5 natural ways to reduce high cholesterol levels

Posted By Suborna Fermi Posted on May 19, 2022

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is made by your liver, and they have many health functions. They help in bile production of the liver, producing several hormones, and also help in keeping the walls of your body cells flexible.

There are two types of cholesterol such as LDL and HDL. However, excessive cholesterol can contribute to many health concerns, including stroke, clogged arteries, heart attack and kidney failure. Here are some natural tricks to maintain your cholesterol level.

5 natural ways to lower your cholesterol levels:

1. Maintain heart-healthy eating: We all know eating healthy foods have so many health benefits. Here are some few dietary changes that you can make to improve your cholesterol.

• Reduce saturated fat and focus on monounsaturated fats: Mainly, saturated fats found in red meat and full-dairy products, which raises the cholesterol level. According to certain research monounsaturated fat decreases cholesterol oxidation. Olive oil, canola oil, avocados, almonds, and cashews are the great sources of monounsaturated fats.
• Add more soluble fiber and whey protein in your diet: Soluble fiber effectively reduces LDL cholesterol from your body. Good sources of soluble fiber are oatmeal, beans, peas, brussels sprouts,and pears. Besides, medical experts do recommend whey protein supplements to lower LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and blood pressure. Dairy products are a great source of whey protein.

2. Exercising at least 5 days a week: Exercise is very profitable for your heart-health. It not only improves physical appearance, it also improves your heart state, raises HDL cholesterol and reduces LDL cholesterol. You do not need to do intense workout sessions, you can first start with simple exercises including aerobics, cycling, running and walking 30 minutes a day.

3. Sustain a healthy weight: Excessive weight or obesity can increase your cholesterol level, hence it is important to maintain a healthy body weight, you can do few changes to reduce your weight. These three diets are quite effective for women to lose a few pounds:

• Low carbohydrate and high fat
• Low fat and high carbohydrate
• Low carbohydrate and walnut-rich high fat

4. Stress management: Certain studies have found that too much stress can toll on your health. It reduces healthy HDL cholesterol and increases bad LDL cholesterol.

5. Quit smoking: Smoking decreases HDL and heightens LDL cholesterol. This also inhibits your body’s ability to transport the cholesterol back to the liver. Quitting smoking may be difficult, but the benefits will arise shortly.

These are all the effective lifestyle changes to lower your cholesterol level, but in some cases lifestyle changes alone are not sufficient. For some people, medication can be required. Even if your doctor prescribes you medicines to lower your cholesterol levels, still you have to continue the lifestyle changes.