6 Simple Ways to Lower Your Cholesterol Naturally

Anyone who has spent any time reading about health and nutrition knows that the cholesterol debate is still raging today. Some prominent doctors and scientists argue vociferously for one side or the other in order to drive home their point on why you need to change your diet. However, there is more than one way to approach a problem like this when it comes to lowering your overall risk of heart disease. One of the most effective ways you can lower your risk of developing heart disease or another form of cardiovascular disease is through lowering your LDL (“bad”) cholesterol level. Even though some people have high LDL levels due to genetics or family history, eating a diet high in saturated fats and trans-fats can also cause it to rise.

Choose the Right Foods to Eat

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that you eat the following foods daily to lower your LDL cholesterol and lower your risk of heart disease: Plant-Based Proteins, fish, and poultry are rich in protein, which is essential to building new muscles and repairing damaged ones. Avocados - This creamy fruit is high in monounsaturated fats, which help lower LDL cholesterol levels as well as improve blood flow. Nuts - They’re high in healthy fats and contain minerals such as manganese and chromium, which are both important for lowering blood pressure. Whole-Grain Cereals - You didn’t over-think this one, did you? These foods are a perfect source of fibre, which helps remove cholesterol from the body, and protein, which helps build muscle.

Eat Dried Fruits and Nuts

While some dried fruits, such as banana, mango and papaya, don’t contain significant amounts of cholesterol, most other dried fruits, including figs, apricots and raisins, do. So if you’re looking to lower your LDL, you should try to limit your dried fruit intake to a few servings per week. Nuts are a great source of monounsaturated fats and protein, which can help to lower LDL cholesterol and improve blood vessel function. Other healthy fats found in nuts, such as omega-3 fatty acids, can help reduce inflammation and improve blood flow.

Limit Saturated Fatty Foods

Although saturated fat is essential to a healthy diet, there are also many foods high in saturated fats that can affect your cholesterol and LDL levels. These foods include red meat, full-fat dairy products and tropical oils such as coconut oil. In order to lower your LDL cholesterol, you should aim to limit your intake of these foods (as well as limit your intake of LDL-raising saturated fats) and replace them with foods that are high in monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats or carbohydrates.

Drink Plenty of Water

There are many benefits associated with drinking water daily, but we are interested in one of these: It can help to lower your LDL cholesterol levels! This is due to the fact that water contains minerals that help to flush LDL from your body as well as help to prevent inflammation in the arteries that lead to your heart. Plus, if you’re trying to lower your LDL cholesterol you should also be drinking lots of water to help increase your urine volume so that you are flushing the cholesterol out of your body. If you aren’t a water drinker, you may be surprised to know that there are so many benefits to drinking water daily. First and foremost is the fact that water helps to cleanse your system and keeps your cells functioning well. Water is also essential to maintaining a healthy weight due to the fact that it helps to regulate your metabolism.

Get Moving!

We’ve all heard the advice that exercise can help to lower your LDL cholesterol and prevent heart disease, but how exactly does this work? High levels of LDL cholesterol (particularly LDL-C) are actually caused by excess oxidative damage to your arteries. This damage can be prevented through regular cardiovascular exercise. When you are active, you are helping to increase your blood flow, which helps to remove excess cholesterol from your arteries. In addition to exercising to lower your LDL cholesterol, you should also be making healthy food choices. This means choosing whole-grain products and fruits and vegetables that are high in fibre. All of these foods help to slow down the rate at which you absorb sugar and keep your LDL cholesterol levels down.

Conclusion

Although it is true that certain foods can affect your cholesterol and LDL levels, it is important to note that you can lower your LDL cholesterol with a healthy diet that is high in fruits, vegetables and other nutrients. The best way to reduce your LDL cholesterol is to make healthy changes to your diet, including eating more fibre-rich foods, limiting saturated fats and drinking lots of water. If you choose to follow these tips, you can lower your LDL cholesterol and significantly reduce your risk of heart disease.

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