A lot of people know about the need to lower cholesterol. But many don't know how to lower cholesterol naturally. And most don't know that cholesterol is naturally produced in the body and is necessary in order to make healthy cells, vitamin D, nerve insulation and essential hormones.
However high cholesterol contributes to atherosclerosis – the build up of plaque in the arteries.
Plaque narrows blood vessel walls limiting blood circulation to both your heart and brain. This means that having high cholesterol can be a major risk factor for both heart disease and stroke.
Health Problems Caused by Statin Drugs
There's another very important reason for learning how to lower cholesterol naturally. When statin drugs, such as Lipitor, are used to artificially lower cholesterol, they can have devastating side effects on health. Here are examples of the hefty price you can pay for using statin drugs:
- Permanent serious liver damage and abnormalities
- Extreme muscle pain (neuropathy), muscle disease (myopathy), muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis), weakness and problems walking
- Rapid loss of memory and mental clarity, confusion and even amnesia
- Sexual dysfunction and performance problems
- Negative personality changes – irritability and hostility
- Nausea, diarrhea, constipation, headaches, insomnia and fever
- Destruction of vital nutrients essential for heart strength and brain function
Ways to Lower Cholesterol Naturally
Begin gradually (but persistently) making these simple lifestyle and diet changes:
- Exercise 30 minutes a day. It works better than any drug out there. Exercise increases good cholesterol (HDL), reduces bad cholesterol (LDL) and naturally lowers total cholesterol levels – with no negative side effects.
- Increase your dietary fiber. Include more high fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains and fiber supplements in your diet. The soluble fiber from beans and whole grains actually binds with cholesterol and carries it out of your body.
- Eat good fat, eliminate bad fat. Reduce animal fats, especially from dairy and red meat. Stick with extra virgin olive oil and fatty fish as your main sources of fat. The fish oil from omega 3 fish not only improves cholesterol, it also helps lower blood pressure and can dramatically reduce your risk of heart disease.
- Feast on fruits and vegetables. Phytonutrient antioxidants in colorful fruit and vegetables have been shown to help lower cholesterol and protect against heart disease. So replace sweets and processed foods with healthy produce.
- Take healthy-heart supplements. Quality omega 3 fish oil capsules have been proven in numerous studies to be highly effective in naturally preventing and reversing heart disease. Fish oil does a better job than statin drugs with no negative side effects. Whole food supplements, including B complex, GTF chromium and garlic, can also help.
Blood Lipid Profile Guidelines
To lower your all-around risk of both heart disease and stroke, the #1 and #3 causes of premature death in the U.S., your blood lipid profile should look like this:
- Total cholesterol below 150 mg/dl
- Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) below 130 mg/dl
- High-density lipoproteins HDL) above 40 mg/dl
- A ratio of LDL divided by HDL – 3 to 1 or lower
- Total triglycerides below 150 mg/dl
My highest recommendation can be found at the fish oil web site.
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Note: The information contained on this website is not intended to be prescriptive. Any attempt to diagnose or treat an illness should come under the direction of a physician who is familiar with nutritional therapy.
