This article will tell the various aspects of maintaining your cholesterol levels and living a healthy life. It will guide you about several home remedies for high cholesterol. Some people eat food for nourishment; some eat to remove their hunger while others eat food for fulfilling their tastes and desires. And whichever category you fell into that decides your fitness level. If you eat it for fulfilling your desires and taste, then let me ask you one fine question. Which kind of food you prefer to eat? With the enhancement in the world of food industry, our choices of eating food have also changed at a rapid pace.
As we lack time we rarely put stress on what we are eating. Instead, we need something which can be cooked in an instant and consist of great taste. But, all these bad eating habits can adversely affect our health. It may even cause the problem of high cholesterol levels in the body which may lead to the risk of various heart-related diseases.
Cholesterol is oily and greasy substance in our body which we extract from oily and fatty foods. It is needed to maintain the cell membrane and healthy cells in our body. Cholesterol is important for our body to digest food. It is also used for producing the hormones and vitamin D nutrients in our body. The cholesterol travels in the bloodstream in the form of molecules known as lipoproteins.
Types of Cholesterol Levels:
LDL Cholesterol:
It gets constructed on the walls of your arteries and cause the blockage in it. It is the factor which increases the risk of heart diseases. It is also known as “bad cholesterol”. It is the main cause of the high cholesterol build-up in our body. Less than 200mg/dL is optimal LDL Cholesterol level. Above 190 mg/DL, it is considered to be a very high cholesterol number which is hazardous for our health.
HDL Cholesterol:
It is referred as “good cholesterol” for our health. The higher it is in number, the lesser you will have any risk of heart-related diseases.Less than 40 mg/DL is considered to be a major risk factor for heart diseases while 60 mg/DL and higher is considered a protective measure against heart diseases.
Causes of High Cholesterol Levels:
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There are several factors that contribute in high cholesterol levels:
Primary Causes:
Bad Eating Habits and Improper Diet:
As people are modernizing, their eating habits are also rapidly changing. They lack the time and so they desire for the food which can be cooked instantly. People rarely put stress on concentrating towards their eating habits. They consume more than the estimated calories per day. On an average 2,700 calories must be consumed by adult men while women should consume 2,200 calories per day in the US. But people skip their food and adopt the wrong eating habits without paying any attention towards their diet. Such habits may include:
- Overeating
- Skipping breakfast
- Eating food that is high in saturated oil and fat
- Physical inactiveness
- Having large waist circumference and much more
Genetically Inherited:
This problem may also be inherited by your ancestors or parents. It can be transferred through the genes of your parents to you. Sometimes even one faulty gene is enough to cause problems in our health.
Secondary Causes:
There are various types of secondary causes which may affect your cholesterol levels adversely. This may include:
- Smoking
- Drug consumption like steroids, anti-depressants
- Alcohol intake, suffering from diseases like type 2 diabetes, kidney, and liver problems.
- It may even rise due to underactive thyroid glands.
Home Remedies for High Cholesterol Levels:
Well, no matter whatever eating habits you have and which ever diet you follow. It is easy to fight with this problem. Here are few home remedies for high cholesterol that will help you in dealing with this problem:
1.) Start Drinking Orange Juice:
This citrus fruit is rich in vitamin C and several nutrients which can fight with the problem of high cholesterol easily. Though Scientist are not yet sure about how it happens. But, they can figure out easily that it can fight the problem oh high cholesterol. Drink three cups of orange juice on the regular basis to cure the problem of high cholesterol of blood. It is one of the most eminent home remedies for high cholesterol.
2.) Nuts for High Cholesterol Levels:
Nuts are high in mono-unsaturated fats, proteins, nutrients, fibers, and anti-oxidants. There are various types of nuts available in the market like walnuts, peanuts, hazelnuts, pecans, almonds, and many more. They are helpful in reducing the cholesterol of blood. According to a study, eating almond daily can lower LDL by 4.4 percent. Even the walnuts contain the high level of omega-3 fatty acids that are very effective in lowering your LDL up to 16 percent.
3.) Oatmeal for High Cholesterol Levels:
They are one of the best home remedies for high cholesterol. They are considered to be the best natural remedy to cure high cholesterol. It reduces the absorption of high cholesterol in our bodies. You can drop LDL level up to 12-24% by consuming it every day.
4.) Start Consuming Honey for High Cholesterol Levels:
It is one of the best cholesterol buster as it contains numerous minerals and vitamins in it. It not only let the cholesterol move out of the blood, but it even prevents it entering the lining of the blood vessels. You may consume it by adding it with one cup of hot water. You can even add lemon juice in the solution. It is also helpful in removing excessive fat from our body. Consume it in the morning for best results.
5.) Use Coconut Oil for High Cholesterol Levels:
Coconut oil is saturated fat, but it contains lauric acid that helps in increasing HDL. It also helps in improving the HDL/LDL ratio. Consume one or two spoons of coconut oil daily for the best results. It is considered to be one of the best home remedies for high cholesterol.
6.) Spinach for High Cholesterol Levels:
It contains a huge amount of lutein that avert the cholesterol from getting attached to the walls of arteries. It also protects the arteries from clogging. Vitamin E present inside spinach keeps the eye on the formation of plaque. Therefore, it reduces the chances of heart stroke.
7.) Barley for High Cholesterol Levels:
It is the most nutritious and healthy cereal that normalizes the blood sugar level of the body. It also lowers the blood cholesterol levels by 4-10 percent. It contains soluble fibers known as beta-glucan that helps in curbing your cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Hence, it is one of the best home remedies for high cholesterol.
8.) Brown Rice for High Cholesterol Levels:
If you love to eat rice and you can’t control yourself to have it. Then, it is the time to replace white rice with brown rice. To lower your cholesterol levels, it is one of the best home remedies for high cholesterol. Brown rice is rich in plenty of minerals, fibers and vitamins that play a vital role in lowering your cholesterol levels. Moreover, one cup of brown rice provides 11 percent of the fiber in our body. Therefore, it is one of the healthiest grains to enrich your health.
9.) Go for Herbal Products for High Cholesterol Levels:
The herbal home remedies for high cholesterol is another best way to curb your LDL and HDL levels. You may consume green tea which is high in antioxidant compounds that lower your cholesterol levels. You may even eat chicory and licorice roots, rhubarb, hawthorn berry, and margarine herbs for lowering your cholesterol levels. Start consuming ginger as well, it is one of the best herbal treatment for curbing your cholesterol levels. You can add ginger with food items to enrich it with flavor. You may even drink ginger tea that even prevents the sore throats.
10.) Red Wine for High Cholesterol Levels:
Who says that alcohol is bad for health? Indeed, it is one of the best cure for high cholesterol. It helps in lifting up your HDL level by 5-15 percent. The women should drink the 5-ounce glass of wine in a day while men should go for two glasses a day. Red wine has one speciality that you cannot find in any other alcohol. It contains polyphenol antioxidants that play a major role in lowering your cholesterol level. If you are non-drinker and you don’t prefer to drink alcohol, then substitute red wine with grape juice.
So, if you are having high cholesterol levels and you want to get rid of it, then try these home remedies for high cholesterol. It is one of the best methods to lower your cholesterol levels. This problem may create a high risk of several heart-related diseases. So, handle your health with care and don’t think much. Just act before the problem goes out of your hand.
