Lower your cholesterol level naturally
Almost half of all German adults have problems with too high a level Cholesterol level . You do not feel a high cholesterol level. But he is considered an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases buy crestor online.
No wonder one among the top ten (usually already in the top five) of the most commonly prescribed drugs cholesterol-lowering drug (By the way, children are now also prescribed, as even the smallest do not suffer from blood lipid disorders).
The cholesterol – so it is said – is deposited on the blood vessel walls, leading to constrictions and thus make thrombosis and emboli more likely, in other words: heart attack and stroke can occur.
However, the cholesterol level can be lowered very well even with natural measures, as we explain below.
The cholesterol confusion
Especially high LDL-cholesterol is a risk factor for future cardiovascular problems. Whether this is actually the case or not should not be the topic here. The fact is that even the scientific community is not completely unanimous on this point.
There are studies that show that elevated cholesterol levels increase the risk of developing cardiovascular problems as well as studies that do not provide such a link.
Although some doctors now tend to statins prescribing only high-risk groups, such as those already suffering from cardiovascular disease or those experiencing heart attacks in the family, the majority of physicians routinely prescribe drugs to nearly every high-cholesterol patient.
Whether the cholesterol-lowering drugs can really help and prevent heart attacks, however, is also unclear. Some studies showing very good results in terms of heart attack prevention have been carried out on behalf of the statin manufacturers, so that the positive results are not necessarily surprising.
In general, reducing cholesterol only leads to the desired low cholesterol level in every fifth patient. Therefore, one likes to give two drugs at the same time (a statin and ezetimibe). Because this combination had achieved good results in a 2015 study by Merck (statin manufacturer). However, “good” here refers only to the lowering of cholesterol levels. Because in the group that took both medicines, significantly more patients became ill with cancer.
However, statins alone should even reduce the risk of cancer, especially the risk of colon cancer, it was said for a long time. Then it was discovered that it was not the statins that reduced the risk of colon cancer, but the high cholesterol itself. The higher the total cholesterol level, the lower it is colorectal cancer risk – so researchers of the University of Pennsylvania in April 2017 in a study conducted in PLOS Medicine has been published.
In the meantime, it is no longer even certain that HDL cholesterol, often referred to as “good” cholesterol, is actually that good. Various studies have shown that both low and high HDL levels are associated with premature cardiac death.
So you can not sit back and relax when the HDL level alone is high, as it is much more likely to affect all the values of a person, especially the LDL level and triglyceride levels. If these two are high, then a good HDL value can not help anymore. As a result, the LDL-HDL ratio (LDL / HDL ratio) is being taken into consideration more and more frequently. This should be below 3. Lowering bad LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels is therefore far more important than achieving high HDL.
There is a great deal of disagreement in the cholesterol world, so it would be much better to look at the matter for a change from a slightly different angle.Because the goal is not basically a low cholesterol level, but rather a healthy cardiovascular system!
What a healthy cardiovascular system needs
A healthy cardiovascular system is characterized by much more than simply by a cholesterol level, which fits into the grid of conventional medicine. A healthy cardiovascular system needs
- healthy, so clean and elastic blood vessels that are free from inflammation are
- a high body’s own Antioxidant level , which protects the blood vessels from inflammation
- a clean and fast-flowing blood, which prevents deposits on the vessel walls
- a healthy blood pressure
- a healthy one Blood sugar levels , as increased blood sugar attacks the blood vessels
- a good supply of vital substances, there vitamin deficiencies (Vitamin B6, B12 and folic acid) can lead to high homocysteine levels, which in turn are considered a risk factor for cardiovascular events
- a healthy blood lipid level (triglycerides)
- and of course ALSO a healthy cholesterol level – not too high, not too low.
Very few people only suffer from high cholesterol levels. Most of the time high blood pressure is part of the game. Just as a blood sugar disorder and high blood lipid levels. The inflammatory markers are elevated while the diet is low in vitamins and antioxidants. At the same time is often one overweight in front.
What is the doctor doing now? Of course, not only does he prescribe statins to lower cholesterol. He also prescribes antihypertensives, blood thinners, medicines for high blood lipid level and tablets that control the blood sugar.
However, drugs are known to provide not only the desired effects but also a lot of side effects. Therefore, the question arises: Why should one do this to themselves? Especially since there are completely different ways and solutions. Paths and solutions that are not only aimed at individual values, but have the overall health of the people in the sights.
Holistic measures – the effects
The wonderful thing about the wholeness is that it never improves a single symptom, but affects the entire body and thus also helps the entire body to regain its equilibrium – without side-effect-rich medication.
Therefore, our subsequent measures may (in most cases) lower cholesterol levels. But at the same time they have quite different effects:
- They regulate blood pressure,
- improve blood vessel health,
- regulate blood sugar levels,
- accelerate blood flow,
- optimize blood quality,
- help with overweight to a sustainable loss in weight and
- supply with sufficient vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.
The result is a healthy cardiovascular system with a low risk of heart attack and stroke, if any such risk exists. Whether the now lowered cholesterol level brought this result, may remain an open question. It is much more likely that there are other effects, such as: B. the reduction of oxidative stress and the Anti-inflammatory , which then ultimately ensure that the fat metabolism can regulate again.
With the lowering of the cholesterol, with blood pressure tablets and blood thinners, this restoration of the body’s self-regulation can not take place. On the contrary, drugs manipulate the body, disrupting its balance, putting strain on the liver, kidneys, and intestines, making the body do more work than they already do. To top it all, some medications (such as antihypertensives) increase cholesterol …
If you are already taking medication
Of course, if you are already taking medication, do not just stop it. On the other hand, proceed in such a way that you slowly integrate our measures presented below into your daily routine. Over time, most of the time, you will not need your medications anymore and you may be slowing them down – of course, in consultation with your doctor, who can check your scores at regular intervals, and can assess very well whether you still need medications and if so yes, in which dose.
Naturally Lower Cholesterol Levels – The Measures
If you now expect a “natural” wonder drug that you can just take in tablet form, just like statins, you may be disappointed. We therefore recommend z. B. not the red rice yeast. Although this is a basically natural product, it contains a substance that is so similar to statins that it can also produce approximately the same side effects.
However, as promised above, our action is not just to lower cholesterol, but to improve cardiovascular health. If we reach this goal, then the cholesterol level is automatically regulated. And even if the cholesterol level remains elevated, all other parameters and thus all other risk factors improve so seriously that an elevated cholesterol level alone is hardly a danger:
Exercise lowers the cholesterol level
Move It costs nothing, and at the same time is one of the most helpful and effective measures for most chronic conditions. Even a high cholesterol level can be reduced by almost no other measure as sustainable and healthy as by regular exercise. So pack it up and find yourself a sports group, a gym, go for walking, biking or whatever else you like to get as much exercise as you can on a daily basis.
For example, in a six-week study in 2009, volunteers were able to lower their LDL cholesterol levels from 170 mg / dl to 125 mg / dl by performing combined endurance and strength training 45 minutes daily for five days a week. So they could – without medication – their cholesterol level alone with movement of a concern worth to almost a really good value.
It is better to train longer per workout than harder. So go four times a week for one hour for walking, seven times a week for just 20 minutes each. It would be best, of course, if you walked for an hour a day.
Do not smoke
Smoke affects the cholesterol level negatively. In particular, the HDL level is reduced, resulting in an unfavorable LDL-HDL ratio. Anyone who stops smoking – as a study from 2011 ( American Heart Journal ) – may u. May add some weight, but any potential negative impact of this extra weight will be outweighed by the benefits of not smoking. The benefits of not smoking outweigh here so. Nonetheless, reducing the same would be a good idea for an existing overweight, such as one healthy diet :
3. Healthy diet lowers cholesterol levels
With proper nutrition, LDL cholesterol levels can be reduced by as much as 37 percent, including trials of the American Heart Association diet, the Ornish diet, and the Mediterranean diet. All of these diets share the following characteristics:
- As a staple food Fruits, salads, vegetables and Whole grains selected, accompanied by nuts, seeds and Sprouts .
- The foods used are rich in fiber and vital substances.
- The diet is complete.
- It will open high quality fats respected.
- Soya products can be included.
- There are no sugar and no products from Auszugssmehlen eaten.
- There is no meat and no sausage eaten.
The fact that this form of nutrition can successfully lower cholesterol levels is already evident in studies with individual foods that belong to a cholesterol-lowering diet. Then combine these foods in his eating plan With many other vegetables, salads and fruits as well as whole grains, nothing can go wrong. At the same time, of course, it is important to avoid harmful components, such. As sugar, meat o.
Avocados lower cholesterol
vocados are fat, but their fat is very high quality. In addition, they contain other health-promoting substances and can thus lower the cholesterol level in their entirety. Here, we described how even one avocado a day could lower cholesterol by 13 mg / dL in one study: one avocado per day lowers cholesterol levels
Berries reduce cholesterol levels
Berries like blueberries and Cranberries can also naturally lower cholesterol. With the blueberries it is in particular the Anthocyanins , which lead to increased cholesterol excretion. At the same time they protect against cancer and have an anti-inflammatory effect. Cranberries have a similar anti-inflammatory effect. They not only regulate the LDL / HDL quotient, they also take care of a good one Bladder and urinary tract health and have a very positive effect on the stomach, z. B. in infections with Helicobacter pylori
Red onions lower cholesterol – red wine does not
Just like many dark berries, so deliver as well Red onions the mentioned anthocyanins. Therefore, in an eight-week study with women who ate about 50 g red onions twice a day, decreasing cholesterol levels were also observed.
Also red / blue grapes and thus red wine contain anthocyanins. It was then believed for a long time that the daily glass of red wine was very good for the cardiovascular system. However, a study has shown that red wine does not have a positive influence on the cholesterol level, with regular enjoyment rather even with the typical disadvantages of alcoholic beverages must be expected, eg. B. with elevated triglyceride or uric acid levels.
Soy products lower cholesterol levels
In the meantime, many studies have shown that soy products can naturally lower cholesterol levels. In particular, LDL cholesterol decreases when regular soy products are eaten while HDL levels appear to remain unchanged. Tofu, fermented tofu, tempeh, tofu-containing burgers, and occasionally a glass of soy milk or a soy ice cream can very well enrich your diet.
Walnuts reduce cholesterol levels
A very healthy fat source with elevated cholesterol levels Walnuts . They were able to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol in a study with overweight women. In two comparison groups – one low-fat but high-carbohydrate, the other took olive oil as fat source to itself – surprisingly no corresponding successes could be observed.
Which fats and oils with high cholesterol?
The topic of fat is very big when it comes to cholesterol. Which fat is it allowed to eat, which not and, above all, which one for which purposes?
- In general, eat lightly isolated fats and oils, so you may prefer to cover your fat needs Avocados , Olives , nuts and oilseeds. So you do not have to eat low-fat foods, but instead of using isolated fats, you should simply use healthy (!) Fatty foods. These deliver not only fat, but also Fiber , nutrients and a lot of antioxidants. However, with fats and oils you will be very economical in the future.
- fatty unhealthy food avoid completely, eg. For example, fatty pastries, sweets, pies, cakes, ready-made sauces (remoulades, mayonnaises), chips, fries from the barbeque, etc. For the infamous trans fatty acids that can actually increase cardiovascular risk.
- We advise against animal foods, therefore (and not only) with high cholesterol levels fatty foods are also taboo (eg fatty meat, fatty sausages, fat milk products, etc.).
- If you eat isolated fats then only high quality and healthy fats. Use the following rules:
- For cooking, for gentle roasting and also for salads can be a high quality extra virgin olive oil be used.
- Omega-6-rich oils should be used sparingly, if at all (sunflower oil, soybean oil, thistle oil, grapeseed oil). An excess of omega-6 fatty acids could promote chronic inflammation (which also causes deposits in the blood vessel walls).
- If you are using omega-6 rich oils or foods, look for a balance with omega-3 rich oils ( Linseed oil , Hemp oil , rapeseed oil, walnut oil) or take Omega-3 fatty acids as a dietary supplement (eg algae oil capsules). Omega-3-rich oils should not be heated. They should be used exclusively for raw food.
- If you want to fry or sear – which is really rare – you can coconut oil use or Ghee . Both are highly heatable. If you are worried about saturated fat, read on here: Saturated fats
- For cakes you can use high quality butter or margarine. Both fats are already in high quality, as we have explained here: butter or margarine