How To Help Lower Your Cholesterol (How to reduce cholesterol)

Member Name: debmercury

Product:	How to reduce cholesterol
Date:	13/11/08 (668 review reads)
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Advantages: Your Health Benefits

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~How to Lower Your Cholesterol~

Various studies have shown that one of the best ways to reduce cholesterol is by following a healthy diet and exercise programme, although this doesn't always work and sometimes a person suffering from high cholesterol may have to take medicine such as statins to control it.

~Exercise~

The best way to start an exercise program to lower your cholesterol is by moderate physical activities these could include walking, swimming, jogging, biking, dancing and even housework and gardening help. Studies have shown that moderate physical activity at least three times a week for thirty minutes can:

1. Reduce your "bad" cholesterol (LDL)

2. Elevate your "good" cholesterol (HDL)

3. Limit your risk of heart disease and other serious complications that are associated with having high cholesterol.

~Diet~

Foods that have the best cholesterol lowering properties are foods from plants:

1. Fruit

2. Vegetables

3. Grains

4. Nuts and seeds


We should aim to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. Another important dietary tip for lowering cholesterol is to cut down on saturated fat. Foods high in saturated fat include:

1. Meat pies

2. Sausages and fatty cuts of meat.

3. Butter

4. Ghee

5. Lard

6. Cream

7. Hard cheese

8. Cakes and biscuits

9. Foods containing coconut or palm oil.

Unsaturated fats can help reduce cholesterol so ideally we should replace foods high in saturated fats with these cholesterol-lowering foods:

1. Oily fish

2. Avocados

3. Nuts and seeds

4. Sunflower, olive, corn, walnut and rapeseed oils and spreads.

5. Vegetable oils

Eating healthy foods that contain plenty of soluble fibre could also help to reduce cholesterol in the blood. Good sources of soluble fibre are:

1. Oats

2. Beans

3. Peas

4. Lentils

5. Chickpeas


There is also some evidence that foods containing certain added ingredients, such as plant sterols and stanols might help lower cholesterol in the blood. Sterols and stanols can be found in specially developed products such as spreads and yogurts e.g. Benecol and Flora Pro-Active.

Having a high cholesterol level does not cause symptoms and most people only find out as part of a routine medical check up. Whilst diet and exercise can help lower cholesterol sometimes the only way to reduce cholesterol is by taking medicines like statins (Zocor and Lipitor). If you find you have high cholesterol you should always seek advice from your Doctor/Practice Nurse or others in the medical profession before embarking on a diet/exercise regime.

Summary: Healthy Diet and Moderate Exercise