Believe it or not, a low cholesterol diet can only have a marginal effect on your total cholesterol levels. Why? Because only about 20% comes from your diet...the other 80% is manufactured by your liver! So while it's important to watch to you eat, you should focus on managing your LDL and HDL from the inside out if you want to lower your risk of developing heart disease.
That said, we will discuss all of the ways to reduce cholesterol, from conventional to alternative. That way you will learn everything you need to know and can start making dietary and lifestyle changes that will help keep your heart in tip top shape.
As far as a diet to lower cholesterol, it's important to limit your intake of trans fats, hydrogenated oils, processed foods and fried foods. Don't remove fats and food with cholesterol altogether, as your body actually does need some cholesterol to produce hormones, cell walls and nerve sheaths.
Foods To Incorporate Into A Heart-Healthy Diet
Try to add some components such as omega 3 fatty acids, which can be found in highest concentrations in fatty fish such as salmon and cod. These can help lower LDL as well as improve heart health. Extra virgin olive oil and garlic can also provide similar health benefits.
As a complement to your diet for lowering cholesterol you might want to incorporate natural supplements that have been shown to lower LDL as well as raise HDL, such as policosanol, guggulipid, green tea, chromium polyniconate and vitamin B3(niacin). All of these extracts and compounds can naturally balance cholesterol levels without the potential side effects of pharmaceutical medications.
Know Your Options When It Comes To Treating High Cholesterol
If natural methods don't work for you, your doctor may recommend drugs called statins to take in addition to exercising and following a diet to lower cholesterol. Discuss all of your options and decide what will work best for your particular situation. Just know that you do have options when it comes to reducing your risk of heart disease.
