Lower Cholesterol without Medications

While statins help lower cholesterol amazingly well and have pleiotrophic effects besides lowering cholestrol, like reducing inflammation, there are ways to lower cholesterol naturally.

Here is a list of ways:

1. Regular Exercise - Doing regular exercise for about 30 minutes of exercise 3 or 4 times a week can significantly lower the risk for many major life threatening disease. Regular exercise has been found to help lower cholesterol and reduce triglyceride levels. With regular exercise you can lower your body mass index and achieve a healthy weight. This helps you to reduce your risk for heart disease and diabetes.

2. Healthy eating

• Increase soluble fiber intake. By increasing your intake of soluble fiber to 10 grams per day, you can lower your cholesterol levels a great deal according to some recent studies. The best sources of fiber include certain types of fruits, bran and oat products, and many kinds of vegetables.

• Cut down on saturated fat and Trans fats.

- Saturated fats are found in animal-based foods, including meats, butter, whole-milk dairy products (including yogurt, cheese, and ice cream), and poultry skin. They are also found in some high-fat plant foods, including palm oil. The Nurses’ Health Study, which included more than 80,000 participants, showed that saturated fats increase the risk of coronary artery disease

- Trans fats are found mostly in fried foods, pastries, cookies, and other similar foods. Avoiding these types of foods limits your calories, fat intake, and helps lower your cholesterol. The American Heart Association`s Nutrition Committee recommends limiting trans fat to one percent of your daily calorie intake.

• Avoid Red Meat, Eggs, & Whole Milk - Red meats, whole milk, and egg yolks are concentrated cholesterol foods. They should be avoided and replaced with some of the healthier foods that are low in cholesterol.

• Omega-3 Fatty Acids - Stock up on foods containing Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids raise HDL and lower LDL cholesterol levels. Some good sources include salmon and herring fish, walnuts and almonds, dried cloves, and flaxseed oil. Many of these foods also contain antioxidants and vitamins.

• Blueberries, Garlic, & Apples - These three foods are tasty and can be easily combined with many other foods in home-made recipes. Garlic and Blueberries lower blood pressure and cholesterol. The fiber pectin in apples decrease the amount of cholesterol produced in the liver. Using these ingredients in your meals can make a healthy impact on your cholesterol.

• Soy. Soy products are another example of cholesterol lowering foods. Several studies suggest that foods containing soy can lower a person's bad cholesterol by about 10 percent. Soy contains natural chemicals known as isoflavones. Researchers believe that isoflavones, along with the protein contained in soy, help reduce the bad cholesterol.

- Watch cholesterol consumption. If you’re on a low cholesterol diet, you’ve got to pay attention to the food labels and make sure you keep your intake below 200 mg per day. That means watching serving sizes, too.

4. Reduce Stress. Stress and anxiety cause chemicals to be released into your body, raise your blood pressure, and reduce blood flow to your heart.

5. Stop smoking. Smoking increases the build up of plaque in the arteries, exacerbating the affects of high levels of LDL cholesterol.

6. Lose Weight - Being Overweight changes your metabolism and the way your body deals with fat and cholesterol. Losing weight in a slow and steady manner improves your health and lowers your cholesterol. Natural dieting results in consistent weight loss and reduces your risk of diabetes and high blood pressure.