Cholesterol is a silent killer that creeps up on a person only after many years of unhealthy lifestyle choices. Some may dodge dangerous conditions such as atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, heart attack, or stroke due to genetics but most do not.
The single largest killer in the United States is coronary artery disease (CHD) and is responsible for one out of every five death annually. That amounts to roughly half of million people. CHD is caused by the narrowing of the coronary arteries which jeopardizes adequate blood flow to the heart. The accumulation of cholesterol in the arterial wall initiates and plays a continuing central role in the narrowing of the arteries.
So finding ways of lowering cholesterol can be a very important preventative step in avoiding or managing arterial concerns and diseases.
Cholesterol itself is waxy substance that needs help finding its way through the system and requires the help of two main types of carriers known as lipoproteins; LDL and HDL. Most cholesterol is transported by the lower density lipoproteins (LDL) which have a tendency to drop cholesterol along the way. HDL on the other hand is very efficient and often times cleans up cholesterol deposits to boot. It becomes fairly obvious that improving the ratio between HDL and LDL is one of the most important components of lowering cholesterol levels.
One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is through diet modification. Research suggests that diet alone can reduce bad cholesterol levels by as much as 35 percent in two weeks. So if your last trip to the doctor produced problematic blood cholesterol levels, you are concerned about a family history of heart disease, are increasing in years, or simply think it is time to make a lifestyle change, now just might be the right time to take action to start lowering cholesterol levels and bring LDL and HDL into balance.
Experts suggest limiting calories from fat to no more than 25 to 35 percent of the total calories consumed over several days. Increasing your intake of foods helpful for lowering cholesterol such as fruits, vegetables, and grains, which are cholesterol free is a good place to start. Also, suggested are foods high in soluble fiber, which binds fats in the intestines. The star of the soluble fiber group is oat bran but oat meal, beans, peas, rice, bran, barley, citrus fruits, strawberries, grapes, and apple pulp are also tasty and useful for lowering cholesterol. It is important to point out that dangerous saturated fats should be limited to no more than 10 percent of your daily calorie intake as not to diminish the benefits of your dietary adjustments.
What Next? Most experts agree that lowering cholesterol is a major cornerstone in achieving and sustaining good health. Lowering cholesterol, in most cases, is about changing old habits, adopting new healthier habits, and enlisting the help of convention medications such as statins or natural cholesterol reducing remedies if needed. Put simply, this basically means finding ways to increase HDL (good cholesterol) and decreasing LDL (bad cholesterol levels). Certainly the aforementioned statin drugs will be one of your options but they do carry a number of serious label warnings. The side effect risks have made natural cholesterol reduction supplements containing such beneficial ingredients as lecithin oil, pumpkin seem oil, D-limonene, phytosterols, and antioxidants such as selenium, theaflavin, and tea catechins an alternative treatment option worth considering.
Rob D. Hawkins is an enthusiastic advocate for the use of natural health products and natural living with over 10 years
experience in the field.
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