If Cholesterol Is A Problem For You, Consider Your Diet

Concerns about high cholesterol are a relatively modern phenomenon. So if you have been warned by your doctor that you have high cholesterol, there is much you need to research and learn about this subject before you start to worry and particularly, before you start to take statin drugs.

More about the fear of high cholesterol

In an article by Dr. Mercola, he points out that cholesterol could easily be described as the smoking gun of the last two decades.

He says: “It"s been responsible for demonizing entire categories of foods (like eggs and saturated fats) and blamed for just about every case of heart disease in the last 20 years. Yet when I first opened my medical practice in the mid 80s, cholesterol, and the fear that yours was too high, was rarely talked about. Somewhere along the way, however, cholesterol became a household word -- something that you must keep as low as possible or suffer the consequences. You are probably aware that there are many myths that portray fat and cholesterol as one of the worst foods you can consume. Please understand that these myths are actually harming your health. Not only is cholesterol most likely not going to destroy your health (as you have been led to believe) but it is also not the cause of heart disease."

For those who are taking cholesterol-lowering drugs, it is important that you read the information online to learn more about how dangerous such drugs can be.

Diet and natural remedies can play a big part in reducing cholesterol levels

1. Eating fatty fish from a safe source at least two or three times a week can protect your heart because of the high levels of Omega 3. Omega 3 is great for reducing the risk of blood clots and heart disease. The best fatty fish to eat are salmon, trout, pilchards and sardines. If you cannot find a safe and sustainable source of these fish, then take an Omega 3 supplement instead.

2. Nuts are a great way to reduce your blood cholesterol while keeping the blood vessels healthy. The best varieties to eat are almonds, pistachios, pecans and walnuts which are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). Remember to always eat your nuts in their raw state with no salting and no roasting. Try to have a small handful of nuts daily – they have lots of other health benefits too. 2. Fiber, and in particular soluble fiber, can help to reduce your total cholesterol and more importantly your bad cholesterol. You can find such soluble fiber in these foods: oatmeal, bananas, pears, prune, beans, lentils and vegetables. Make sure you consume at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber every day.

3. Look for foods that have added stanols and sterols as these will help prevent cholesterol absorption, thereby decreasing total cholesterol levels. plant sterols and stanols can occur naturally in foods or be fortified into other food products. Examples of natural food sources are avocado and sunflower seeds. Examples of foods that have been fortified with sterols and stanols are certain yogurt drinks and other products. You need to check the other ingredients in case these are less than healthy.

4. Take generous doses of vitamin C which inhibits the same enzyme that the statins drugs do, without any of their side effects. The amount of the enzyme inhibition depends on the amount of vitamin C someone takes. If their cholesterol levels are too high, they can take several grams of vitamin C daily without lowering the cholesterol levels too much. Vitamin C also regulates cholesterol in a different way because it converts it into a substance called a bile acid, which is then broken down by the liver. Vitamin C deficiency slows the above conversion, which can then make excess cholesterol accumulate in the arteries and also cause gallstones. There is much evidence now that a vitamin C deficiency can also raises cholesterol levels above normal.

5. Include half a raw onion in your daily diet to prevent or treat cholesterol because of the onion's anti-coagulant properties while making sure to have free range eggs that have one third less cholesterol than regular eggs.

Exercise also plays an important role in reducing your cholesterol – and the best form of exercise? Start taking a brisk thirty minute walk at least five times a week.

Sources

Atherosclerosis. (n.d.).
https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/atherosclerosis. (Accessed, 5 October 2021). 

Bowen, K. J., et al. (2019). Diets enriched with conventional or high-oleic acid canola oils lower atherogenic lipids and lipoproteins compared to a diet with a Western fatty acid profile in adults with central adiposity [Abstract].
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30773586.  (Accessed, 5 October 2021). 

Coronel, R. (2017). The pro- or antiarrhythmic actions of polyunsaturated fatty acids and of cholesterol.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0163725817300189?via%3Dihub.  (Accessed, 5 October 2021). 

Costa, R. R., et al. (2019). Water-based aerobic and resistance training as a treatment to improve the lipid profile of women with dyslipidemia: A randomized controlled trial [Abstract].
https://journals.humankinetics.com/doi/abs/10.1123/jpah.2018-0602?rfr_dat=cr_pub%3Dpubmed&url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori%3Arid%3Acrossref.org&journalCode=jpah&.  (Accessed, 5 October 2021).