Natural ways to lower your cholesterol level
Along with taking medications, implementing lifestyle remedies can be helpful to lower your cholesterol level. To see the best results, try incorporating healthier diets and becoming more physically active at the same time.
Here are some natural ways to lower your cholesterol level that DoctorHere care team suggests:
1. Eating a heart-healthy diet
Reduce an intake of saturated fat and trans-fat.
The American Heart Association recommends limiting saturated fat to less than 6% of daily calories and minimizing the amount of trans fat you eat.
Choose skim milk, low-fat or fat-free dairy products instead of whole milk
Limit fried foods and cooking with healthy oils (i.e. vegetable oil)
Limit red and processed meats, sodium, and sugar-sweetened foods and beverage
Diet should be emphasized on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, poultry, fish, nuts
2. Becoming more physically active
A sedentary lifestyle lowers HDL cholesterol.
Less HDL means there’s less good cholesterol to remove bad cholesterol from your arteries.
At least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise a week
Brisk walking, running, swimming, bicycling or yard work
Lower both cholesterol and high blood pressure
3. Quitting smoking
Smoking and vaping lowers HDL cholesterol.
High cholesterol in smoker, risks of coronary heart disease, blood pressure and diabetes compound
Quitting smoking lower LDL cholesterol and increases HDL cholesterol levels
4. Losing weight
Being overweight or obese raise LDL cholesterol level and lowers HDL cholesterol.
Losing weight (i.e. 5%-10%) can improve cholesterol level.
5. Medication
Medication to control LDL cholesterol level can be prescribed in addition to lifestyle changes
Following is the list of conditions when health care provider may prescribe medicine:
History of heart attack or stroke
Presence of peripheral artery disease.
LDL cholesterol level is 190 mg/dL or higher.
Age of 40-75 with diabetes and an LDL cholesterol level of 70 mg/dL or higher.
Age of 40–75 with a high risk of developing heart disease or stroke and an LDL cholesterol level of 70 mg/dL or higher.
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