High cholesterol is one of the most popular ‘health-trending’ topics in these modern living. It is always associated with low-density lipoprotein (LDL). What is LDL? It is a kind of cholesterol or familiar known as ‘bad cholesterol’. Therefore lower LDL is much better for your health, especially to reduce your risk of developing heart disease and even stroke! And, the big question is how to lower LDL cholesterol? Let’s explore more this issue!
You might also like to know more about best foods to lower cholesterol and best steps to boost HDL (good cholesterol), before continuing!
You might also like to know more about best foods to lower cholesterol and best steps to boost HDL (good cholesterol), before continuing!
As you get older, your chance of having higher levels of artery-clogging substance is also getting higher. The bad news, there is no any symptoms that occur when you have high cholesterol -- therefore this condition can be so lethal. Therefore, it is so important to get regular cholesterol tests.
Many doctors recommend getting this test at least once in 5 years for individuals who are over 20 of the age, and should be more frequently for individuals who have higher risk of heart disease. Talk with your doctor for more in-depth information about when you should do regularly cholesterol tests!
The following are pieces of helpful information and tips on how to lower LDL cholesterol:
First, get to know your target!
You have known that you have high cholesterol, but how low of cholesterol level you need to go? The answer is dependent on some factors. If you have some risk factors of heart disease, like you are smoker, you also have high blood pressure, you are being overweight, you have family history of high cholesterol or heart disease, and you also have diabetes -- your doctor may recommend getting lower level of cholesterol.
Normal level of total cholesterol is less than 200 mg/dL (for HDL should be higher than 60 mg/dL and for LDL (bad cholesterol) should be lower than 100 mg/dL)! You may also like to know more detailed information about cholesterol levels!
But if you have a lot of risk factors of heart disease, your doctor usually recommend for less than 70 mg/dL of LDL! Ask your doctor for in-depth information about how low you should go to lower your LDL cholesterol!
Stop smoking!
If you are smoker, you have to quit from this bad habit as earlier as possible! Cigarette smoking can give bad effect to the performance of your good cholesterol (HDL). On the other hand, HDL can be so helpful for your body to control the LDL level. Therefore, higher levels of HDL cholesterol are better for your health.
Consider what you eat!
We all agree that unhealthy foods that we eat will give a significant contribution to raise the cholesterol level. Therefore, it is important to consider what you eat! Talk with your healthcare provider or registered dietitian to get the complete list of foods that you should avoid and foods that you should eat!
Some foods that you should prioritize to lower LDL cholesterol may include:
- Margarine-like spreads which are fortified with stanols (cholesterol-lowering plant compounds).
- Nuts (like almonds and walnuts)! Some studies found that people who regularly consumed nuts had modest lowering in their cholesterol. And make sure you eat them in moderation, because they also have high calories. Eating too much nuts can put you at higher chance of having overweight.
- Green tea! Some people who consumed green tea extract capsules experienced about 4.5 percent lowering in their LDL cholesterol -- according to a small study in Brazil. But be careful, green tea also has a few amounts of caffeine. To be safe, talk with your doctor first! You may also like to read how much caffeine in green tea!
- Drink alcohol in moderation! This may help increase the levels of your HDL by about 10 percent. But don’t drink alcohol too over! Talk with your healthcare provider on how to do this option properly!
- Omega-3 fatty acids! We can find them in fish & fish oil! For practical option, you can also try with fish oil supplements. But if you are also taking or having anti-clotting medication, you should talk with your doctor first! There are also other plant sources that also can be preferable source for your omega-3s, such as walnuts, canola, flaxseeds, and soybeans! You can choose fish as the preferable source for your omega-3s, but for fish oil supplements you should talk first with your healthcare provider -- the recommendation from the American Heart Association!
- Raise your fiber intake! Eating more fresh vegetables and fruits is great for your health, including helping your body to lower your cholesterol! The soluble fiber of fruits and vegetables can be a powerfully sponge for absorbing your cholesterol.
Don’t forget also to limit or avoid saturated fat or other foods that high in cholesterol!
Move more your body!
It is important to give adequate moving /day for your body! You should have regular physical activities! This is not only helpful to keep fit your body but also can help increase your HDL by about 10 percent.
Whatever the type of your exercise, just make sure you can enjoy it so thus you can do it regularly with fun!
Medication
After doing a lot of lifestyle modifications, you may still need to get the appropriately medications to lower your LDL cholesterol (especially if your risk of cardiovascular is very high so thus you need a lower level of LDL)!
Some common medications may include fibrates, bile acid resins, and niacin! Talk with a doctor for more advices!
Note; there are many steps and ways on how to lower LDL cholesterol! For better result, always consult and discuss with your healthcare provider or doctor! And follow completely all instructions from your doctor!
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Reference: WebMD
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