Natural Remedies for High Cholesterol

What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that our bodies need to build healthy cells. Although it often gets a bad rap (and too much can be dangerous), the truth is that our bodies simply couldn’t function without cholesterol.

 

Not all cholesterol is the same. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) – or “bad cholesterol” – can make plaque in your arteries, putting you at risk for hardened arteries (atherosclerosis), heart disease, vascular issues and more. On the other hand, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) – “good cholesterol” – actually helps remove that bad cholesterol from your bloodstream.

 

If you have high cholesterol levels, it usually means that you have too much LDL and not enough HDL. High cholesterol levels affect around one in every three Americans. But there are changes you can make today to help lower your LDL and increase your HDL.   

   

Natural or complementary treatments for heart disease often aim to control cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and improve heart health. Typically, research on such treatments is limited, compared with that of conventional medical treatments.

 

Few natural products have had enough research done to prove they can reduce cholesterol clinically.

 

Before you try any alternative treatments, consult your Doctor to determine if they’re safe for you. The ingredients in some alternative therapies can interfere with certain medications or have harmful side effects.

 

1. Astragalus

 

Astragalus is an herb used to support the immune system in traditional Chinese medicine. It has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Limited studies suggest that astragalus may have some benefits for your heart. But according to the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), high quality clinical human trials are generally lacking. More research is needed to learn how astragalus may affect your cholesterol levels and overall heart health.

 

2. Hawthorn

 

Hawthorn is a shrub related to the rose. Its berries, leaves, and flowers have been used for heart problems.

Some studies have found the plant to be an effective treatment for milder forms of heart failure. There’s not enough scientific evidence to know if hawthorn is effective for other heart problems.

Also, hawthorn can have side effects with many prescription medications and other herbs.

 

3. Flax seed

 

Flax seed comes from the flax plant. Both flax seed and flaxseed oil contain high levels of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). This is an omega-3 fatty acid that may help lower your risk of heart disease.

Some studies suggest that flaxseed preparations may help lower cholesterol, particularly among people with high cholesterol levels and postmenopausal women.

 

4. Fish oil supplements with omega-3 fatty acids

 

Omega-3 fatty acids are also found in fish and fish oils. Salmon, tuna, lake trout, herring, sardines, and other fatty fish are especially rich sources.

Research shows that omega-3 fatty acids in fish help reduce the risk of getting heart disease. Other nutrients in fish, or a combination of those nutrients and omega-3 fatty acids, may help protect your heart. Eating one or two servings of fatty fish frequently may lower your chances of having a heart attack.

If you have heart disease, you may also benefit from taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements or eating other foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids. For example, walnuts, canola oil, and soybeans are good sources. Evidence is stronger for the benefits of eating fish with omega-3 fatty acids than taking supplements or eating other foods.

 

5. Red yeast rice

 

Red yeast rice is a traditional Chinese medicine and cooking ingredient. It’s made by culturing red rice with yeast.

Some red yeast rice products contain substantial quantities of monacolin K. This substance is chemically identical to the active ingredient in the cholesterol-lowering drug lovastatin. Red yeast rice products that contain this substance may help lower your blood cholesterol levels.

Other red yeast rice products contain little to no monacolin K. Some also contain a contaminant called citrinin. This contaminant can cause kidney failure.

In many cases, there’s no way for you to know which products contain monacolin K or citrinin. Therefore, it’s hard to tell which products will be effective or safe.

 

6. Plant sterol and stanol supplements

 

Plant sterols and stanols are substances found in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, and other plants. Some processed foods are also fortified with plant sterols or stanols, such as fortified margarine, orange juice, or yogurt products.

Plant sterols and stanols may help lower your risk of heart disease. They help prevent your small intestine from absorbing cholesterol. This can lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels in your blood.

 

7. Garlic

 

 

Garlic is an edible bulb that’s been used as a cooking ingredient and medicine for thousands of years. It can be eaten raw or cooked. It’s also available in supplement form, as a capsule or tablet.

Some research suggests that garlic may help lower your blood pressure, reduce your blood cholesterol levels, and slow the progress of atherosclerosis.

However, as with many alternative therapies, studies have yielded mixed results. For example, some studies have found that taking garlic for 1 to 3 months helps lower blood cholesterol levels.

 There’s no evidence that alternative or herbal remedies alone can lower cholesterol.

 Most natural remedies are unregulated, which means that some side effects may be unknown.

 

8.Diet and lifestyle changes

 

You can also adopt healthy lifestyle habits to help manage your blood cholesterol levels. For example:

 If you smoke, consider quitting.

 Maintain a healthy weight for your body type.

Carry out  exercise most days of the week.

Work in some more movement to your daily tasks, like jogging or walking every day, join  Gym of home fitness, instead of taking the elevator, use the stairs, walk the dog everyday, swimming.

Even if you just go a little farther or a little faster than you usually do, that extra activity will be a big step in the right direction for your health.

 

By keeping your body moving, you’re helping it do what it was meant to do – which can result in all-around health-enhancing perks. This includes raising good HDL cholesterol, managing blood pressure levels and many other heart-healthy benefits.

 

9. Choose meats with fewer saturated fats, like fish or chicken

 

Try to limit consumption of  red meats. Many red meats are high in saturated fats, which can raise bad LDL cholesterol levels. For healthier alternatives, choose skinless chicken or skinless turkey more often, and avoid processed meats. You can also try working more fish into your diet.

Fish is low in saturated fats, and many kinds contain omega-3 fatty acids, which benefit your heart health and can boost your good HDL cholesterol levels. Here are some examples of types of fish you can try to include in your diet:

Oily fish like Atlantic or Pacific salmon, Atlantic mackerel or tilapia

Shellfish like shrimp and crab

 Freshwater fish like lake herring and trout

 Saltwater whitefish like cod and grouper

 Tuna steaks or fillets and canned light tuna

 

All that said, steak and hamburger can be hard to resist. When you’re grilling out, choose leaner cuts of meat. Like anything, it’s okay to have some saturated fats in your diet. You just need to eat them in moderation.

 

10. Get more soluble fiber with whole grain bread, kidney beans, quinoa and more

 

You probably know fiber as something that can help you with your digestive health. But if you thought fiber was only for digestion, think again: It can also help build your cardiovascular health.

A low-cholesterol food list is rich in soluble fiber (fiber that can dissolve into water). Soluble fiber grabs cholesterol in your gut – before it gets into your bloodstream – and helps lower bad LDL cholesterol levels.

Foods rich in soluble fiber include:

    Oats

    Barley

    Quinoa

    Whole grain bread

    Kidney beans

    Lentils

    Chickpeas

 

It’s easy to build more of these types of foods into your diet. Try oatmeal and whole grain toast for breakfast, curried lentils for lunch, or turkey chili with kidney beans for dinner.

 

But one thing that’s important to remember here is that not all “good” foods have equal value. Generally, the more processed a grain or bean, the less likely it is to have healthy benefits and nutritional value. Whenever you can, try to stock up on fresh ingredients.

 

11. Boost unsaturated fats and fiber by snacking on fruits, vegetables and nuts

 

It is okay to grab a snack between meals to boost your energy or settle your rumbling stomach. But common snack foods like chips, microwavable popcorn, cookies, pastries or crackers are high in trans and saturated fats.

On the other hand, snacking on fruits, vegetables and nuts not only helps you avoid bad fats, but also helps you get good fats and fiber.

Raw nuts are high in unsaturated fats – which are the best kind of fats. Nuts are great for a heart-healthy diet because they raise your good HDL cholesterol levels and lower your bad LDL cholesterol levels. Other examples of foods that are high in unsaturated fat include avocados and olives.

Nuts – along with many fruits and veggies – can also be a great source of soluble fiber. Adding as many of these foods as you can to your diet can be a double-dose of cholesterol-reducing impact.

Here are some suggestions on what you can start with:

    Avocados

    Apples

    Strawberries

    Blueberries

    Oranges

    Grapes

    Olives

    Peas

    Broccoli

    Carrots

    Okra

    Eggplant

    Walnuts

    Peanuts

    Almonds

    Cashews

    Pistachios

 

As with meats and whole grains, remember that more processing means less benefit. For example, you won’t get as much value from applesauce as you will from eating a whole apple. So, if you’re able to, try to get raw fruits, veggies and nuts (unsalted if you can).

 

12.. Embrace low-fat milk, cheese and yogurts

 

For items like cheese, milk, cream and yogurt, use low-fat dairy products instead of the regular versions. If you’re feeling experimental, try soy milk, too. Who knows? It could become your next craving.

Making these changes is helpful because full-fat dairy products contain saturated fat as well as cholesterol. By picking a low-fat (or non-fat) version, you’re building healthier levels of cholesterol in your bloodstream.

 

13.. Prepare your food a little differently

 

It’s not only what you eat – it’s how you eat it. Just as you can change what you buy in the grocery store, you can also choose healthier ways to make your food that help lower your cholesterol naturally. For example:

Consider trimming fat and removing the skin (either before cooking or before eating) when cooking meat or fish. This helps you get the protein while reducing fat intake.

  Focus on boiling, broiling, baking, poaching or grilling. These are better methods of preparation than deep frying or breading, which can add extra fat.

 

14. Substitute healthy oils in place of butter and margarine

 

Of course, it’s not always realistic to avoid fats when you’re whipping up a tasty meal. When you do need to add fat for cooking, baking or pan frying, use healthy oils instead of solid fats, like butter, margarine, shortening and lard.

 

Solid fats are high in saturated fats, but oils are high in unsaturated fats, which – remember – are better for you. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends using oils that have less than 4 grams of saturated fat per tablespoon (and no trans fats).

Many times, it’s easy to swap a solid fat to a healthier one. Try using olive oil, sunflower oil or grapeseed oil in place of a solid fat.

For example, if you’d rather use olive oil than butter, substitute three quarters the amount of butter in a recipe with olive oil. You might also bring out some new, surprising, subtle flavors, too.

 

15. Try having one vegetarian meal regularly

 

 By choosing a well prepared vegetarian meal, you’re aiming at cholesterol-lowering goals at the same time, like eating healthier fats and getting more soluble fiber.

The key here is to build up a routine, like making one day in a week vegetarian day. Once you get used to it, try expanding to different nights, or add a weekly vegetarian lunch, too.

 

 

16. Work with your doctor on a lower cholesterol plan (especially if you’re overweight or you smoke)

 

Lowering your cholesterol doesn’t mean going it alone. Your primary care doctor is a helpful partner along your journey.

Your doctor can work with you to create an action plan just for you – one that combines diet, exercise and other lifestyle changes to help you lower and manage your cholesterol.

For example, losing weight and quitting smoking can be big helpers for lowering cholesterol. Quitting smoking can raise your good HDL cholesterol levels, and losing weight can lower your bad LDL cholesterol levels significantly.

But these two tasks aren’t easy. Fortunately, your primary care doctor can be a great resource to help you get started and find practical ways to stick with it. Plus, help with quitting smoking and losing weight may already be covered if you have health insurance.

Whether you want to quit smoking, lose weight or just learn more about how your personal health would benefit from lower cholesterol levels, regular check-ins with your doctor are key. They can also perform cholesterol tests – the only way to actually measure cholesterol – to check your progress and help you make adjustments based on the results.

You can begin lowering cholesterol naturally today

 

 

Medications for high cholesterol

 

A variety of medications are also available to lower high cholesterol. For example, your doctor may prescribe:

 

    Statins (lovastatin, atorvastatin)

    Cholesterol absorption inhibitors (cholestyramine)

     Injectable medications (evolocumab)

 

Summary

 

Cholesterol is a type of fat in your blood. Although your body makes all the cholesterol it needs, you also get cholesterol from the foods you eat. Your genetics, age, diet, activity levels, and other factors affect your risk of developing high cholesterol.

High cholesterol is one of the major risk factors for heart disease. It increases your chance of developing heart disease and having a heart attack. It can also raise your risk of stroke. In particular, high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol raise your risk of these conditions. LDL cholesterol is often called “bad” cholesterol.

If you have high cholesterol, your doctor may prescribe medications or lifestyle changes. For example, maintaining a healthy weight for your body size, increasing your physical activity, eating nutrient-rich foods, and quitting smoking can help bring your cholesterol levels down.