Cholesterol is inherently an organic compound present in the cells of all living things, with the exception of plants. Moreover, this fatty lipophilic alcohol in the amount of approximately 80% of the required body produces independently, and only the remaining 20% get into it with food. Therefore, each of us has cholesterol. But in a hurry to find out how to lower blood cholesterol is not worth it. First you need to figure out whether it is always necessary.
To begin with, I want to note that not all cholesterol is dangerous, but only low molecular weight. It practically does not dissolve and forms crystalline compounds, the so-called plaques, which are attached to the walls of blood vessels, reducing their elasticity and blood flow capacity. As a result, a person develops atherosclerosis, a heart attack or stroke can occur.
There is safe cholesterol, high molecular weight. It dissolves well and protects blood vessels from plaque formation. Such good cholesterol, the more the better.
Before you start looking for ways to lower blood cholesterol, you first need to find out how much it is in the body.
For this, special analyzes are performed. In Russia, cholesterol is measured in millimoles per liter or in milligrams per deciliter. For men and women, the norms are different. They differ significantly depending on the age of the person. According to generalized data, the total blood cholesterol should not exceed 5.2-5.3 mmol / L. But for those who crossed the line of 50 years, these figures are 6-6.9 mmol / l. At the same time, the presence of beneficial cholesterol in the blood of less than 1.54 mmol / L is considered hazardous to health.
How to lower blood cholesterol and where does it come from? Already accurately determined that his appearance is significantly influenced by lifestyle. Smoking, alcohol, overeating, obesity, an unbalanced diet, a sedentary lifestyle, as well as some viral, endocrine and hormonal diseases lead to an increase in the level of low molecular weight cholesterol. It is difficult for a person to avoid diseases, but he can well control his diet, stop drinking, smoke, start playing sports.
One of the most effective ways to lower cholesterol is to exclude certain foods from the diet: animal brain, pork. It is imperative to remove skin from chicken and other birds. Limit the use of egg yolks, high-fat dairy products, some seafood, including squid and crab, animal liver and kidneys, and sweet pastries.
In folk medicine, there are lots of tips on how to lower blood cholesterol. Products such as legumes, nuts, milk thistle seeds, ordinary sunflower seeds, olive oil, fruits (especially grapefruit), lemon, blueberries and blueberries will help to do this.
Of vegetables, eggplant, celery, garlic, broccoli are especially useful. Of the many recipes, the following can be distinguished:
1. Dilute seven drops of propolis tincture in 30 ml of water and take 4 months three times a day.
2. Grind dried linden flowers in a mixer or coffee grinder and take the resulting powder for a month with a teaspoon in the morning, afternoon and evening.
3. Squeeze the juice of half a lemon into a glass of water. Drink every morning on an empty stomach.
If simple folk methods do not work, then other measures are taken to reduce cholesterol. The drugs that are most effective in this situation are statins, which are synthesized or obtained from mushrooms. They reduce cholesterol well, but have a number of side effects. There are other drugs, for example, Policosanol, Gemfibrozil, Ezetimibe. But in order for the achieved effect to be long lasting, a person must strictly adhere to a healthy lifestyle and eat properly.