Natural Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol Levels

Lowering Cholesterol: Natural Ways to Lower your Cholesterol Levels

by Salah Gariballa

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	595 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	42 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

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Cholesterol is a waxy substance that can build up in your arteries and cause heart disease. High cholesterol levels are a major risk factor for heart attack and stroke.

The good news is that there are many natural ways to lower your cholesterol levels. These include:

• Eating a healthy diet. A healthy diet for lowering cholesterol includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It also includes lean protein and low-fat dairy products.
• Getting regular exercise. Exercise helps to lower cholesterol levels by increasing HDL (good) cholesterol and decreasing LDL (bad) cholesterol.
• Losing weight if you are overweight or obese. Losing weight can help to lower cholesterol levels by reducing the amount of fat in your body.
• Quitting smoking. Smoking lowers HDL cholesterol and increases LDL cholesterol.
• Taking cholesterol-lowering supplements. There are a number of natural supplements that can help to lower cholesterol levels, including plant sterols, stanols, and red yeast rice.

Eating a healthy diet

A healthy diet for lowering cholesterol includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. It also includes lean protein and low-fat dairy products.

Fruits and vegetables are high in fiber, which helps to lower cholesterol levels by binding to cholesterol in the digestive tract and preventing it from being absorbed into the bloodstream.

Whole grains are also high in fiber. They also contain other nutrients that can help to lower cholesterol levels, such as niacin and soluble fiber.

Lean protein is a good source of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Amino acids can help to lower cholesterol levels by increasing HDL cholesterol and decreasing LDL cholesterol.

Low-fat dairy products are a good source of calcium, which is important for bone health. Calcium can also help to lower cholesterol levels by binding to cholesterol in the digestive tract and preventing it from being absorbed into the bloodstream.

Getting regular exercise

Exercise helps to lower cholesterol levels by increasing HDL (good) cholesterol and decreasing LDL (bad) cholesterol.

HDL cholesterol is the "good" cholesterol because it helps to remove cholesterol from the arteries and transport it to the liver, where it is broken down and removed from the body.

LDL cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol because it can build up in the arteries and cause heart disease.

Exercise helps to increase HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL cholesterol by increasing the production of nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a gas that helps to relax the blood vessels and increase blood flow.

Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week.

Losing weight if you are overweight or obese

Losing weight can help to lower cholesterol levels by reducing the amount of fat in your body.

When you lose weight, you lose both fat and muscle. However, losing muscle can actually increase cholesterol levels. Therefore, it is important to lose weight slowly and gradually to avoid losing muscle.

Aim to lose 1-2 pounds per week. This is a healthy rate of weight loss that will help you to lower your cholesterol levels without losing muscle.

Quitting smoking

Smoking lowers HDL cholesterol and increases LDL cholesterol.

HDL cholesterol is the "good" cholesterol because it helps to remove cholesterol from the arteries and transport it to the liver, where it is broken down and removed from the body.

LDL cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol because it can build up in the arteries and cause heart disease.

Quitting smoking can help to increase HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL cholesterol. This is because smoking damages the blood vessels and increases inflammation, which can both lead to high cholesterol levels.

Taking cholesterol-lowering supplements

There are a number of natural supplements that can help to lower cholesterol levels, including plant sterols, stanols, and red yeast rice.

Plant sterols and stanols are plant-based compounds that are similar to cholesterol. They can help to lower cholesterol levels by blocking the absorption of cholesterol from the digestive tract.

Red yeast rice is a type of fermented rice that contains a compound called monacolin K. Monacolin K is similar to a cholesterol-lowering drug called statin. It can help to lower cholesterol levels by blocking the production of cholesterol in the liver.

There are many natural ways to lower your cholesterol levels. By making healthy lifestyle changes, such as eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, losing weight if you are overweight or obese, quitting smoking, and taking cholesterol-lowering supplements, you can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Talk to your doctor if you are concerned about your cholesterol levels. Your doctor can recommend the best course of treatment for you.

Lowering Cholesterol: Natural Ways to Lower your Cholesterol Levels

by Salah Gariballa

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	595 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	42 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE