What are the natural ways to lower cholesterol? One of the best ways is exercise and limiting your saturated fat intake in your diet. The type of diet you consume will always dictate if your cholesterol is high or at normal to moderate levels.
What are the natural ways to lower cholesterol? iStock-photo credit: Svitlana Hruts
It is important to know there are two types of cholesterol levels. One is your LDL levels which are considered your bad cholesterol levels. When you have high LDL levels this can result in clogged arteries which can lead to a higher risk of a heart attack. LDL is known as low density lipoprotein. And HDL which is considered good cholesterol levels, is known as high density lipoprotein.
Some of the ways you can naturally lower your cholesterol levels is consuming a diet that is high in monounsaturated fats. Some good monounsaturated fats are avocados, olive oil, canola oil, unsalted nuts such as cashews, almonds, pecans, etc.
Other ways are limiting your trans-fat intake and some foods that you want to minimize that have trans fats are:
• Pizza
• Fast Foods
• Donuts
• Cakes
• Hamburgers
• French Fries
The American Heart Association recommends exercising at least 150 minutes a week of aerobic activity to lower your cholesterol levels. That comes out to walking 30 minutes daily 5 days a week. Incorporating resistance training can also additionally help with this.
Maintaining a healthy weight will also help to lower your cholesterol levels. Being obese or overweight is linked to higher cholesterol levels. That’s why it is important to maintain a healthy weight to maintain normal cholesterol levels.
If you smoke tobacco, please stop doing it because it is linked to higher cholesterol levels and increased cholesterol buildup in arteries. The best foods to eat that can help with naturally lowering your cholesterol level are soluble fiber foods, monounsaturated fats and Omega 3 fatty acids. And those specific foods are salmon, mackerel, oatmeal, spinach, broccoli, almonds, walnuts, etc.
One of the most visible symptoms of high cholesterol levels is high blood pressure or having a stroke and heart attack.
The Bottom Line is the best natural way to lower your cholesterol levels is through diet and exercise. If you can incorporate some form of aerobic activity weekly while consuming soluble fiber and Omega 3 fatty acid foods this will help collectively with lowering it.
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References
1) Soliman GA. Dietary Cholesterol and the Lack of Evidence in Cardiovascular Disease. Nutrients. 2018 Jun 16;10(6):780. doi: 10.3390/nu10060780. PMID: 29914176; PMCID: PMC6024687.
2) American Heart Association- https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/prevention-and-treatment-of-high-cholesterol-hyperlipidemia
3) Soliman GA. Dietary Fiber, Atherosclerosis, and Cardiovascular Disease. Nutrients. 2019 May 23;11(5):1155. doi: 10.3390/nu11051155. PMID: 31126110; PMCID: PMC6566984.
4) CDC- https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2019/19_0121.htm
5) Feingold KR. The Effect of Diet on Cardiovascular Disease and Lipid and Lipoprotein Levels. [Updated 2024 Mar 31]. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Blackman MR, et al., editors. Endotext [Internet]. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK570127/
6) Bhandari P, Sapra A. Low Fat Diet. [Updated 2023 Feb 6]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553097
7) Lawler PR, Akinkuolie AO, Chu AY, Shah SH, Kraus WE, Craig D, Padmanabhan L, Glynn RJ, Ridker PM, Chasman DI, Mora S. Atherogenic Lipoprotein Determinants of Cardiovascular Disease and Residual Risk Among Individuals With Low Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol. J Am Heart Assoc. 2017 Jul 21;6(7):e005549. doi: 10.1161/JAHA.117.005549. PMID: 28733430; PMCID: PMC5586287.
