Ways To Reduce Cholesterol Without Drugs

Most individuals think that cholesterol problems only have an effect on older individuals, but this is not true. High degrees of cholesterol can also be discovered in the young. In one study, 75 % of those checked had a yellow waxy substance in their blood - LDL cholesterol - it is considered to be a dependable indication of future heart problems. The surprising thing concerning this study was that they were all fit American soldiers with an average age of just 21.

Now we do need some LDL cholesterol because it is used by the body to regulate some important functions and we definitely require HDL cholesterol because it helps regulate LDL cholesterol. The only issue is the quantity of these substances. High levels of LDL have been linked to atherosclerosis, which leads to heart disease.

If you would like to begin working on your cholesterol levels in a maintenance type of way, you can do so with the aid of exercise and diet. The exercise element does not need to be arduous. Walking for an hour a day will do the trick if it is in conjunction with healthy dieting.

The diet ought to include lots of fibre and roughage because not only will it lower LDL cholesterol, but it will also help your bowels to function properly which reduces your likelihood of getting bowel cancer, the incidence of which is rising nowadays.

Foods that are rich in fibre and roughage are fruit and vegetables, especially greens; beans, pulses and grains, especially oats as in porridge; nuts and soya. It is quite simple to increase your consumption of these foods without drastically changing you normal diet, although it is sensible to substitute skinless chicken and fish for beef and pork.

For instance, you could eat porridge for breakfast and add a handful of barley to your soup. You could add a few leaves of lettuce to your sandwich and eat fruit as snacks throughout the day. You could have beans on toast every now and again. Whole grain bread, of course.

Some foodstuffs have a especially good reputation for lowering cholesterol levels. Avocado is one because it contains a great deal of mono-unsaturated fats which raise the degree of HDL and HDL counteracts LDL. Raw carrots are another one. Raw carrots contain plenty of pectin, which reduces LDL. Pectin is also there in large quantities in citrus fruits, apples and berries such as strawberries, raspberries and red and black berries.

Then there are other well-known healthy foodstuffs like garlic and shitake mushrooms which are also considered to stave off cancer and boost the immune system as a whole. Ginger is another healthy food that is easily integrated into dishes.

Nuts, particularly walnuts, hazelnuts, pecans and almonds are high in Omega 3 fatty acids which has a beneficial impact on LDL cholesterol. Sesame seeds contain phytosterols, which also lowers LDL. Other foods containing phytosterols are: celery, lettuce, asparagus, spinach and tomatoes.

You ought to endeavour to consume mono- and poly-unsaturated fats as they will improve your HDL. You can find these fats in cannola, safflower, soya bean and olive oil. They also contain Omega 3. Other sources of Omega 3 are fish, particularly the fatty fish like tuna, salmon and mackerel.

Owen Jones, the writer of this article, writes on a number of topics, but is now involved with food that lowers cholesterol. If you want to know more, please visit our web site at What Foods Lower Cholesterol?