If you have high cholesterol, there are plenty of things you can do without medication. Find out how to lower bad cholesterol with these natural tips.
Cholesterol plays an important role in your body and serves various functions such as making hormones or maintaining the walls of your cells flexible. However, too much cholesterol (especially the “bad” kind) can negatively impact your health.
When experts refer to high cholesterol, they typically mean high LDL cholesterol – the “bad” type of cholesterol. It can deposit in your blood vessel walls and cause clogged arteries, kidney failure, stroke, and more. In contrast, HDL cholesterol is the good kind and helps to remove excess LDL cholesterol among other things.
While some external factors may affect your cholesterol levels such as your family’s health history, there are things you can do to lower your levels. The following are natural ways to improve your cholesterol levels.
1. Consume Monounsaturated Fats
Canola oil, olive oil, avocados, and tree nuts are monounsaturated fats that reduce LDL cholesterol and increase HDL cholesterol. In fact, research shows that eating a diet high in monounsaturated fats can help improve your cholesterol and reduce the oxidation that leads to clogged arteries.
2. Focus On Polyunsaturated Fats
According to research, polyunsaturated fats reduce LDL cholesterol, decrease the risk of heart disease, and may reduce the risk of diabetes. One type of polyunsaturated fat with extra benefits are omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in salmon, mackerel, shrimp, and supplements.
3. Stop Consuming Trans Fats
Unsaturated fats that have gone through a process called hydrogenation are called trans fats and are harmful. However, you may not see them on the ingredient list as trans fats. Instead, many companies list “partially hydrogenated” oil in the ingredients, which can be found even if the list claims “0 grams of trans fat per serving.”
4. Consume More Fiber
Soluble fiber helps nourish the healthy probiotic gut bacteria in your body and helps remove excess LDL cholesterol. You can find it in peas, beans, lentils, psyllium, fruit, oats, and several whole grains. You can also take fiber supplements if there’s not enough in your diet.
Additional Tips
In addition to focusing on your diet, you can improve your cholesterol by leading a generally healthy lifestyle. In other words, you should be exercising regularly, with experts recommending at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
You should also aim to maintain a healthy weight range to help reduce the creation of new cholesterol in your liver. Losing weight will also help you increase HDL cholesterol and decrease LDL cholesterol.
Lastly, you should try some supplements to help give you an extra boost. There are fish oil supplements with omega-3s and fiber supplements that can help you as well as more heart-focused ones like HeartBeet Complete. Its ingredients promote circulation, blood pressure health, and more. Give yourself the support you need by working to lower your cholesterol and taking HeartBeet Complete.
