Cholesterol is essential for life which is naturally produced in the body by the liver. It is also available in some foods we take regularly. If your body mass index (BMI) is greater than 30, you are more likely to have lower levels of good cholesterol (HDL) and higher levels of bad cholesterol (LDL). However, millions of people were suffering from the high cholesterol or hypercholesterolemia. It’s always important to keep your cholesterol in check because high cholesterol levels increase your risk of some diseases such as heart diseases, high blood pressure, and stroke. As this is a common problem, there are several treatments and medications available to lower LDL Cholesterol. Also, there are natural ways to lower cholesterol. Go through the following sections of this article to lower cholesterol naturally.
How to Lower Cholesterol Naturally
For the proper functioning of Cells, Nerves, and Hormones, Cholesterol is necessary. The Problem persists if you have high cholesterol. Your genes also play a significant factor in your risk for disease, including high cholesterol. If one of your parents are having high cholesterol, then there’s a higher-than-average chance you will too get. LDL Cholesterol is often caused by unhealthy lifestyle choices like a diet high in saturated fats and lack of sufficient physical activity. Cholesterol tends to gather along artery walls and increases the risk of developing heart diseases. Hence to reduce the bad cholesterol, people usually go for some medications which have many adverse side effects and also causes some other diseases.
Read more: Lose weight without exercise naturally
Finally fed up with those medicines, we raise a question to ourselves that How to lower cholesterol naturally? This article gives you the answer to all your questions since it consists of many natural remedies to lower cholesterol. Eating a healthy diet and doing regular exercise can also help reduce the level of cholesterol in your blood.
Natural Ways to Lower Cholesterol
Has your doctor ever said that you have high cholesterol? Then the only solution to lower LDL Cholesterol is to change the diet and lifestyle. For that, you need to maintain the low cholesterol diet and also there is no need to buy special products to reduce the cholesterol. There are many natural ways to lower the cholesterol. So, Let’s have a look at the below tips to Lower the cholesterol Naturally. But remember these foods should be eaten every day and in the right amount since having too much could be harmful.
How to naturally lower cholesterol using Oats
A first step in improving your cholesterol is having a bowl of oatmeal or cold oat-based cereal for breakfast. Oats give you 1 to 2 grams of soluble fiber. Switching up your morning meal to two servings of oats can lower the bad cholesterol by 5.3% in just 6 weeks. Oatmeal fills you up, thus making it easier not to overeat at lunch. Alternatively, you can also take barley in the place of oats since both of them are rich in beta-glucan, a soluble fiber. When we eat the foods that are rich in Beta Glucan, It forms as a gel that helps bind cholesterol in the intestines and prevents it from being absorbed. Doctors will recommend that we should eat about 3g of Beta-glucan per day. Not only Oats but also the foods that contain 1g or more of beta glucan can carry a cholesterol lowering claim.
Know more: Amazing benefits of oatmeal
Green Tea
Tea is well known for its cancer-fighting antioxidants and also an excellent barrier against high LDL cholesterol levels. Anti-oxidants present in the green tea helps you get rid of cholesterol plaque buildup out of the arterial walls. Take at least 600 mg of green tea on a daily basis to Lower cholesterol naturally. A hot cup of green tea gives a grassy flavor, gives your body a warm feeling, relaxes you, and even lowers the bad cholesterol.
Read more: Other benefits of green tea
Lower your Cholesterol Naturally using Avocado
Studies have proven that the people who ate one avocado per day for a week had a reduction in total cholesterol of 17 percent. Avocados are a rich source of heart-healthy MUFAs, which helps in raising HDL cholesterol and lowering LDL. Also, these contain a useful plant-based fat which reduces the amount of cholesterol absorbed from food. This fruit is also full of cholesterol-cutting beta-sitosterol.
Salmon and Fatty Fish
Salmon & Fatty fish being rich sources of Omega-3 fats, are one of the health wonders of the world and have been shown to ward off many diseases such as heart disease, dementia, etc. Replacing saturated fats with omega-3 fats that are rich in salmon, sardines, and herring can raise good cholesterol as much as 4%. One serving of Salmon fish contains about 1.8 grams of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which helps to Lower cholesterol naturally.
Foods that Lower Cholesterol
Nuts
It’s easy to eat too much by watching TV or the Internet in your leisure time, especially when you eat out and the portions are huge. It results in weight gain and higher cholesterol. Instead of going for Junk food as snacks, you should opt Cashews or Almonds or any other nuts as snacks. But we should know that What portion we should take? Consuming a fistful of nuts, i.e., 30-35g a day has the potential to lower cholesterol by an average of 5%. All the nuts are rich in vegetable protein, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, heart-healthy unsaturated fats, natural plant sterols and a host of beneficial plant nutrients.
Can Mint leaves Lower Cholesterol?
Fresh mint leaves contain some negligible amounts of protein, fat and provide very fewer amounts of carbohydrates. Since mint leaves are very less in calories, 1/4-cup of it contains only four calories. The Mint Leaves supports digestion by helping to break down fats and thereby reducing the bad cholesterol. Decreased cholesterol levels reduce the workload required from the liver. If your liver is inactive, peppermint may provide a boost.
Ginger
Ginger is the best solution to Lower Cholesterol Naturally. It has been used as a traditional medicine since ages primarily for treating the digestive disorders, arthritis, and heart conditions. Taking 3,000 mg of Ginger per day for 45 days lowers your cholesterol naturally. You may take this as a supplement or as juice and also add it to your any other meals. Alternately, make tea by boiling sliced or pummeled fresh ginger root for 10 to 20 minutes, then strain the ginger and drink the water as tea.
Read more: Ginger tea to treat hangover
Natural way to lower cholesterol using Garlic
As garlic being among the list of foods that lower cholesterol; it’s also been found that it prevents blood clots, reduce blood pressure, and protects us against some infections. Garlic contains a chemical named allicin, which kills bacteria and fungi. The side effects of garlic are also very few. Also, it lowers the risk of some types of cancer. You can try about 2 to 4 fresh cloves a day to lower the cholesterol naturally.
Read more: How to lower cholesterol naturally
Tips for Lowering Cholesterol Naturally
- Fill your plate with fruits and vegetables at least five to nine servings a day to reduce your LDL levels.
- Avoid refined sugars and grains.
- Avoid High Cholesterol foods.
- Instead of taking refined flour and white rice, switch to whole-wheat flour and brown or wild rice.
- Choose an exercise that makes you enjoy and start exercising at least 2 1/2 hours a week to raise the HDL cholesterol and improving LDL cholesterol.
- Eat 5 to 10 grams of Fibre-rich foods such as apples, oatmeal, prunes, beans, etc. each day. Eating fiber rich foods also makes you feel full so that you won’t seek for snacks as much.
- Manage Your Stress: Most of us have a difficult time dealing with stress from our workplace, at home, or due to the demands of a busy schedule. Unfortunately, your cholesterol can go through the roof. Hence reduce your stress through Yoga or Meditation or get lost in a book.
- Lose Weight: Losing 5 to 10 percent of your weight can improve cholesterol levels.
- Quit Smoking and drink alcohol moderately.
By following one of these ways to lower cholesterol naturally, one can solve their problem to some extent. For better results, you must also live a healthy lifestyle. Consult a doctor if the condition becomes severe, or these remedies don’t work. If your doctor recommends some medications to lower your cholesterol, take it as prescribed, but continue your lifestyle changes.