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Cholesterol is carried through your blood stream in several different forms. One form, LDL (often referred to as ?the bad cholesterol?), can cause fatty deposits to build up in the walls of your arteries. That increases your risk of heart attack and stroke, and it's the reason why you should keep your LDL cholesterol as low as possible.
But it?s not enough to merely plan how to bring high cholesterol down. You see, another form of cholesterol, HDL (the letters stand for ?high density? cholesterol), has the opposite effect: it actually carries cholesterol away from your arteries. High levels of HDL are actually associated with a lower risk of heart attack and stroke, and that's why HDL has come to be known as ?the good cholesterol.?
The most important factor determining your HDL level is heredity. Unfortunately, you can't pick your parents. But there are several natural cholesterol cures and effective ways of lower cholesterol management you can follow that can result in a variety of valuable rewards for your health. These include higher levels of HDL cholesterol, natural reduction of excess weight, and better overall health. They include:
- Calculate just how much exercise to lower cholesterol you will need to do. Studies show that increasing physical activity can raise HDL levels in some people. But remember to take it slow, and be careful not to overdo it. You may also want to check with your healthcare professional to determine your best exercises to lower cholesterol.
- Choose and then fine-tune an effective eating plan to lower cholesterol. You may have been wondering what foods to eat to lower cholesterol. Well, a good place to start is by switching from saturated animal fats and ?trans? fats. You see, artificially hydrogenated fats to unsaturated fats, polyunsaturated vegetable oils, monosaturated olive oil and peanut oil, and fish oils can raise HDL levels. And don?t worry ? just because you?re changing your diet, it doesn?t mean that you have to give up taste and creativity. You can find a few cookbooks if you have trouble locating recipes to lower cholesterol
- Go ?green.? Research has found that there are certain vegetables and fruits that reduce cholesterol, including beans, avocados, spinach, bananas, dates, cauliflower, and mushrooms. In fact, a study published in the British Medical Journal found that vegetarians had lower cholesterol levels than those of meat eaters.
- Consuming moderate amounts of alcoholic beverages (one drink a day for women, two for men) may raise HDL levels
- Using an effective healing product, such as the cholesterol blocker/natural vitamin niacin, may raise HDL levels
- Smoking will lower HDL levels
The higher your levels of HDL, the lower your risk of a heart attack and stroke, so it pays to work on this task. But it's important to note that a high level of HDL won't protect you completely if you have other risk factors, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, or if you smoke. Similarly, having a low HDL level does not mean that heart disease is inevitable. That, too, depends on the presence or absence of other risk factors. |
