Reduce Cholesterol Levels

Reduce cholesterol levels means you are more likely to live a long and healthy life. Learning how to reduce cholesterol levels is important. The most important step when it comes to reduce cholesterol levels is diet. High cholesterol can lead to heart disease and even heart attack. The leading causes of death in the U.S. are heart attacks, cancer and strokes. These diseases all have one thing in common; they are all related to the type of fat we eat.  Notice that I didn’t say the amount of fat.

High cholesterol has no symptoms, but a simple blood test can tell you what your level is. Adults over 20 should have a blood test at least every five years to monitor their cholesterol levels. The health department recommends a lipoprotein profile test, which provides several important numbers, including:

•    Total cholesterol
•    LDL cholesterol (commonly known as bad cholesterol) – creates the main source of buildup and blockage in the arteries
•    HDL cholesterol  (commonly known as good cholesterol) – helps keep cholesterol from building up in arteries
•    Triglycerides – another form of fat in the blood

The lipoprotein profile test must be done after a nine to 12 hour fast. If that is not possible, a simpler test can be done that determines total cholesterol and HDL cholesterol.

A total cholesterol level of less than 200 is desirable. A level of 200 to 239 is borderline high, while a level of 240 and above is considered high.

An LDL cholesterol level of less than 100 is considered optimal. A reading of 160 to 189 is high, and a level of 190 or above is very high.

An HDL cholesterol level should be 60 or higher. A reading below 40 is too low for optimum health.

If your LDL cholesterol level is high, you can make some changes to decrease it. To reduce cholesterol levels:

•    Know your cholesterol numbers
•    Watch the type of fats you eat.
o    Eat fats that are oils at room temperature
o    Moderately limit meat and dairy fats
o    Severely limit margarine, fried foods and packaged food with the word “hydrogenated” in the ingredients.
•    If your cholesterol or triglycerides are elevated or out of balance, talk to us about whether you are a candidate for natural treatments.  They can be very effective and may prevent the need for medications. Sometimes medications are necessary but the supplements may allow you to take a lower dose.
•    Take your medicine regularly
•    Get regular physical exercise
•    Maintain a healthy weight

Learning how to reduce cholesterol can be the difference between living a long and healthy life. Diet and exercise are the first line of defense in the fight against high cholesterol. Follow all step mentioned above, and you can reduce cholesterol levels.