How to Lower Cholesterol Levels Naturally: 10 Effective Tips

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a fat like substance that is present in blood. Cholesterol is produced by liver and it is good for health but high amounts of cholesterol can lead to piling up of plaques in the arteries leading to heart diseases and stroke. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/about-cholesterol

Types of cholesterol: Two types of lipoproteins carry cholesterol in the blood. They are high density lipoproteins or HDL and low density lipoproteins or LDL. Lipoproteins are small round particles which are made up of lipids and proteins.

• HDL Cholesterol: This is a good cholesterol which reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. HDL carries bad cholesterol away from the arteries and then to the liver where it is broken down and eliminated from the body.

• LDL Cholesterol: This is a bad cholesterol as it leads to deposition of fats in the arteries, thus narrowing the blood vessels and increasing the risk of heart diseases.

• Triglycerides: This is the most common type of fat in the body. High levels of triglycerides can lead to pancreatitis. They store excess calories from food.

  
  

Levels of cholesterol: Cholesterol levels are normally measured in milligrams per deciliter (mg/dl) or millimoles per liter (mmol/L).

Total cholesterol: Optimal - < 200mg/dl

Borderline high - 200-239mg/dl

High - >/= 240mg/dl

LDL Cholesterol: Optimal - < 100 mg/dl

Near optimal/above optimal - 100–129 mg/dl

Borderline high- 130–159 mg/dl

High - 160–189 mg/dl

HDL Cholesterol:

Optimal - 40 mg/dl for men

50 mg/dl for women

Triglycerides : Optimal - <150mg/dl

Tips on how to lower cholesterol levels naturally: Few lifestyle changes can be implemented to lower cholesterol levels in the body.

1. Healthy diet: Include a lot of fruits, vegetables, green leafy vegetables, nuts and seeds in the diet. One should also incorporate fiber and protein rich foods which can help to reduce the amount of cholesterol absorbed into the blood. Reduce baked food.

2. Regular exercise: Physical activity can help to reduce bad cholesterol and triglycerides, and raise good cholesterol.

3. Stress management: Stress is one of the major concerns these days. Practicing yoga and meditation can help to reduce and manage stress.

4. Weight loss: Maintaining a healthy weight can help in reducing LDL cholesterol.

5. Good sleep: Getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep everyday is very important to reduce the risk of high cholesterol.

6. Smoking cessation: Tobacco smoke contains nicotine which is found to be addictive in nature. It leads to increased cholesterol levels and can make you more likely to have serious health problems like heart attacks, stroke and cancer.

7. Alcoholic beverages: Limit intake of alcohol. Alcohol can affect cholesterol levels in the body. It depends on how much and how often you consume alcohol. Minimal consumption is found to be okay but excessive drinking can increase triglycerides in the body.

8. Green tea: Drinking green tea on a regular basis is found to control cholesterol as it contains antioxidants.

9. Garlic: Consumption of garlic everyday is found to reduce cholesterol by 10%. Garlic contains allicin which helps to lower total cholesterol, bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

10. Flax seeds: Both the seeds and oil drawn from the seeds are rich sources of omega 3 fatty acids. It contains lignin's which help to fight diseases like cancer and cholesterol.

Treatment options: A combination of medication and lifestyle changes is the common treatment prescribed for most of the patients. Few of them include:

• Statins: These drugs absorb cholesterol and triglycerides from the blood and broaden the arteries. Examples include atorvastatin and rosuvastatin.

• Fibrates: These reduce the production of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) and improve the removal of triglycerides. Examples include fenofibrate and gemfibrozil.

• Omega-3 fatty acids: These are over the counter drugs which help to reduce LDL and triglycerides. They are also available in the form of supplements. It is naturally available in salmon fish.