Home Remedies to Lower Your Cholesterol Levels

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a lipid that is produced by our body and is also present in the food we consume. It is important to mention here that cholesterol is not an inherently bad thing. There are two types of cholesterol.

1. LDL: low-density lipoprotein or “bad cholesterol”

2. HDL: high-density lipoprotein or “good cholesterol”

If you have an excess amount of the “bad cholesterol”, then it can deposit on the walls of your arteries. This can seriously hamper the blood flow to your heart and cause heart problems.

Home remedies

High cholesterol levels are alarming and need to be addressed with sincerity. The first step is to visit a doctor. But alongside that, you can do the following things by yourself to improve your cholesterol levels.

1. Keep Your Cooking Medium Healthy

Healthy meals are the first thing you need to start with. The first step is to replace butter or ghee with cooking oils that are healthy for the heart. Rice bran oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil are some options that can help you cook. Now, one of the worst ways to cook your food would be to fry it. Instead, you can bake, broil or roast your food. If anything, you can also go for sautéing over deep frying.

2. Avoid unhealthy junk food

Junk food usually contains a lot of cheese and unhealthy oil. Hence, they are high in cholesterol and must be avoided. Try healthy snacks at home instead of ordering out.

3. Eat colourful food

Colourful fruits and vegetables can play a great role in cholesterol control. Green vegetables and coloured fruits contain anti-oxidants that lower your chances of developing high cholesterol. They also prevent the deposition of cholesterol on the walls of your blood vessels, thus preventing high blood pressure and atherosclerosis.

4. Must include food in diet

Scientific data suggests that there are a number of food items that you can include in your diet to fight against cholesterol

● All sorts of legumes, including lentils, beans and peas, can help reduce your cholesterol levels. They contain a lot of fibre and proteins. Hence, they can be a good replacement for refined grains and processed food.

● Nuts like walnuts and almonds contain a kind of fatty acid known as omega-3 fatty acid. Omega-3 fatty acid, referred to as “healthy fat”, can lower your cholesterol and triglyceride levels.

● Whole grains like oats and barley have been proven to improve your cholesterol levels by quite a significant margin.

● Dark chocolate and cocoa have also shown to lower LDL.

5. Use spices

Spices like ginger, garlic and cinnamon have been proven to lower cholesterol levels in your body. They all prevent atherosclerosis and thus, help you maintain a good heart health.

6. Lifestyle changes

Bad lifestyle choices can be a key factor contributing to your high cholesterol levels. Make sure to have a daily routine, sleep on time, sleep for 8 hours daily. Furthermore, try to stay away from things that give you a lot of stress.

7. Avoid alcohol

Drinking hard liquor can have a very bad impact on your cholesterol levels. Hence, stay away from drinks like beer, vodka and all other sorts of mixed drinks.

8. Exercise

15 to 30 minutes of exercise on a daily basis can be crucial to help you lower your cholesterol levels.

9. Eat soluble fibre

Eating food rich in soluble fibre can also help you lower your cholesterol levels. Whole grains, especially oats and barley, are rich in soluble fibre. All fruits, vegetables and legumes also contain high amounts of soluble fibre.

Conclusion

Cholesterol is something that people don’t pay much attention to. But it can be the underlying cause of something as fatal as a heart attack or a stroke. So, do not ignore your health. Buy a health insurance plan to be able to seek healthcare from the best hospitals in the country. There are suitable health insurance plans from HDFC ERGO that offer extensive coverage at an affordable premium rate.

Disclaimer: This blog provides general information and discussions about health and related subjects. The information and other content provided in this blog, website or in any linked materials are not intended and should not be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Kindly contact your Doctor before starting a new medicine or health regime.

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Published on January 10, 2022