A fat-like substance found in the cells of the body is called cholesterol. Balanced cholesterol helps in leading a healthy life. Too much cholesterol not only increases the health risk but it also affects your routine life.
Why our body needs cholesterol?
Our body needs cholesterol for building the cell membranes and to produce:
- Vitamin D
- Sex hormones testosterone and estrogens
- Bile acids (it helps the body to digest food and its fat)
Our liver works naturally, it produces the required cholesterol automatically that our body needs. However, some specific foods that contain cholesterol can trigger the liver to produce more cholesterol than the body is required.
High levels of LDL (Low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. High cholesterol leads to fatty deposits building up on the arteries wall that affects overall hearth health.
HDL(High-density lipoproteins) cholesterol collects LDL cholesterol, and other fats from the arteries and transports them back to the liver. The liver works by disposing of the excess cholesterol by converting it into a digestive fluid called bile.
Although people should aim to have more HDL cholesterol than LDL cholesterol, however, the NHLBI recommends that adults keep their blood levels of total cholesterol below 200 milligrams per decilitre.
Keep on reading to know the best natural ways to lower cholesterol
As stated above, the liver produces as much cholesterol as our body needs. Find below the natural ways to lower your cholesterol level.
Basic lifestyle changes can help you lower your cholesterol level naturally.
Monitoring a cholesterol level on a monthly basis is the best way to keep an eye on it. You can adjust your diet and lifestyle changes according to the report of your cholesterol. This way you will be able to keep yourself away with the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Regular exercise and taking a healthy diet can prevent the risk of high cholesterol.
The Best Natural Ways to Lower Cholesterol Are:
1. Saturated and Unsaturated Fat: Two types of fat found in our body: number 1 saturated and number 2 unsaturated.
Eating a food high in saturated fat can raise the cholesterol level in your blood.
In the UK, most people eat too much saturated fat.
The foods that are high in saturated fat include:
- Salad cream/mayonnaise
- Ghee, butter
- Meat pies
- Hard cheeses
- Sausages and fatty cuts of meat
- hard cheeses
- Cakes, biscuits and other bakery items
- foods containing coconut or palm oil
- Chips and wafers
Eating foods that contain unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat can actually help in reducing high cholesterol levels. Replace your foods containing saturated fats with small amounts of foods high in unsaturated fats, such as:
- Nuts – i.e. almonds, walnut
- Seeds – i.e. pumpkin seeds and sunflower
- Oily fish – i.e. salmon and mackerel
- Avocados
- Vegetable oils and spreads – i.e. sunflower oil, olive, vegetable oil, corn or walnut oil
2. Trans Fats
- Trans fats also raise cholesterol levels. This can be found naturally in small amounts in foods like animal products, including meat, milk, and dairy foods, etc.
- Artificial trans fats can be found in hydrogenated fat, for example, some type of processed foods, like cakes, biscuits contain trans fats.
3. Reducing Total Fat
A fat-like substance found in the cells of the body is called cholesterol. Balanced cholesterol helps in leading a healthy life. Too much cholesterol not only increases the health risk but it also affects your routine life.
Why our body needs cholesterol?
Our body needs cholesterol for building the cell membranes and to produce:
- Vitamin D
- Sex hormones testosterone and estrogens
- Bile acids (it helps the body to digest food and its fat)
Our liver works naturally, it produces the required cholesterol automatically that our body needs. However, some specific foods that contain cholesterol can trigger the liver to produce more cholesterol than the body is required.
High levels of LDL (Low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. High cholesterol leads to fatty deposits building up on the arteries wall that affects overall hearth health.
HDL(High-density lipoproteins) cholesterol collects LDL cholesterol, and other fats from the arteries and transports them back to the liver. The liver works by disposing of the excess cholesterol by converting it into a digestive fluid called bile.
Although people should aim to have more HDL cholesterol than LDL cholesterol, however, the NHLBI recommends that adults keep their blood levels of total cholesterol below 200 milligrams per decilitre.
Keep on reading to know the best natural ways to lower cholesterol
As stated above, the liver produces as much cholesterol as our body needs. Find below the natural ways to lower your cholesterol level.
Basic lifestyle changes can help you lower your cholesterol level naturally.
Monitoring a cholesterol level on a monthly basis is the best way to keep an eye on it. You can adjust your diet and lifestyle changes according to the report of your cholesterol. This way you will be able to keep yourself away with the risk of heart disease and stroke.
Regular exercise and taking a healthy diet can prevent the risk of high cholesterol.
The Best Natural Ways to Lower Cholesterol Are:
1. Saturated and Unsaturated Fat: Two types of fat found in our body: number 1 saturated and number 2 unsaturated.
Eating a food high in saturated fat can raise the cholesterol level in your blood.
In the UK, most people eat too much saturated fat.
The foods that are high in saturated fat include:
- Salad cream/mayonnaise
- Ghee, butter
- Meat pies
- Hard cheeses
- Sausages and fatty cuts of meat
- hard cheeses
- Cakes, biscuits and other bakery items
- foods containing coconut or palm oil
- Chips and wafers
Eating foods that contain unsaturated fat instead of saturated fat can actually help in reducing high cholesterol levels. Replace your foods containing saturated fats with small amounts of foods high in unsaturated fats, such as:
- Nuts – i.e. almonds, walnut
- Seeds – i.e. pumpkin seeds and sunflower
- Oily fish – i.e. salmon and mackerel
- Avocados
- Vegetable oils and spreads – i.e. sunflower oil, olive, vegetable oil, corn or walnut oil
2. Trans Fats
- Trans fats also raise cholesterol levels. This can be found naturally in small amounts in foods like animal products, including meat, milk, and dairy foods, etc.
- Artificial trans fats can be found in hydrogenated fat, for example, some type of processed foods, like cakes, biscuits contain trans fats.
3. Reducing Total Fat
Reducing the total amount of fat in your diet can also help reduce your risk of heart disease.
Instead of frying or roasting, switch to :
- Steaming
- Grilling
- Poaching
- Microwaving
- Boiling
Choose lean cut pieces of meat and go for lower-fat dairy products and spreads, or eat a less amount of full-fat varieties.
4. Cholesterol and Fibre
Eating lots of fibre is the coolest way to lower the risk of heart disease and body fat. The food high in fibre can help lower the cholesterol level naturally.
30 grams of fibre a day can help in keeping your (of an adult) cholesterol level in control.
Typically, a diet should include a mixture of fibre sources which include:
- wholegrain bread or cereals
- Vegetables and fruits
- Oats and barely
- Pulses, soybean, lentils, and peas
- Seeds and nuts
- Potatoes without pealing
Aim to eat about 5 portions of fruit and vegetable variety a day.
5. Become Active
An active lifestyle can drastically help lower your cholesterol level.
A regular brisk walk, moderate exercise, activities can range from walking and cycling, jogging, aerobics, yoga are some of the ways to keep yourself active.
Doing 2 to 3 hours of moderate aerobic every week can improve your cholesterol levels.
Other than natural ways, the doctor also suggests the medication to people whose cholesterol is found very high or have been diagnosed with chronic heart disease.
Most of the time doctors prescribe for Statins, these medicines help lower your cholesterol.
Speak to your health care provider today, if you have high cholesterol and need Statins, he will prescribe it and monitor the progress of your cholesterol for how long you need the treatment.
Reducing the total amount of fat in your diet can also help reduce your risk of heart disease.
Instead of frying or roasting, switch to :
- Steaming
- Grilling
- Poaching
- Microwaving
- Boiling
Choose lean cut pieces of meat and go for lower-fat dairy products and spreads, or eat a less amount of full-fat varieties.
4. Cholesterol and Fibre
Eating lots of fibre is the coolest way to lower the risk of heart disease and body fat. The food high in fibre can help lower the cholesterol level naturally.
30 grams of fibre a day can help in keeping your (of an adult) cholesterol level in control.
Typically, a diet should include a mixture of fibre sources which include:
- wholegrain bread or cereals
- Vegetables and fruits
- Oats and barely
- Pulses, soybean, lentils, and peas
- Seeds and nuts
- Potatoes without pealing
Aim to eat about 5 portions of fruit and vegetable variety a day.
5. Become Active
An active lifestyle can drastically help lower your cholesterol level.
A regular brisk walk, moderate exercise, activities can range from walking and cycling, jogging, aerobics, yoga are some of the ways to keep yourself active.
Doing 2 to 3 hours of moderate aerobic every week can improve your cholesterol levels.
Other than natural ways, the doctor also suggests the medication to people whose cholesterol is found very high or have been diagnosed with chronic heart disease.
Most of the time doctors prescribe for Statins, these medicines help lower your cholesterol.
Speak to your health care provider today, if you have high cholesterol and need Statins, he will prescribe it and monitor the progress of your cholesterol for how long you need the treatment.
Marie
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