How to Reduce Cholesterol Naturally Home Remedies [The Best Secrets]

Tell me... do you know how to reduce cholesterol naturally home remedies?

No?

Have you had your cholesterol checked lately?

It’s a simple blood test done at the doctor’s office. But it can tell you so much about your body.

How to Reduce Cholesterol Naturally Home Remedies

Is your diet working?

Are you naturally predisposed to high cholesterol?

Are you at risk for certain diseases?

You won’t believe what we discovered… stay with me on this.

I hear a lot from those of you who know you need to watch your cholesterol.

Maybe you’re trying to avoid being put on medication. Or, maybe you already are on meds, and want some natural ways to lower cholesterol.

Today, that’s what we’ll be diving into.

You can learn how to reduce cholesterol levels quickly?

Do you want to know how to reduce cholesterol naturally home remedies?

Why are your cholesterol levels so important?

This is NOT just another hyped-up “natural remedy” that’s sweeping the net with no real proof...

Read on to find out why...

What Does It Mean to Have High Cholesterol?

Before we move forward, you must understand that like fat in general, cholesterol is essential to our health.

In fact, our own bodies make it for us. The liver produces cholesterol to bolster nerve and hormone function.

And yes, we also eat foods that contain cholesterol.

But eating cholesterol isn’t necessarily what gives you high cholesterol.

As usual, the culprit there is typically processed foods or foods containing hydrogenated fats. I’ll tell you more about these later on.

When we eat too many of these foods, it changes the amount of cholesterol we produce.

That said... high cholesterol can also be in your genes.

Genetic predispositions aren’t the ultimate determination, but if your diet is slightly off, you could see higher cholesterol than others.

Now, it’s time to note that not all high cholesterol is bad. There are actually two kinds of cholesterol - HDL and LDL.

HDL stands for high density lipoproteins.

HDL is what we consider the “good” cholesterol, and having a lot of it may be a positive thing. That’s because it travels through the blood, cleaning up LDL cholesterol.

LDL stands for low density lipoprotein. A buildup of LDL forms plaque in the arteries.

This is where having high cholesterol has some potentially deadly effects. Consistently high LDL levels can cause heart attacks and strokes.

So, where should your levels be?

For HDL cholesterol, more than 50 mg/dL is good. If you can get it at 60 mg/dL or more, that’s even better.

*Note: mg/dL means “milligrams per deciliter”. It’s a blood measurement that you need to obtain at the doctor’s office, with a blood test.

For LDL, your ideal concentrations will vary.

If you have a family history of heart disease, you should aim to keep your LDL levels below 100 mg/dL.

If you don’t have a negative family history, you can go slightly over this. But be watchful it doesn’t exceed approximately 129 mg/dL.

But there’s one more constituent in the mix.

Triglycerides are a kind of fat, too.

They come from the food we eat.

When our calorie quota is satisfied, our bodies takes the rest and makes them into triglycerides.

We stash these away for energy.

However, we may never use them all for energy if we’re sedentary or overweight.

Furthermore, having high LDL increases the volatility of a triglyceride buildup.

This can be life threatening, and lead to heart disease. We should all aim to keep our triglyceride levels at or below 100 mg/dL.

To wrap up this portion, it’s key to remember that cholesterol is still a very helpful, very necessary, fat.

Cholesterol is what insulates our nerves, helps us build cell walls, and helps us make vitamin D.

It contributes to our sex hormones, and helps us produce bile, without which we’d have trouble digesting fat.

So try not to look at cholesterol as a total villain. It’s merely one more thing we have to keep an eye on for optimal health.

High Cholesterol Medications

Do you already know you have high LDL and/or triglycerides?

If so, you’re far from alone.

Estimates suggest that more than 100 million Americans have high cholesterol.

Thirty-five million of these individuals have cholesterol so high, their lives are seriously at risk.

That’s why doctors prescribe medications known as statins.

Statins are very effective in lowering cholesterol in two ways.

First, they inhibit the production of it. But since we know we do need some cholesterol, they do something else as well.

Statins help collect cholesterol hanging out elsewhere in the body.

It takes the buildup that was collecting prior, and helps you absorb it. This way, your body has enough cholesterol to function, but isn’t adding to your buildup.

Like other medications, statins may have side effects.

These commonly include:

Muscle pain
Inflammation
Fatigue
Diarrhea

Other specific kinds of statins may cause dizziness, confusion, and other kinds of digestive problems.

However, I’m not telling you this to convince you to stop taking your statins. In fact, too many people stop taking their statins to disastrous results.

Rather, I want you to know that if your doctor has you on statins, stay on them.

Speak to your doctor before pursuing alternative remedies for high cholesterol. In many cases, statins are enough, and no supplements are necessary.

That said, a heart-healthy diet is always good medical advice. (See Doctors videos below.)

Supplements for High Cholesterol

If you have cholesterol concerns but have not been prescribed medication, you might consider a supplement to control cholesterol.

As always, I recommend buying only those supplements that have been independently tested for purity and label accuracy.

1. Fish Oil - Do you eat fish regularly? If not, you might want to consider a fish oil supplement. Check out my recent post about fish oil for more details. Fish oil may help lower triglycerides while raising good HDL cholesterol.

2. Niacin - Maybe giving your HDL cholesterol levels a lift really is the best course of action. After all, it is the HDL that helps clean up the LDL. For ages, a B vitamin, niacin, has been used to raise HDL.

However, speak to a doctor or nurse about a niacin supplement first. It has some side effects, and you might need a pretty high dose to see results.

3. Astragalus - Astragalus is an adaptogen we find again and again in Chinese medicine. It may also go by the name “milk vetch”. Further study is necessary, but it may be effective in lowering cholesterol.

Aside from that benefit, astragalus - check price, may have other uses.

It’s a strong antioxidant that might help us manage stress, reduce allergies, and support the immune system. Because the benefits may be wide-ranging, it could be worth a try in combination with a healthier lifestyle.

Of course, a healthier lifestyle which supports optimal cholesterol levels begins with diet.

Foods That Lower Cholesterol Fast

If you want to know how to reduce cholesterol naturally home remedies, your diet is the first to change.

Want those results as quickly as possible? Then you have to incorporate plenty of these foods while totally avoiding others (that’s coming up next).

These are the best foods for lowering cholesterol naturally.

1. Turmeric - What can I say about turmeric - check price, that I haven’t said again and again? Curcumin, the “active ingredient” in turmeric, golden milkcholesterol buildup.

Put it in smoothies, make golden milk, and add it to scrambled eggs and stir fries.

2. Apples - One thing you’ll notice about many cholesterol-lowering foods is that they’re high in antioxidants. Apples are no exception here. As the name clearly states, antioxidants prevent oxidation. It’s the oxidation of fat, like LDL cholesterol, that makes it so harmful.

One study also says women who eat apples daily can reduce bad cholesterol by more than 20% in six months.

3. Oatmeal - The other fabulous thing about apples which lower cholesterol is their fiber content. And while we’re on the subject, there’s no better source of gluten-free fiber than oats.

This source of soluble fiber is sure to help keep you at healthy LDL levels.

4. Blueberries - Dark and luscious, the antioxidants in blueberries may have a positive impact on LDL as well. Animal studies indicate that eating them regularly for approximately two months can lower LDL by about 15%.

5. Avocados - Cholesterol may be fat, but fat still isn’t bad. A study of overweight people demonstrates this. It found that those who ate fat, including avocado, could improve their LDL more than those on a low-fat diet.

6. Garlic - Truthfully, there’s little to say... garlic specifically lowers cholesterol. However, scientific review indicates it is very heart-healthy overall. Coronary events in general, even due to high blood pressure, may be less likely if your diet is garlic-heavy.

7. Beans - Full of fiber, resistant starch, and plant cholesterols called phytosterols, beans are excellent for lower LDL.

You should aim to get about a half a cup daily on average, in soup, chili, on a salad - any way you like.

8. Sweet Potatoes - Foods that contain a combination of soluble fiber and richly-colored antioxidants are the gold standard in lowering cholesterol. Eat the peel if you can, as this is the best source of fiber.

Foods to Avoid If You Have High Cholesterol

Naturally, a good diet means you’re going to have to cut out some other types of foods.

Here’s the rundown on foods that could contribute to high cholesterol, or sabotage your cholesterol-lowering efforts.

Fatty meats, namely red meat
Full fat dairy and cheeses
Packaged snacks (chips, cookies, cakes, candies)
Hydrogenated oils (like those found in coffee creamer)
Plant oils high in saturated fat
Microwave popcorn with “butter flavoring”
Shortening
Animal organs, like livers

More Tips for... How to Reduce Cholesterol Naturally Home Remedies

First, you must take your meds (if applicable) and clean up your diet.

From there, some other lifestyle changes can help you lower your cholesterol.

1. Lose weight. There’s simply no way around it. Being overweight bears a heavy association with low HDL and high LDL.

Since we’re already cleaning up the diet, the loss should occur naturally, right?

Truthfully, changing your diet won’t always automatically make everyone lose weight. There are a number of reasons it’s hard for some, from thyroid issues to hormonal imbalance to lack of sleep.

So if you’re eating clean, but the weight isn’t leaving, see a doctor to figure out why.

Sometimes, the answer is as simple as the type of medication you take, such as birth control.

No matter the cause, a healthy weight is necessary for a reduced risk of heart disease.

2. Exercise. You might assume, as I once did, that the reason exercise matters here is because of weight loss. While that’s certainly true, something else may be at play here.

As it turns out, exercise may trigger enzymes that process out LDL.

Exercise may also change the size and density of the particles which distribute cholesterol. Instead of being small, hard, and sticky, they get large and fluffy.

That means it’s harder for them to get caught up in your blood vessels and create plaque.

3. Skip smoking and drinking. Tobacco use lowers HDL cholesterol, so there’s less of it around to clean up the bad stuff.

Alcohol might be okay in moderation, but heavy drinking can raise triglycerides and LDL as well.

4. Limit stress. It’s tough to avoid stress in today’s world. But at the very least, we should be learning to manage and cope with stress more effectively.

Ultimately, stress is what leads us into poor habits.

When we’re stressing, we’re more likely to reach for that cocktail or cigarette. If overwork is responsible for stress, we’re more likely to be too busy to eat well.

So start your new, healthier life off right by managing your stress.

Okay... here is my final word on...