Elevated cholesterol is a problem that absolutely anyone can face. This phenomenon is quite dangerous for the entire human body - in the first place, this is the cause of atherosclerosis. A completely healthy and cheerful person with an increase in cholesterol can experience a large number of health problems and even become disabled.
How to lower cholesterol at home and in a medical manner? This will be discussed later in the material.
What is cholesterol?
Cholesterol is a kind of substance that is present in the human body. In appearance, it is a fat-like composition of white color, which is contained in the blood. In nature, there are two types of cholesterol: positive and negative. The second should be understood as low density lipoproteins, which are formed as a result of the connection of cholesterol with a protein contained in human blood. In the event that lipoproteins have a high density, they are called positive cholesterol. Negative fat deposits have poor properties, being deposited in blood vessels and clogging them, forming gaps.
How does
How does cholesterol get into the human body? Let him main - with foods that contain a large amount of fat. As a rule, these include food of animal origin. Dietitians often recommend reducing the amount of foods such as fried meat, fat milk, and sausage in your diet to avoid raising levels of negative cholesterol. However, they also talk about the food that helps cleanse the body - it includes various cereals, fruits and vegetables, that is, all those that contain fiber.
What is good for cholesterol?
The presence of acceptable cholesterol in the body is simply necessary, since it takes part in a wide range of its vital processes, in particular, in the production of sex hormones (in both men and women), as well as the synthesis of non-sex.
Cholesterol is also found in the membrane, that is, in the walls of body cells, ensuring their density. Also, due to it, a metabolism is made between the cell itself and the space located around it. Cholesterol is also at the core of the vitamin D necessary to maintain the normal functioning of the human body.
The danger of high cholesterol
People whose body has elevated cholesterol levels suffer from a large number of diseases, most of which are associated with the cardiovascular system, as well as the kidneys.
What level of the substance is considered safe? The acceptability of the amount of cholesterol in the blood is determined depending on the age category of the person and his gender. On average, the natural indicator in men and women of adult age varies in the region of 3.6-5.2 mmol per liter of blood, and it is considered normal. In older people (from 45 years old), the normal level of a substance is its amount from 6.27 to 7.77 mmol / liter.
Questions about how to lower cholesterol if its level is elevated should undoubtedly concern people, since a high level of its content leads to sudden strokes, atherosclerosis (often of the lower extremities), heart attacks, and angina pectoris. Often in people with high cholesterol, sclerosis of the renal vessels is observed.
When can cholesterol increase? Doctors answer this question in the same way - at any age, since in practice there are a considerable number of cases when this problem catches up with very young people and even teenagers. Doctors consider malnutrition combined with reduced physical activity to be the main reason for the development of the disease.
So, how to lower cholesterol at home? What vegetables, fruits and other foods contribute to this? What drugs are most effective? Let us consider this in more detail below.
How to lower cholesterol: doctors advice
Many nutritionists, gastroenterologists and doctors of other specialties give a lot of recommendations on how to significantly reduce cholesterol. To do this, they strongly recommend that you exclude fried foods from your daily diet or minimize their consumption. You need to eat only wholesome foods cooked in boiled, stewed or steamed. You should also completely abandon lard and margarine - such products are otherwise referred to as trans fats. They are best replaced with olive oil or soybean, and for this purpose, sunflower is perfect.
Significantly reduces the level of cholesterol in the blood a complete rejection of fast food, as well as cakes and sweet cakes, which is especially true for store products.
Lack of physical activity, as well as addiction to alcohol and smoking also negatively affects the human body, making it high cholesterol. As for nicotine, it helps to fix fat deposits on the walls of blood vessels, gradually clogging them.
Harmful and healthy products
In order to lower blood cholesterol, diets must be followed. What should she be like? First of all, correct. The daily diet should not contain prohibited foods, but should consist only of wholesome and properly cooked food.
How can you lower cholesterol? First of all, products that are useful for the body include all those that contain a large amount of fiber in their composition. In addition, you need to pay attention to seafood, fish (especially red), but try not to include a large amount of red caviar in the diet. Omega-3 contained in the composition of oily sea fish reduces cholesterol in the best way, having a beneficial effect on the work of many vital organs.
Among plant foods, there is also a considerable amount of those that help to reduce the amount of harmful fats. These include legumes, barley, carrots, avocados, as well as nuts and various types of cereals. In addition, people who are worried about their health should definitely include cold pressed vegetable oils (olive, sunflower, rapeseed, etc.) in their diet. Does cholesterol lower flaxseed oil? Yes, it does - it is also recommended among the products that are beneficial for the body.
What vegetables have a beneficial effect on cholesterol in the human body? Among them are often eggplant, cabbage, cucumbers, as well as zucchini. Does garlic lower cholesterol? Yes, and, moreover, copes with the task perfectly. Along with this product, it should also be noted ginger and onions, which perfectly stimulate the metabolism in the body, due to which all non-useful fats are excreted much faster.
What fruits lower cholesterol? First of all, doctors recommend using those that contain a large amount of fiber in food. These include apples, watermelons and oranges (if you are not allergic to citrus fruits). Cranberries should also be given great attention - this is a truly valuable berry, which has a huge amount of vitamin C in its composition, as well as antioxidants, which, by splitting harmful fats, not only have a beneficial effect on the general condition of the body, but also prevent heart attacks and strokes.
Vitamins
In nature, there is a considerable amount of vitamins that lower cholesterol. They can be found in pharmacies in their pure form, and they are also found in many foods.
A positive effect on the positive level of cholesterol in the human body is exerted by daily and sufficient consumption of products containing vitamins E and F. It is imperative to pay attention to ascorbic acid, it is sold in any pharmacy and is very cheap. Group B vitamins, as well as menaquinone and beta-carotene, are also recommended for people who are thinking about how to lower cholesterol.
Some doctors draw the attention of patients to the fact that treatment with vitamins is much safer than statins (special drugs to lower the level of harmful fats in the body). This is due to the fact that the latter very often cause complications in the work of other organs. In addition, the effect of vitamins is aimed not only at the breakdown of fats, but also at the healing of the whole organism as a whole and the prevention of various other types of diseases.
Where can I find the listed vitamins? If we talk about beta-carotene, then it is found in vegetables and fruits of red, as well as orange flowers. Examples of these are: carrots, oranges, raspberries, peppers, etc. As for the acceptable norm, for the adult body, one milligram of beta-carotene per day is sorely needed. As for vitamin B, it is found in large amounts in foods such as potatoes, cereals, pasta, brewer's yeast, etc. This group of products has a positive effect on the functioning of the entire gastrointestinal tract.
Not sure how to lower high cholesterol? You should use products that have a high content of vitamin C. It is he who is an excellent antioxidant that instantly suppresses various kinds of inflammatory processes. Products containing vitamin C also actively help in the fight against atherosclerosis. As you know, the largest part of vitamin C is found in citrus fruits.
As for vitamin E, it also acts as an excellent antioxidant. Its regular consumption prevents the development of atherosclerosis in the body, as well as the appearance of cancers. The main source of this component is sprouted wheat, which also positively affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Vitamins F are lipid substances, they consist of three types of acids: arachidonic, linoleic, and also linolenic. This component also perfectly stimulates the processes associated with lowering blood cholesterol, contributing to the metabolism of this substance. You can get it from vegetable oils of the cold pressed type.
Herbs
What herbs that lower cholesterol are known in modern science? Many people who know a lot about the beneficial properties of plants and their parts often recommend using various decoctions of dried and fresh herbs. Among the most useful are those that contain a combination of pectin, a large number of minerals and vitamins.
Herbs that lower cholesterol include dandelions (plant roots), viburnum (bark, leaves), alfalfa leaves, oats (grass and grains), linden (inflorescences), calendula, licorice (root), and flax (seeds). In addition to these herbs, there are also others that also have a positive effect on the process of lowering cholesterol in the blood.
Of all the useful plants, many experts make useful collections - combinations that are ideally suited for taste and medicinal properties. However, before starting to use any type of herbs, you should definitely visit a doctor and consult with him about the correctness of the choice made. This is due to the fact that the presence of medicinal properties of the herb does not guarantee the absence of contraindications associated with its use.
Green tea - benefits for the body
Green tea fans who consume it regularly never think about how to lower cholesterol. This is due to the fact that natural tea leaves, processed in a special way and properly brewed, are excellent antioxidants and help fight the negative effects of excess fats formed in human blood. The secret of the magic effect of this drink lies in the fact that in the structure of green tea leaves there is a high level of catechins - elements that reduce the oxidation of lipoproteins, which causes the formation of negative deposits. As shown by experiments conducted by scientists, as a result of regular consumption of green tea (6-7 cups per day), the level of concentration of harmful substances in human blood plasma changes significantly.
Cholesterol lowering drugs
People who suffer from diseases associated with an increased amount of fatty deposits in the blood often seek to eliminate the existing problem with the help of medications. In the study of this issue, modern medicine has stepped far forward and involves the presence of a large number of pills that lower cholesterol. As practice shows, the most effective among them are alpha lipoic acid, Klofibrat, Leksol, Baikol, Fenofibrat, as well as Kolestid.
However, anyone who is concerned about their health regarding the level of a given substance should understand that it is impossible to deal with the selection of pills that lower cholesterol, since using the wrong drug can only aggravate the situation or cause other diseases. To select the right remedy, you need to contact a professional in the field of medicine who will recommend a specific drug, based on the results of blood tests, as well as other studies.
Folk remedies
Those people who for some reason can not afford treatment with medications and continue to think about how to lower cholesterol using other methods can turn their attention to options for resolving the problem that have long been used in traditional medicine. Already for a long time, those suffering from such a problem eliminate it using tinctures of various medicinal plants.
One of those is a product prepared on the basis of valerian and tansy. As practice shows, it is quite unpleasant in taste, but very effective. To prepare a healing broth, you should take a glass of a mixture of dry leaves of tansy and valerian, mixed in the same proportion. It is necessary to fill it with a glass of boiling water and insist under the lid for at least a quarter of an hour. After preparing the broth, it is recommended to eat a quarter cup for two weeks (once a day). The problem of elevated lipoprotein levels is eliminated for a rather long period, provided that the person continues to eat properly.
Many connoisseurs of traditional medicine claim that the best way to lower cholesterol is to use flax seeds every day. You can also make an excellent medicine from them. It is prepared simply: the desired amount of flax seeds must be ground using a coffee grinder, and then consumed by a teaspoon before starting a meal. Some people prefer to add this compound to food, which is also very useful.
Another remedy that helps in the fight against the problem under consideration is the dried dandelion root crushed in a coffee grinder. It should be eaten on a teaspoon before meals (every day).
Tincture of hawthorn fruits also has a positive effect on blood cholesterol. In order to properly prepare it, pour a large spoonful of berries with a glass of boiling water (you can pre-dry them), cover and let it brew for a couple of hours. After the broth is ready, it should be filtered through a sieve or gauze. The finished product should be taken every day in a small amount - 3 tablespoons immediately after eating.
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Sport
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As practice shows, 30 minutes of simple exercises per day is enough to maintain the level of lipoproteins at a normal level. In addition, you should be aware that regular exercise significantly reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke.