Anyone who has recently learned that they have high cholesterol is likely to wonder what alternatives they have for lowering it. However, before you rush to the pharmacy as a first option, keep in mind that you can lower cholesterol without medication by using other methods.
Understanding Cholesterol
Cholesterol is an organic molecule that is required for the proper functioning of the body. It has a range of activities and circulates through the blood and tissues. As a result, it is commonly classified into two categories: good cholesterol and bad cholesterol. It's a little more complicated than that, though.
In our bodies, we all have two types of cholesterol: HDL (good cholesterol) and LDL (bad cholesterol). In general, a high HDL level is beneficial, whereas a high LDL level is linked to an increased risk of disease, particularly heart disease. Because LDL clogs and hardens arteries, HDL transfers LDL from the arteries to the liver, where it is eliminated from the body. HDL, on the other hand.
How to Lower Cholesterol Without Medicines
According to the American College of Cardiology, the majority of risk factors for high cholesterol may be avoided. You have a higher-than-average probability of having high cholesterol if your mother or father have it. Several lifestyle factors can also have a significant impact on this marker's elevation.
However, there are some lifestyle changes and cholesterol-lowering measures you can attempt at home. Look into:
#1 Attention to trans and saturated fats
Cholesterol levels can be raised by eating foods high in saturated or trans fats. Trans fat should therefore be avoided, whereas saturated fat should be consumed in moderation.
The majority of saturated fats come from animals. They can be found in meat and dairy products, for example.
Sources of saturated fat include:
· Cuts of meat, pork, and lamb
· Meat from a dark chicken and the skin of a bird
· Products derived from milk (milk integral, butter, cheese, cream milk, ice cream)
· Oils from the tropics (coconut oil, palm oil, cocoa butter)
· Lard
Saturated fat consumption can raise blood cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels.
Trans fat is found in foods that contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and is short for "trans fatty acids." As a result, these are the worst fats available.
Trans fat can be found at:
· Fried foods (fried potatoes, donuts, fried foods)
· Margarine
· Vegetable fat
· cookies, cakes, sweets
· Processed snacks
· Microwave popcorn
#2 Invest in fiber to lower cholesterol
Increasing your fiber intake on a daily basis will help you lower your LDL cholesterol. Fiber is abundant in common (and delicious) foods such as chia seeds, oats, chickpeas, artichokes, and bananas.
Foods that are high in fiber:
· Raspberry
· Pear
· Avocado
· Blackberry
· Peanut
· Bean
· Lentil
#3 Move yourself
You are less likely to be overweight or obese if you exercise often. However, exercise has an impact on cholesterol in other ways as well. Training, on the other hand, raises your healthy cholesterol levels.
As a result, cardiovascular activity can help you maintain a healthy weight while simultaneously improving your heart health. Walking, running, bicycling, and swimming, for example, are all activities that can help decrease cholesterol if done three times a week or more.
#4 Reduce Alcohol Consumption
The liver breaks down alcohol into triglycerides and cholesterol when it is consumed. Furthermore, alcohol consumption can raise blood pressure and make it harder to maintain a healthy weight.
To put it another way, reducing your use of beer, wine, and other alcoholic beverages can be a simple first step toward lowering your cholesterol.
Home Treatment to Lower Cholesterol
The consumption of foods high in fiber, omega-3s, and antioxidants, which aid to lower circulating LDL levels in the blood and boost HDL levels, which is the good cholesterol, is a home treatment for lowering bad cholesterol, LDL. In addition, avoiding processed meals high in fat and sugar, as well as engaging in regular physical activity, are important for lowering cholesterol.
Here are several natural supplements recipes that are specifically designed to help reduce cholesterol.
# 1. Guava vitamin with oat
Because it is high in antioxidants and fiber, guava vitamin with oatmeal is a wonderful home treatment for lowering cholesterol rapidly and naturally. It is rich in antioxidants and fiber that absorb fat from the diet, reducing the amount of cholesterol that enters the bloodstream.
Guava is well-known for its anti-diarrheal properties, which aid in the prevention of diarrhea; however, the fiber in oats has the opposite effect, so this vitamin should not trap the intestine.
# 2. Tomato Juice
Tomato juice is high in potassium, which is essential for heart health since it aids in the transmission of cardiac nerve impulses and the transfer of nutrients into cells. Tomatoes are also high in lycopene, a natural chemical that reduces the risk of heart disease and prostate cancer by lowering bad cholesterol.
To meet the daily requirement for lycopene, which is roughly 35 mg/day, it is recommended to consume 3 to 4 units of tomato each day. As a result, it is recommended that tomatoes be consumed in salads, soups, sauces, and as juice.
# 3. Orange juice with eggplant
Due to the reduction of oxidative stress in the cells, this juice aids in the reduction of excessive cholesterol as well as weight loss.
# 4. Red tea
Red tea also stimulates the immune system, aids weight loss, suppresses appetite, aids fat elimination, and has a satiating effect, making it excellent for appetite control; as a result, it is frequently recommended for persons looking to lose weight. The presence of antioxidants in red tea helps reduce the quantity of harmful cholesterol in the body, reducing vein and artery constriction. Red tea can be purchased in the form of instant granules, ready-made tea sachets, or even the chopped leaf in health food stores and supermarkets.
Tips to Control Cholesterol
(a)Practicing 1 hour of physical exercise 3 times a week: Swimming, brisk walking, jogging, treadmill, biking, or water aerobics can help lower bad cholesterol and raise good cholesterol while also boosting blood circulation and reducing fat buildup in the arteries.
(b) Drink about 3 cups of yerba mate tea a day: It has an antioxidant function that lowers bad cholesterol while also inhibiting cholesterol absorption in the small intestine;
(c) Increase your consumption of foods rich in omega 3 such as salmon, walnuts, hake, tuna or chia seeds: omega 3 helps lower bad cholesterol and prevent clogging of blood vessels;
(d) Avoid the consumption of fatty or sugary foods: Cookies, bacon, oil, biscuits, ice cream, snacks, chocolates, pizza, cakes, processed meals, sauces, margarine, fried foods, or sausages, for example, raise bad cholesterol in the blood and hasten the creation of fatty plaques and vein clogging.
(e ) Drink red grape juice on an empty stomach: Resveratrol, an antioxidant found in red grapes, helps lower harmful cholesterol levels in the blood.
Choosing these home remedies, on the other hand, is a way to supplement cholesterol treatment and control in a natural and healthy approach that does not negate the need to take medications prescribed by a cardiologist, but can reduce the dose and even eliminate the need to take medication over time.
In the video below, you'll find these and additional cholesterol-lowering tips: