How to Lower Cholestrol

It is important for you to know how to lower cholesterol if you have had a blood test and been diagnosed with high cholesterol.

Diet

Your doctor may have given you information on how to lower cholestrol by diet. It is relatively easy to make changes to your diet to increase foods that contain good HDL cholestrol and to reduce foods which raise bad LDL cholestrol levels. Changing your diet will also help in losing weight which is beneficial to your cholestrol and overall health.

Changes you need to make to your diet:-

• Reduce your intake of saturated fats which are found in meat, whole milk, butter and cheese.
• Replace foods high in saturated fats with foods containing polyunsaturated fat and mono-unsaturated fat. Use polyunsaturated spreads instead of butter, use olive oil in cooking and eat oily fish instead of red meat.
• Increase your intake of soluble fibre which is found in wholegrain breads and cereals, fruit and vegetables, and beans and pulses.
• Replace your normal foods with low fat foods and cut down on fast food and junk food.
• Grill, microwave, steam or poach foods instead of frying.

How to lower cholestrol naturally

There are other natural ways to lower cholestrol:-

• Start aerobic or cardiovascular exercise.
• Start taking Anti-oxidant supplements and Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplements to lower cholesterol, raise good cholesterol and to protect your heart.
• Take Garlic supplements or eat raw fresh garlic to lower blood pressure and cholestrol levels.
• Add spices such as cayenne pepper, cinnamon and turmeric to your cooking.
• Increase your intake of soya which has been found to be beneficial in lowering cholestrol.
• See a homeopath for advice on which homeopathic drugs are useful in the treatment of cholestrol.
• Sprinkle seeds such as flax seeds and linseeds on your food. They are a good source of fibre and Omega 3 Fatty Acids.

Medication

If your cholestrol level does not respond to dietary changes and natural methods, your doctor will inform you on how to lower cholestrol by taking certain cholestrol lowering drugs. Drugs can have side effects so it is worth trying all the other methods first.

• Niacin – This is Vitamin B3 and this vitamin has been shown to lower cholestrol if it is taken in high doses.
• Bile-acid Sequestrants or Resins – These work by binding bile (made form choleserol) in the intestines to stop it being reabsorbed into the bloodstream.
• Statins or HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors – This type of medication works by blocking the production of cholestrol in the liver.
• Fibrates – Fibrates work by reducing the triglyceride level in the body while also increasing the level of good HDL cholestrol.
• Zetia – This medication reduces the amount of cholestrol which is absorbed from food.

As you can see there are many ways to lower cholestrol. Read books on how to lower choleserol, see your doctor and keep informed.