How To Reduce Cholesterol Levels Naturally
Both the types of cholesterol are produced by our bodies to perform certain functions and are always present in our blood. The problem arises when more cholesterol is produced more than is required by our body.
What is a Healthy Total Cholesterol Level?
- Desirable - Less than 200 mg/dL
- Borderline High Risk - 200-239 mg/dL
- High Risk - 240 mg/dL and over
Both LDL and HDL cholesterol can be improved with regular exercise and eating low fat, cholesterol friendly foods.
Understanding Cholesterol!
STRUGGLING TO LOWER YOUR CHOLESTEROL ?
10 Steps To Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally
Cholesterol Down: Ten Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol in Four Weeks--Without Prescription Drugs
Amazon Price: $10.94 (as of 07/06/2009)
Good for what ails you, November 25, 2007
By Tom Bruce (Brooklyn , NY) - See all my reviews
The book promises "10 Simple Steps to Lower Your Cholesterol" and it delivers. The first section of this book deals with what cholesterol is and what it does, and as this reader-friendly author suggests, "If science is not your cup of tea, simply cut to Part II." Part II is the meat of the book, listing the ten simple - and they are - steps to lowering your cholesterol. Not only simple, but affordable, too - much more so than prescribed medicine. With each step, the good Doctor explains how each process helps us reach our medical goal, gives the medical proof that exists for each, presents case histories, and lists further options and tips on how to additionally simplify each step. Yet, if you're not into the medical jargon, this section of the book is formated so you can skip over much of the material presented and get the basic information you need in a few short paragraphs. She does make it easy. The third and final section of the book offers charts to help you follow this course, if you're into such regimentation. There are also a few dozen healthful recipes, few of which appealed to me. Now here's the bonus part: as Brill explains, each of these steps will also help in lowering blood pressure, aiding diabetics, fighting obesity, forestalling aging, even stopping hair loss. So, if you suffer from any of these ills and more, you can't go wrong with this basic recipe for good health. I'll be back in a month with an update on how my medical numbers responded to this information.
Approach Your Cholesterol Reduction Naturally!
How would you react if you find out that your cholesterol level was too high? There are a few things you can do to lower your cholesterol, these include diet therapy, weight loss and regular physical activity. A last resort would be to try cholesterol-lowering drugs.Cholesterol lowering drugs are a great help in lowering you cholesterol level. However, these drugs are expensive to prescribe and many tend to have side-effects. Normally when you have been diagnosed as having high cholesterol, doctors tend to prescribe drugs, One of which is statin.
Statins, although very successful in lowering cholesterol levels, also produce unwanted and very serious side-effects. Effects such as rhabdomyolysis (a muscle-destroying condition), kidney damage, memory loss, difficulty sleeping, dizziness, and nausea or vomiting. In addition, research shows that if you are taking statin drugs, it will deplete some essential enzymes like Coenzyme Q10 (an important nutrient our bodies produce, that is required for energy).
Another infamous prescribed drug used to lower cholesterol levels is Bile Acid Sequestrates. These drugs are secreted from the liver and gall bladder in the bile. Most of these secreted bile acids are then reabsorbed by the intestine and then back to the liver. The disadvantage of these drugs is malabsorption. This can effect growth and development as well as lead to specific illnesses, such as chronic diarrhea, bloating and flatulence (gas).
There are also other drugs such as Fibric Acids and Nicotinic Acids to help lower cholesterol level. But as with all the cholesterol lowering drugs available, they also do have their side effects. The most common side effect of these drugs is Gastrointestinal (constipation, abdominal pains and cramps).
Sounds like a horror movie i know! All these dreadful side-effects don't sound too pleasant at all considering what is at stake initially. You may wonder if there any hope in lowering your cholesterol levels. Actually there are many natural alternatives available to reduce high cholesterol and one of these is by taking natural supplements and vitamins. Before taking the decision to start a prescribed drugs therapy, you may want to consider trying natural alternatives first. It is a lot cheaper and much safer than using prescription drugs. Moreover, some of the natural alternatives perform at least as effectively as prescribed drugs to lower cholesterol.
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Essential Foods For Lowering Your Cholesterol Levels!
Cholesterol is present in our bodies in one of two ways; both our liver produces cholesterol and we eat foods containing cholesterol. High amounts of cholesterol, especially LDL cholesterol, which is bad for us, can lead to many health complications and significantly increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.While there are many foods that are high in LDL cholesterol, there are a lot, which can actually help to lower your LDL cholesterol levels and increase your HDL cholesterol, or the good cholesterol. Here's a list of foods that lower cholesterol, which is a must have for anyone who is trying to reduce their LDL levels and increase their HDL levels.
1)Apples: Ever heard of the saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away"? Well, apples are also very good for lowering your LDL cholesterol levels. 2 full apples, or 12 ounces of apple juice, if taken everyday, can reduce your risk of heart diseases by as much as 50%!
2)Garlic: Garlic helps to lower LDL cholesterol and thins your blood naturally. This prevents clogging up of arteries and thus lowers your risk of heart diseases.
3)Onions: Eating just half a raw onion everyday can increase your HDL levels by 25% and lower your LDL as well.
4)Beans and Legumes: These contain soluble fibers which increase your HDL cholesterol levels and in turn reduce your LDL cholesterol. All kinds of beans and legumes such as pinto, kidney, black-eyed, lentils, pink beans, etc are good for your heart.
5)Unsaturated Fats: Contrary to the belief that all kinds of fat are bad for you, unsaturated fats and omega 3 fatty acids can actually be good for your heart. Monounsaturated fats (olive oil, canola, peanut, and almond oil) and polyunsaturated fats (corn oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil etc) increase the HDL cholesterol and lower the LDL cholesterol and are therefore good for your heart.
6)Other Cholesterol Lowering Foods: Oats, artichokes, turmeric, green tea, nuts, and black tea, are all known to lower LDL cholesterol in your body.
Of course, diet is no substitute for a doctor's care when you are ill. Diet and nutrition represent "the other side of the coin" and always inform your doctor whenever you make a dietary change, especially if you are on a pharmaceutical drug.
Tips for Managing Cholesterol : Low Cholesterol Cooking Tips
PROFIBE: Reduce Cholesterol Naturally!
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byA Definition Of The Medical Condition Known As Cholesterol
Cholesterol is a lipidic, waxy steroid found in the cell membranes and transported in the blood plasma of all animals. It is an essential component of mammalian cell membranes where it is required to establish proper membrane permeability and fluidity. Cholesterol is the principal sterol synthesized by animals, but small quantities are synthesized in other eukaryotes, such as plants and fungi. It is almost completely absent among prokaryotes, which include bacteria. Cholesterol is classified as a sterol.
Since cholesterol is essential for life, it is primarily synthesized de novo within the body. However high levels in blood circulation, depending on how transported within lipoproteins, are strongly associated with progression of atherosclerosis. For a person of about 150 pounds (68 kg), typical total body cholesterol synthesis is about 1 g (1,000 mg) per day (automatically adjusting for amount of dietary intake) and total body content is about 35 gm. Typical daily additional dietary intake, in the United States and societies with similar dietary patterns, is 200?300 mg. Cholesterol is recycled. It is excreted by the liver via the bile into the digestive tract. Typically about 50% of the excreted cholesterol is reabsorbed by the small bowel back into the blood stream. Intestinal tract absorption is highly selective for cholesterol, excreting plant stanols and sterols (which promote atherosclerosis progression more than cholesterol), back into the intestinal lumen for elimination.
The name cholesterol originates from the Greek chole- (bile) and stereos (solid), and the chemical suffix -ol for an alcohol, as François Poulletier de la Salle first identified cholesterol in solid form in gallstones, in 1769. However, it was only in 1815 that chemist Eugène Chevreul named the compound "cholesterine".
Welcome, please leave your comments on cholesterol reduction
Bea_Gabrielle wrote...
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Posted April 08, 2008
