Naturally Lower High Cholesterol

If you are on this lens about high cholesterol, you are wanting to learn ways to help yourself or someone you love. I congratulate you! That is a great step in bettering your health.

Personally, I know several people with high cholesterol that have tried various methods, all with some degree of success; some more than others. Now, that is not to say that just because they had success that it was good for them. Of course, if it kept them from having a heart attack then it was definitely a good thing to do. There may have been a better way though. That is what we are here to discuss.

My late father-in-law had terribly high cholesterol for many years. I'm not sure if he used medication for it, but I think he did. He also had to have some valves or stents placed in his heart. The interesting thing is that he always had his wife cook without eggs or anything that he considered "bad" for his cholesterol. Now this is a good thing that he was trying to lower his cholesterol with his diet, but I don't know if it helped that much or not. My mother-in-law learned to cook cornbread without eggs! Yes, it was pretty flat cornbread, LOL!

On the other hand, I know someone that really didn't change their diet that much cholesterol wise, yet they went on medication which fairly quickly lowered their cholesterol to an acceptable level.

Which scenario is the best? Here is the thing (in my opinion). Medications have their place and can save lives. I am NOT going to tell you not to take your medication. All I am saying is that diet CAN make a huge difference in lowering cholesterol. Eating healthy foods known to lower cholesterol can have significant health benefits besides just lowering your cholesterol. I think what we eat should be given a chance to help us. We make the choices about what goes into our mouth. I am just as guilty as anyone else. I eat things I shouldn't. That is one of the reasons I am making this lens. I know I need to change the way I eat and these are the things I am learning for better health.

So......... whether we take medications or change what we eat to lower our cholesterol...........there is no right or wrong. Of course, we all know that even though the medications usually do work, they also have side effects. I believe this is the reason so many people are looking for more "natural" ways to lower their cholesterol. I hope the information you find on this lens can be of some benefit to you.

Come back often and leave your comments! I would love to hear from you!

Cholesterol is a fatty, waxy substance produced by our liver. It is also found in the foods we eat. Cholesterol is only found in animal products. There is "good" cholesterol and "bad" cholesterol. Maybe you have been told you have "high cholesterol." This simply means that your "bad" or LDL cholesterol is higher than it should be to be healthy and not cause you problems. Cholesterol is a very important substance that our bodies need to function properly, but only in small quantities. However, too much cholesterol can adversely affect your health by clogging your arteries.

There are 3 types of measurements our doctors look at when testing our cholesterol. One is the HDL or "good" cholesterol; the second is LDL or the "bad" cholesterol; and thirdly is the triglyceride level. Your cholesterol levels will vary depending on several factors. Namely, these are if you smoke or not, your family history, height, weight, male or female, age, and lifestyle factors. We will go over what the typical normal numbers are next. First though, here is a video about cholesterol.

Men and women have different guidelines for cholesterol. First, lets talk about HDL. This is the "good" cholesterol. Men should aim for a number more than 40mg/dL and women more than 50mg/dL of HDL cholesterol. Having an HDL over 60 mg/dL can offer a safeguard against certain cardiac complications. If you smoke, your levels are reduced, and also by obesity.

Now, lets find out about LDL, the "bad" cholesterol. LDL levels less than 100mg/dL are the best while LDL levels above 190mg/dL may pose a serious threat to your health.

Now the triglycerides. Triglyceride is the fat produced by our bodies. Considered the optimal number would be below 150 mg/dL. If your triglycerides are higher than 500 mg/dL, then you are considered to be at risk. Eating a high carbohydrate diet can also contribute to high triglyceride levels. Alcohol, smoking, obesity, and not exercising are risk factors.

There is another number you might hear called your total cholesterol. You want your total blood cholesterol level to be less than 200. If you are between 200-239, you are considered border line high risk. Anything above 240 means you have twice the risk of having coronary artery disease.

APPLES! Yes, those crisp, sweet, beautiful apples! They contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, which helps whisk that cholesterol out of your system. The insoluble fiber works to remove LDL from the body, while it's fiber pectin reduces the amount of LDL cholesterol makes in the liver. In the presence of pectin, the cholesterol we eat in our food stays in our intestinal system until it is eliminated, thus, keeping it out of your blood stream! So, eat an apple for dessert after eating meats and fatty foods.

Ahhhh..........blueberries! Yum!!!

Can't you just taste them? Blueberries prevent oxidation and are full of antioxidants. Besides just tasting so wonderful, they are good for you in so many ways.

There is even one study that showed that blueberries lowered LDL (bad cholesterol) as well as statin drugs in mice without the negative side effects! Wow! So EAT MORE BLUEBERRIES FOLKS!

Okay, I personally think grapefruits are way too sour, but apparently, they are good for you. CAUTION: NEVER EAT GRAPEFRUIT IF YOU ARE TAKING A STATIN DRUG FOR LOWERING CHOLESTEROL! The effects may be fatal! Also, studies have shown that eating red grapefruit has way more benefits than a white grapefruit!

Avocados! I love these in my omelet every morning! Yes, in my omelet. The avocado fat is a type of fat that actually lowers the LDL levels (the "bad" cholesterol) while raising the levels of the HDL (the "good" cholesterol) which protect the arteries.

Cranberries! One 8-oz. glass of cranberry juice a day can bring your HDL (good cholesterol) up by around 10%. Eating fresh cranberries brings even greater benefit.

Pears! Lower cholesterol, improve memory, keep bones strong!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/627615

We know fruits and vegetables are good for us, but a lot of times, we just don't eat enough of them. These are all fruits that have wonderful benefits for lowering cholesterol naturally.

I have quite a bit more information to add to this lens, just bear with me as I try to put it all together. Check back often!