choose skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, and low-fat yoghurts.
• Avoid high-fat takeaway foods, often containing fatty meat, high-fat cheese, sauces, and fried accompaniments such as chips and fried rice.
• Avoid biscuits, cakes, and chocolates choose healthy snacks such as fruit and nuts instead.

;For more information

• NHS How to eat less saturated fat

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Work In Some More Movement To Your Daily Tasks

Do you need to start running every day? Do you need to join a gym or buy a bunch of home fitness equipment? If you want to, go ahead! But there are many other choices, and finding a routine that works for you is whats most important.

Ideally, you want to aim for at least 2.5 hours of moderate physical activity every week. You can break that up however you like. You might focus on doing something every day, or you could dedicate yourself to just a few days per week. The key is to just get started.

For example, do you usually take the elevator? Take the stairs instead. Do you walk your dog every day? Go a little farther than usual, or walk at a faster pace. Need to go shopping? Park farther away than you normally do. Catching up on your favorite TV series? Try stretching, dumbbells or kettlebells while youre watching rather than just sitting on the couch. Also look for chances to bring motion into your daily life, such as walking while you talk on the phone.

If youre feeling good, work up to more intense physical activity, like lap swimming, jogging or hot yoga. Dont overexert yourself, but remember that regular and consistent exercise has benefits beyond managing your cholesterol. It also helps reduce blood pressure and builds your overall physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Even if you just go a little farther or a little faster than you usually do, that extra activity will be a big step in the right direction for your health.

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

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Home Remedy For Lower Cholesterol #2 Get More Vitamin C

As an antioxidant, vitamin C helps to reduce inflammation. A 2008 study showed a significant decrease in serum LDL cholesterol and tryglyceride concentrations with the supplementation of at least 500mg/d of vitamin C. Some good sources of vitamin C include:

• citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes
• kiwi
• sweet bell peppers green or red
• cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and kale
• sweet potatoes

Use Honey Instead Of Sugar

Honey is sweet and it is by far the best sweetener you can use that your body will be thankful for. It has immense benefit including helping to lower your cholesterol level significantly. It is also capable of reducing the risk of heart diseases and fat accumulation. Go on and scoop a spoonful of honey. Alternatively, you can add it to your daily choice of healthy diets to give them an even better taste. Honey is an important remedy on how to lower cholesterol naturally.

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Medicines To Lower Cholesterol

For some people, making lifestyle changes alone does not their lower cholesterol enough. They may also need to take medicines. There are several types of cholesterol-lowering drugs available. They work in different ways and can have different side effects. Talk to your health care provider about which medicine is right for you.

Even if you take medicines to lower your cholesterol, you still need to continue with lifestyle changes.

Why Does A Raised Cholesterol Increase The Risk Of Cardiovascular Disease

Having too much cholesterol in your bloodstream leads to fat being deposited within your artery walls, where they form fatty plaques. This is a disease process known as atherosclerosis.

Atherosclerosis damages the artery wall, meaning it is more likely to rupture or become blocked. When this happens, the blood supply to this tissue is cut off, and the tissue, now starved of oxygen, will die.

For example

• A blocked coronary artery leads to the death of heart muscle in a heart attack.
• A blocked cerebral artery leads to the death of brain tissue if you have a stroke.

In fact, atherosclerosis can have many far-reaching consequences including causing blindness, kidney failure, gangrenous limbs, and ruptured aortic aneurysms which are most often fatal.

Raised cholesterol is not the only cause of atherosclerosis there are other contributory factors, such as raised blood pressure, obesity, and smoking. However, to stay healthy, its vital to keep your blood level of cholesterol within normal limits.

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Oats And Oat Bran: Just A Little Every Day

Oats and oat bran contain beta-glucan, a water-soluble fiber that helps reduce the amount of;LDL;cholesterol circulating in the blood. A;meta-analysis published in the;American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in;December 2014;found that a daily intake of at least 3 grams of oat beta-glucan;reduces total cholesterol and cuts;LDL;cholesterol levels.;That’s the amount in ¼ cup of uncooked oat bran or 1½ cups of cooked steel-cut oatmeal.

What Are The Normal Values For A Cholesterol Test

The healthy values for your cholesterol levels are listed below.

Total cholesterol

Your doctor will advise you on about how much you should aim for, when trying to lower your cholesterol. Below are listed the main ways you can lower cholesterol without needing medication. Unfortunately, this will not be sufficient for some people, who may still require statins, but much can be achieved by a natural approach.

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Focus On Monounsaturated Fats

As opposed to saturated fats, unsaturated fats have at least one double chemical bond that changes the way they are used in the body. Monounsaturated fats have only one double bond.

Although some recommend a low-fat diet for weight loss, a study of 10 men found a 6-week, low-fat diet reduced levels of harmful LDL, but also reduced beneficial HDL .

In contrast, a diet high in monounsaturated fats reduced harmful LDL, but also protected higher levels of healthy HDL.

A study of 24 adults with high blood cholesterol came to the same conclusion, where eating a diet high in monounsaturated fat increased beneficial HDL by 12%, compared to a diet low in saturated fat .

Monounsaturated fats may also reduce the oxidation of lipoproteins, which contributes to clogged arteries. A study of 26 people found that replacing polyunsaturated fats with monounsaturated fats in the diet reduced the oxidation of fats and cholesterol (

You can find olive oil and canola oil online.

summary

Monounsaturated fats like those in olive oil, canola oil, tree nuts and avocados reduce the bad LDL, increase the good HDL and reduce the oxidation that contributes to clogged arteries.

Ways On How To Lower Cholesterol Naturally And Quickly

There is no doubt that our body system needs some amount of cholesterol to function adequately. However, this does not give you the license to take a bite of every food that comes your way. You should try as much as possible to avoid foods that are high in trans fat. These foods are bad news for your body as they raise your bad cholesterol. You might be right if you are thinking they make food taste good. However, they are a danger to your heart.

In addition to avoiding trans fat, you should also incorporate the following effective home remedies on how to lower cholesterol naturally, into your daily routine;

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How To Lower Your Cholesterol Without Statins

Cholesterol is produced in the liver and is required for the production of hormones, vitamin D, and bile acids. Cholesterol doesnt dissolve in blood. To be transported in the bloodstream, cholesterol is packed into two types of carriers: low-density lipoprotein or high-density lipoprotein . LDL cholesterol is necessary in limited quantities, but high LDL cholesterol levels can dramatically increase your risk of heart attack by contributing to atherosclerosis. Although high cholesterol is commonly addressed with statins, it is important for people to understand that lipid abnormalities are not caused by a statin deficiency. Rather, they are usually the result of dietary factors, particularly the inclusion of animal foods and oils and the absence of soluble fiber in the diet. Statins can help lower cholesterol levels; however, they can also produce adverse effects in people. Possible side effects include headache, difficulty sleeping, muscle aches and weakness, memory loss, neuropathy, high blood sugar, and an increased risk of developing diabetes. Can diet be just as effective as statins at lowering cholesterol, without the side effects?

Apples: Rich In Fiber And Beneficial Antioxidants

As with beans, apples are an excellent source of LDL-lowering soluble fiber, primarily pectin. Research published in December 2014 in the;European Journal of Nutrition;also shows that eating an apple a day can slow the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. This health benefit comes thanks to antioxidant polyphenols found primarily in apple skin .;Antioxidants;are important because inflammation and;plaque buildup in the arteries;are more likely to occur when LDL cholesterol interacts with free radicals and becomes oxidized.

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Supplements To Lower Cholesterol

Some companies sell supplements that they say can lower cholesterol. Researchers have studied many of these supplements, including red yeast rice, flaxseed, and garlic. At this time, there isn’t conclusive evidence that any of them are effective in lowering cholesterol levels. Also, supplements may cause side effects and interactions with medicines. Always check with your health care provider before you take any supplements.

Home Remedy For Lower Cholesterol #14 Ditch Transfats Don’t Smoke And Eat Less Processed Food

What you shouldn’t eat is as important as what you should eat. The FDA has *finally* admitted that transfats are bad, after allowing them to dominate the market for years.

Of course, manufacturers are likely to come up with some other modified goobledegook that is equally as nasty.

When choosing fats , look for less processed options. As the saying goes, I trust cows more than chemists, which is why I eat butter.

Shop around the edges of the grocery store, and look for minimally processed items.

Buy real vegetables and fruit, fresh meat and dairy. Learn to bake your own bread. You can check out our Recipes page for a wide assortment of homemade fare.

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Dietary And Lifestyle Changes

Dietary and lifestyle changes are key to making lasting changes in cholesterol levels.

Although they do not produce results as quickly as medications do, a person may notice their cholesterol levels drop in just a few weeks or months if they stick to a healthful diet and lifestyle plan.

Increase intake of plant foods

Plant foods are rich in vitamins and nutrients, and they lack cholesterol.

Most plant foods also lack saturated fats, which may increase cholesterol in the body.

A review published in noted that people who ate vegetarian diets had significantly lower cholesterol levels compared with omnivores.

The authors also noted that some targeted diets using plant foods might cause stronger effects.

For example, a diet rich in soluble fiber, plant sterols, and vegetable protein sources, such as soy and nuts, reduced LDL cholesterol by an average of 28.6% in just 4 weeks.

These effects continue over the long term. A review in Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases estimated that this type of diet reduces the 10-year risk of coronary heart disease by about 13%.

People who need to reduce their cholesterol quickly can work with a dietitian to create a targeted diet plan.

Increase fiber intake

While adding plant foods to the diet increases fiber intake naturally, it may also be helpful to take a fiber supplement or over-the-counter fiber drink to support the body.

Fiber keeps the digestive system healthy and may help prevent the body from absorbing cholesterol.

Avoid trans fats