More American adults are killed each year by heart disease than anything else. In addition, most Americans have cholesterol levels that are too high-which contributes to that heart disease. Cholesterol is a waxy material that the body produces naturally. There are good cholesterol and bad. HDL is the good kind, and it moves the cholesterol out into the liver. The bad kind to have is LDL, and it carries the cholesterol into the arteries. The more HDL a person has and the less LDL a person has the better for him. Doctors prescribe medicines to help lower bad cholesterol, but some people cannot tolerate the side effects. There are great way to lower cholesterol naturally.
Diet-Oatmeal Lowers Cholesterol
There are actually foods a person can eat more of to help lower cholesterol. Oatmeal or oat bran is important to lower cholesterol because of the fiber that it contains. Fiber lowers cholesterol, and people should have five to ten grams of soluble fiber per day.
Diet-Plant Sterols and Stanols Lower Cholesterol
People should also add plant sterols and stanols every day. Plant sterols and stanols keep cholesterol from being absorbed into a person’s bloodstream, allowing the cholesterol to leave the body. To add plant sterols and plant stanols, a person should stop using butter or margarine and switch to sterol-fortified spreads. Another way is to switch from regular orange juice to sterol-fortified orange juice. There are many different foods that are now fortified with sterols.
Diet-Nuts Lower Cholesterol
Many people stay away from nuts because of their high calorie content, but some nuts are actually great for lowering cholesterol. They are also full of protein, nutrients and anti-oxidants. The good nuts to have would be peanuts, walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans and pistachios.
Diet-Fish
Certain fatty fish are full of omega-3 fatty acids-the good kind of fat to have. They are some of the healthiest foods to have. Omega-3 fatty acids help to lower triglycerides, an unhealthy fat in the bloodstream, by as much as twenty-five to thirty percent. Lowering triglycerides leads to better heart health. Some good fish choices to make would be salmon, mackerel, tuna, sardines, herring, and trout.
Diet-Tips
Other things people can do to lower cholesterol through diet are to be cautions about how much sugar and white flour they eat. Fried foods are bad for cholesterol also. In addition, people should increase the number of fruits and vegetables they eat-especially berries and green vegetables. People can also help lower cholesterol by choosing good oils like olive oil and walnut oil.
Exercise
For many people, exercising regularly helps to raise their good cholesterol. Of course, aerobic exercise actually helps the heart and lungs to work more efficiently. Exercise also helps to limit some of the risk factors like extra weight and diabetes. People should exercise thirty minutes a day for optimum benefits.
Managing Cholesterol Naturally
There are many ways people can help themselves lower cholesterol. Many of them are fairly easy-adding a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast, for example. It is important for people to work with their doctors to make sure their cholesterol is being managed, and it is best for them to manage their cholesterol naturally to limit side effects from cholesterol medications.
